Update Manager - E: Malformed line 51 in source list/etc/apt/sources.list (dist phrase), E: The list sources could not be read.

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Thank you for taking the time to report this issue and helping to make Ubuntu better. Examining the information you have given us, this does not appear to be a bug report so we are closing it and converting it to a question in the support tracker. We appreciate the difficulties you are facing, but it would make more sense to raise problems you are having in the support tracker at https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu if you are uncertain if they are bugs.

As the error message says the problem is related to your "/etc/apt/sources.list". Please attach this file to give us the required information to invesigate the problem. Thanks

There is something wrong at line 54 of your /etc/apt/sources.list file
Please dress it...

Open a Terminal from the menu Applications → Accessories → Terminal and type:
(when the system ask you a password give your user password, you will not see nothing when you type it, then press enter)

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

modify the row save and exite...

If you are int trouble please simply copy and paste the /etc/apt/sources.list file contents here...

Thank you

Have you tried opening up /etc/apt/sources.list in your favorite editor and see what line 54 is? BTW, you have to use sudo if you want to modify it.

I, too, am having the same problem and do not know the answer to it.

What am I to look for in order to modify line 54 or line 60?

lets re-open this problem, otherwise, I am dead in the water. H/W is some info for you :

ken@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get update
[sudo] password for ken:
E: Malformed line 54 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)
ken@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get install -f
E: Malformed line 54 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)
E: The list of sources could not be read.
ken@ubuntu:~$

ken@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get update | sudo apt-get install -f
E: Malformed line 54 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)
E: Malformed line 54 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)
E: The list of sources could not be read.
ken@ubuntu:~$

# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 9.04 _Jaunty Jackalope_ - Release i386 (20090420.1)]/ jaunty main restricted
# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty main restricted
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty main restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates main restricted
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates main restricted

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team. Also, please note that software in universe WILL NOT receive any
## review or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty universe
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty universe
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates universe
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates universe

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in
## multiverse WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu
## security team.
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty multiverse
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty multiverse
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates multiverse
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'backports'
## repository.
## N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as
## extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes
## newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features.
## Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review
## or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
# deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-backports main restricted universe multiverse
# deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-backports main restricted universe multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from Canonical's
## 'partner' repository.
## This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is offered by Canonical and the
## respective vendors as a service to Ubuntu users.
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu jaunty partner
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu jaunty partner

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security main restricted
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security main restricted
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security universe
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security universe
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security multiverse
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security multiverse
##deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/jaunty backports
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ jaunty backports
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-security main restricted universe multiverse

ken johnson

Please change the row

##deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/jaunty backports
to
# deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/jaunty backports

Hope this helps

Marcobra, Try this:

The error report this time around says<

E: malformed line 54 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)
E: The list of sources could not be read
E: _cache->open() failed, please report... .

FYI, the following is submitted:

# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 9.04 _Jaunty Jackalope_ - Release i386 (20090420.1)]/ jaunty main restricted

# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to

# newer versions of the distribution.

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty main restricted

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty main restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the

## distribution.

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates main restricted

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates main restricted

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu

## team. Also, please note that software in universe WILL NOT receive any

## review or updates from the Ubuntu security team.

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty universe

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty universe

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates universe

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates universe

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu

## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to

## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in

## multiverse WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu

## security team.

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty multiverse

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty multiverse

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates multiverse

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'backports'

## repository.

## N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as

## extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes

## newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features.

## Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review

## or updates from the Ubuntu security team.

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-backports main restricted universe multiverse

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-backports main restricted universe multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from Canonical's

## 'partner' repository.

## This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is offered by Canonical and the

## respective vendors as a service to Ubuntu users.

deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu jaunty partner

deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu jaunty partner

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security main restricted

deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security main restricted

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security universe

deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security universe

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security multiverse

deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security multiverse

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/jaunty backports

deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ jaunty backports

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-backports main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-security main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/dists/ jaunty release

STILL The error pops up in my synaptic programs even with the change you proposed...think you can help me?

TNX

ken

Both my synaptic programs are down because of a malformed line in the source list.

Putting one or two ##'s at the beginning of line 54, (or 60), removing the line(s) in question and re-installing the line(s) do not help because the same problem is still there.

Problem is as follows:

Failed to fetch HTTP://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/dists/jaunty/Release
unable to find expected entry backports/binary-i386/package
in META-index file (malformed Release file?)

E: Malformed line 54 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)
E:The LIST OF SOURCES COULD NOT BE READ
E: _cache->open() failed, please report

The above six lines describe what the problem is with my synaptic programs
Any help on this will greatly be appreciated because right now I cannot access those two programs--they just shut down on me

Thanks

ken

From terminal type:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Please delete old content into your /etc/apt/sources.list file and copy and paste this:

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty main restricted
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty main restricted

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates main restricted
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates main restricted

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty universe
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty universe
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates universe
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates universe

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty multiverse
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty multiverse
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates multiverse
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'backports'
## repository.
## N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as
## extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes
## newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features.
## Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review
## or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
# deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-backports main restricted universe multiverse
# deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-backports main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu jaunty partner
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu jaunty partner

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security main restricted
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security main restricted
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security universe
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security universe
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security multiverse
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jaunty-security multiverse

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-security main restricted universe multiverse