Error in Update Manager due a source file .list with wrong or empty contents

You might want to look at the file, '/etc/apt/source.list.d/abiword-stable.list', indicated in the error message and ensure that it is properly formatted.

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. For help on reporting bugs, see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#When%20not%20to%20file%20a%20bug.

Open a terminal from the menu Applications → Accessories → Terminal and type:

gedit /etc/apt/source.list.d/abiword-stable.list

Select and copy the file contents and paste here...

Thank you

Hello Marco!

Muchissimas Graccissimas for replying...!

When I typed the command into the terminal, it opened up another window, almost like a word processor window and this window is completely EMPTY !

Likewise, in the terminal window, there is a tall rectangle where the line of code/answer/list ought to be, but NOTHING ELSE.....

Is this a problem at the Ubuntu repository for Abiword?

As I say, My Update Manager is now crashed, and the synchronisation of the clock/date/time function ALSO is not working...

Hope you can help - Thanks for your time!

Hasta soon,

- mehermuchacho

--- On Fri, 10/16/09, marcobra (Marco Braida) <email address hidden> wrote:

> From: marcobra (Marco Braida) <email address hidden>
> Subject: Re: [Question #86062]: Error in Update Manager
> To: <email address hidden>
> Date: Friday, October 16, 2009, 5:37 PM
> Your question #86062 on
> update-manager in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+question/86062
>
>     Status: Open => Needs information
>
> marcobra (Marco Braida) requested for more information:
> Open a terminal from the menu Applications → Accessories
> → Terminal and
> type:
>
> gedit /etc/apt/source.list.d/abiword-stable.list
>
> Select and copy the file contents and paste here...
>
> Thank you
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either
> reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+question/86062
>
> You received this question notification because you are a
> direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

You can try to add repo again,but remove existing list.

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/source.list.d/abiword-stable.list

Then add it following http://abisource.com/wiki/Install_on_Ubuntu

Thanks, Zvacet -

I will *try* this, but it was using the Abiword Wiki commands in the first place that crashed my Update Manager !

...mehhermuchacho

--- On Sat, 10/17/09, zvacet <email address hidden> wrote:

> From: zvacet <email address hidden>
> Subject: Re: [Question #86062]: Error in Update Manager
> To: <email address hidden>
> Date: Saturday, October 17, 2009, 4:12 PM
> Your question #86062 on
> update-manager in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+question/86062
>
>     Status: Open => Answered
>
> zvacet proposed the following answer:
> You can try to add repo again,but remove existing list.
>
> sudo rm -f
> /etc/apt/source.list.d/abiword-stable.list
>
> Then add it following http://abisource.com/wiki/Install_on_Ubuntu
>
> --
> 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/86062/+confirm?answer_id=4
>
> 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/86062
>
> You received this question notification because you are a
> direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Open a terminal from the menu Applications → Accessories → Terminal

Tip: right click with mouse on the terminal title caption and select the 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

and type:

sudo rm /etc/apt/source.list.d/abiword-stable.list

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

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

sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoremove

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

Hope this helps

Marco -

Thank you for the sugguestions/commands -

However, I am actually on an Ubuntu Merry-Go-Round - To wit:

When I typed the "Remove" command, to get rid of the empty list, I got the following response from the terminal:

' rm: cannot remove `/etc/apt/source.list.d/abiword-stable.list': No such file or directory '

SO I then tried your next commands and got as far as the 2nd one, when I received *this* response - which is disturbingly familiar, and is the source of the original problem...(I think...):

' sudo apt-get -f install
E: Malformed line 1 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/abiword-stable.list (dist parse)
E: The list of sources could not be read. '

I certainly don't know what to do about this - is there a way to repair the Update Manager and Synchroniser by themselves and just work around the Abiword issue?

I only wanted to update Abiword because the version of Abiword on this new-ish Ubuntu (LINUX FORMAT magazine) release is 2.6.6 (i think) and there is a slightly more up-to-date that Abiword was recommending...

Ho hum...(I was so sure *this* Linux would (finally) *work*!)

I am very grateful for your help, one and all - any other suggestions spring to mind?

Yours with thanks,

- mehermuchacho

--- On Sat, 10/17/09, marcobra (Marco Braida) <email address hidden> wrote:

> From: marcobra (Marco Braida) <email address hidden>
> Subject: Re: [Question #86062]: Error in Update Manager
> To: <email address hidden>
> Date: Saturday, October 17, 2009, 6:34 PM
> Your question #86062 on
> update-manager in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+question/86062
>
>     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 terminal title caption
> and select the 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
>
> and type:
>
> sudo rm /etc/apt/source.list.d/abiword-stable.list
>
> give your user password when requested, you don't see
> nothing when you
> type it, then press enter.
>
> Then type or better copy and paste a row a time then press
> enter:
> (Tip: select the single row to copy then right click into
> the terminal and to quick paste click with middle button of
> mouse )
>
> sudo dpkg --configure -a
> sudo apt-get -f install
> sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
> sudo apt-get clean
> sudo apt-get update
> sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
> sudo apt-get clean
> sudo apt-get autoremove
>
> 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/86062/+confirm?answer_id=6
>
> 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/86062
>
> You received this question notification because you are a
> direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Note that you do not need to run any of the commands mentioned by Marco - those are troubleshooting commands if you have a broken install. However, this problem is very simple. You just need to remove the incorrect file (double-check the name! copy and paste!) and try again.

Ryan - THANK YOU for your care and attention -

The solution you suggested above does seem to have completely solved both the up-to-date Abiword dilemma, and the crashed Update Manager - the red & white icon indicating a problem is no longer there in the top Gnome line in my Ubuntu, and I now intend to forge ahead with my life, writing and updating of my system...!

I DID type the ' rm ' command (with "sourceS") and then simply clicked on the Jaunty link on the Wiki page...

Yours very gratefully,

- mehermuchacho !