I cannot not updates to work and i cant get new applications

open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal

**Tip: right click with mouse on the top terminal windows title caption and select the menu item "Always on Top"
doing this you will force the terminal window to stay on top of the other windows and you will find very easy
to copy single row from this web page into the terminal...
Something more about using the terminal https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal

Then type or better copy and paste a row a time then press enter:
(Tip: select the single row to copy from this page then right click and select copy then click into the terminal window
and to quick paste click with middle button of mouse )

Copy and paste the rows below, copy and paste one row a time (see the **Tip) then press enter:

sudo cp -arf /var/lib/dpkg /var/lib/dpkg.backup
sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/status-old /var/lib/dpkg/status
sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/available-old /var/lib/dpkg/available
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/dpkg/updates/*; sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists
sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists; sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists/partial
LANG=C;sudo apt-get clean; LANG=C;sudo apt-get autoclean
LANG=C;sudo apt-get update
sudo dpkg --clear-avail; sudo dpkg --configure -a
LANG=C;sudo apt-get install -f
LANG=C;sudo apt-get update
LANG=C;sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

Hope this helps

I could not get it to work note the following:
bill@bill-RT641AA-ABA-a1720n:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get clean; LANG=C;sudo apt-get autoclean
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
bill@bill-RT641AA-ABA-a1720n:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get update
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007) maverick Release.gpg
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007)/ maverick/main Translation-en
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007)/ maverick/restricted Translation-en
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007) maverick Release
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007) maverick/main i386 Packages
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007) maverick/restricted i386 Packages
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007) maverick/main i386 Packages
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007) maverick/restricted i386 Packages
Err cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007) maverick/main i386 Packages
  Please use apt-cdrom to make this CD-ROM recognized by APT. apt-get update cannot be used to add new CD-ROMs
Err cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007) maverick/restricted i386 Packages
  Please use apt-cdrom to make this CD-ROM recognized by APT. apt-get update cannot be used to add new CD-ROMs
31% [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers]^[[3~
31% [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers]
31% [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers]
Err http://extras.ubuntu.com maverick Release.gpg
  Connection failed
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com maverick Release.gpg
  Connection failed
Err http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg
  Connection failed
28% [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers]

What can I do next ?

I was unable to get this to work this is what I get:
bill@bill-RT641AA-ABA-a1720n:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get clean; LANG=C;sudo
apt-get autoclean
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
bill@bill-RT641AA-ABA-a1720n:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get update
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007)
maverick Release.gpg
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007)/
maverick/main Translation-en
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007)/
maverick/restricted Translation-en
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007)
maverick Release
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007)
maverick/main i386 Packages
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007)
maverick/restricted i386 Packages
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007)
maverick/main i386 Packages
Ign cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007)
maverick/restricted i386 Packages
Err cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007)
maverick/main i386 Packages
  Please use apt-cdrom to make this CD-ROM recognized by APT. apt-get update
cannot be used to add new CD-ROMs
Err cdrom://Ubuntu 10.10 _Maverick Meerkat_ - Release i386 (20101007)
maverick/restricted i386 Packages
  Please use apt-cdrom to make this CD-ROM recognized by APT. apt-get update
cannot be used to add new CD-ROMs
31% [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for
headers]^[[3~
31% [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers]
31% [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers]
Err http://extras.ubuntu.com maverick Release.gpg
  Connection failed
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com maverick
Release.gpg
  Connection failed
Err http://dl.google.com stable
Release.gpg
  Connection failed
28% [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for headers] [Waiting for
headers]

Is there anything I can do ?

On Fri, Nov 26, 2010 at 3:37 PM, marcobra (Marco Braida) <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #135616 on update-manager in ubuntu changed:
>
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+question/135616
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> marcobra (Marco Braida) proposed the following answer:
> open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal
>
> **Tip: right click with mouse on the top terminal windows title caption and
> select the menu item "Always on Top"
> doing this you will force the terminal window to stay on top of the other
> windows and you will find very easy
> to copy single row from this web page into the terminal...
> Something more about using the terminal
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal
>
> Then type or better copy and paste a row a time then press enter:
> (Tip: select the single row to copy from this page then right click and
> select copy then click into the terminal window
> and to quick paste click with middle button of mouse )
>
> Copy and paste the rows below, copy and paste one row a time (see the
> **Tip) then press enter:
>
> sudo cp -arf /var/lib/dpkg /var/lib/dpkg.backup
> sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/status-old /var/lib/dpkg/status
> sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/available-old /var/lib/dpkg/available
> sudo rm -rf /var/lib/dpkg/updates/*; sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists
> sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists; sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists/partial
> LANG=C;sudo apt-get clean; LANG=C;sudo apt-get autoclean
> LANG=C;sudo apt-get update
> sudo dpkg --clear-avail; sudo dpkg --configure -a
> LANG=C;sudo apt-get install -f
> LANG=C;sudo apt-get update
> LANG=C;sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
>
> give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you
> type it, then press enter.
>
> Hope this helps
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
>
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+question/135616/+confirm?answer_id=0
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
>
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+question/135616
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

--
Bill Fawcett
E.I.D. Security Inc.

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Please don't use mail to manage your question but visit the question link, this:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+question/135616

Seems your connection isn't so good, please tell how are you connected to the net, then please simply try:

sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

I am connected thru a wireless bridge

I suggest you to get a temporary more stable connection to made upgrade... (wired connection to your router)

I tried a direct connection to the router and I got the same results although the internet is a little faster. Anything else I can try.

I'm not an expert.
If I understand Apt, each time you succeed to download a packet, it is stored in a directory on disk. Before trying downloading new packets, I hope Apt check before in cache on disk it is already done. So with many tries, if issue is really bad network connection, you should succeed to download all packets.

ps -e | grep apt (might show you a number which is essentially a job number. My system was locked due to apt-get and showed me apt-get as job number 1594)

sudo kill 1594 (modify number to your current run)

This works perfect without having to delete the lock and causing unnecessary changes to your system