Update Manager wants packages from 127.0.0.1:8080 -- Fails

prob. your are behind a proxy. please disable proxy settings in: sofware sources, and try again.

Hi. Thanks for a prompt first reply. Nope, I'm not behind a proxy, and it's a new, clean install of Ubuntu 9.10.

Firefox works fine, and uses 'direct connection' in its network settings. I use a small, simple router for my broadband interface and it's never caused me any headaches. Just to be sure it hadn't got a bee in its bonnet, I did a hard reset on that.

I tried changing the repository for the package manager, and I get this:

W: Failed to fetch http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Release.gpg Could not connect to 127.0.0.1:8080 (127.0.0.1). - connect (111: Connection refused)

Checked the Settings/Preferences/Network in Synaptic, and it says 'direct connection', too.

Much head-scratching. Where would it be getting the idea that localhost is a good place to visit?

quote from another thread:

please try this terminal command:

unset http_proxy; sudo apt-get update

Please don't copy the long result... now tell me if it is working

if it doesn't works please check the setting of System → Administration → Synaptic package manager : Settings → Preferences [Network tab] set the connection to direct

Close synaptic then retry the command

sudo apt-get update

Hi. Thanks again.

Nope.

The first commands in the terminal window produced the usual error messages.

Synaptic is already set to 'direct'.

The second command direct in the terminal window didn't work either. Same error still.

Setting the GUI off direct, back to direct, and clicking 'apply' didn't change things, either.

[puzzled]

Please tell:

- can you visit the http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Release.gpg link with your browser...?
- can you download the http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Release.gpg file with wget using terminal... type:

wget http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Release.gpg

Thank you

Yes; Yes.

(With the browser I see the pgp sig, with terminal it saves the sig to Realease.gpg, from 202.7.6.10)

Incidently, Firefox just prompted me to install a plugin for Flash: Plugin Finder suggested three packages, including Gnash and Adobe. When I choose one I got a 'No Entry' sign and grumbles that it "Could not find plugin 'mozilla-plugin-gnash'. Same thing, I guess.

gnash is the "opensource" variant of flash, flash nonfree is closed software and can be installed via synaptic packagemanager, or via ubuntu-restricted-extras (metapackage) which comes with many other non free software....

Hello again, and thank you for your continued involvement with my difficulty.

I understand Gnash vs Adobe; and closed vs OSS, thanks

I was offering, I hoped, another example of a possibly-related problem.I guessed that Firefox uses the package manager, or components of it, to download the plugin, and I guessed that Firefox was running into the same problem connecting.

I'm still hoping that there's a possible resolution, but my hope is fading...

Paul.

... It's gone very quiet ...

Paul

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