LinuxQuestions.org
Review your favorite Linux distribution.
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Software
User Name
Password
Linux - Software This forum is for Software issues.
Having a problem installing a new program? Want to know which application is best for the job? Post your question in this forum.

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 08-02-2016, 05:50 AM   #1
L a r r y
Member
 
Registered: Aug 2011
Distribution: Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon
Posts: 32

Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Could not refresh the list of updates. I tried to fix it but no go


Hello,

Thumbs down on Adobe Flash. There is an open-source replacement for it, so I've learned. But first I need to square this mess away:

Firefox refuses to run Adobe Flash because it's vulnerable. I go to the Adobe website, Adobe will no longer support Linux after this except to provide security fixes if I remember correctly.

Before I can download, I need to choose my option. They include YUM, Red Hat's rpm,tar.gz and and APT choice for Ubuntu 10.04+. I've downloaded the tar.gz and gotten nowhere when Firefox said it was time to check my plugins. Now Flash is not allowed to run, so I went again to update. This time I used the APT option. The rosa-partners repository is unknown.

I went in to add a new repository, and found a domain.com /rosa listed, so I made another line that duplicated what I saw in the Package Manager and called it rosa-partners. (Maybe it was rosa-partner, whichever it was said to be unknown.)

Now I have this shield with a red X in the lower right and when I hover, it said:
Quote:
Could not refresh the list of updates.

Malformed line 1 in source.list /etc/apt/source.list.d/additional-repositories.list (didn't parse)
(Perhaps I read that wrong: dist parse?)

I opened up the additional-repositories.list file in a root session of the text editor. I don't remember the subdomain for domain.com, but to its right I saw the /rosa-psrtners entry I created and the /rosa entry that was there to begin with. I erased the rosa-partners line and saved.

Closed everything, logged out and back in.

OK, good, there's no red X down there. (I just didn't give it enough time before I drew that conclusion.) I opened the Package Manager, and this is what I had before (screenshot).

Then I have my red X back in the bottom right, only it's a little more verbose and different:

Quote:
Could not refresh the list of updates


Malformed line 1 in source.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/additional-repositories.list (dist parse)
The list of sources could not be read.
The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
I have a couple questions here: How was I supposed to add the repository that got me in this mess to begin with, and please some help to dig myself out?

When I get this ship righted, I shall pursue the Flash alternatives.

This is my 64 bit machine.
 
Old 08-02-2016, 07:16 AM   #2
AlucardZero
Senior Member
 
Registered: May 2006
Location: USA
Distribution: Debian
Posts: 4,824

Rep: Reputation: 615Reputation: 615Reputation: 615Reputation: 615Reputation: 615Reputation: 615
Copy the text of your /etc/apt/sources.list.d/additional-repositories.list and paste it inside code tags and post it here
 
Old 08-02-2016, 03:18 PM   #3
L a r r y
Member
 
Registered: Aug 2011
Distribution: Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon
Posts: 32

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Code:
deb http://packages.domain.com/ rosa
From /etc/apt/sources.list.d/additional-repositories.list

I believe I may have misquoted in my original question, assigning the ending slash on the URL to the start of the repository name, as in /rosa. That was my error.

I looked in the 0fficial-package-repositoeries.list document and they follow the same syntax, with some URLs not ending with the slash and some that do. There us a space between the domain name and the repository name just as I see in the CODE text.

I took on some sleep since I started this response, and now the hovered error message ends with "(dist parse)" and doesn't contain the extra line of information as I saw it after a fresh relog-in.
 
Old 08-02-2016, 03:48 PM   #4
AlucardZero
Senior Member
 
Registered: May 2006
Location: USA
Distribution: Debian
Posts: 4,824

Rep: Reputation: 615Reputation: 615Reputation: 615Reputation: 615Reputation: 615Reputation: 615
Does it really say "domain.com"? Why are you anonymizing the file? An exact copy and paste is the easiest to work with.
Is this on your Linux Mint 17.3 system?

You can't use the APT method provided by Adobe on Mint. Comment out that line by putting a # at the beginning of the line. That should solve your apt problem.
 
1 members found this post helpful.
Old 08-02-2016, 05:05 PM   #5
L a r r y
Member
 
Registered: Aug 2011
Distribution: Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon
Posts: 32

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlucardZero View Post
Does it really say "domain.com"? Why are you anonymizing the file? An exact copy and paste is the easiest to work with.
Is this on your Linux Mint 17.3 system?

You can't use the APT method provided by Adobe on Mint. Comment out that line by putting a # at the beginning of the line. That should solve your apt problem.
It really said "domain.com." That originates with the Package Manager. See the screenshot. It SHOULD say
Code:
deb packages.example.com/ rosa
And I am supposed to supply the domain name. Probably in this case I should have replaced "domain" with "adobe" but I was going about this without knowing what address was correct. Adobe did not specify the correct address.

Needless to say, my removing that domain line from the file with a comment brought the Package manager to life. THANK YOU!

I should file a bug report on the Package Manager's use of "domain".com as a placeholder domain name. Adobe, don't let the door hit you in the butt! You're outta here.

SOLVED!
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	d.png
Views:	151
Size:	55.7 KB
ID:	22648  
 
Old 08-02-2016, 05:13 PM   #6
Habitual
LQ Veteran
 
Registered: Jan 2011
Location: Abingdon, VA
Distribution: Catalina
Posts: 9,374
Blog Entries: 37

Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Quote:
Originally Posted by L a r r y View Post
I should file a bug report on the Package Manager's use of "domain".com as a placeholder domain name.
Why? They didn't put it there. You did.
I believe you copied a comment/example and did so incorrectly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by L a r r y View Post
I went in to add a new repository, and found a domain.com /rosa listed, so I made another line that duplicated what I saw in the Package Manager and called it rosa-partners. (Maybe it was rosa-partner, whichever it was said to be unknown.)
Input error is not a bug.
 
1 members found this post helpful.
Old 08-04-2016, 04:06 AM   #7
L a r r y
Member
 
Registered: Aug 2011
Distribution: Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon
Posts: 32

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Exclamation

No, as a matter of fact I put NOTHING there. It comes up when I select to add a new repository, and I need to edit the line with correct information. Originally, all I did was change the name of the repository at the end of the "domain.com" entry that was there.

Referring to my screenshot showing the entry in blue, that is what I was presented with. I edited nothing before taking the screen shot.

If I was going to make the domain name "anonymous" I would use "example.com." That Web address is reserved for just such use, and for use in any documentation.

Therefore, it IS a bug.

Incidentally, there is a valid top-level domain, ".invalid" that will produce invalid results if you are testing a script that is supposed to produce invalid results under a set of conditions. There is not now and never will be a website hosted at (any).invalid.
 
Old 08-09-2016, 07:32 AM   #8
Habitual
LQ Veteran
 
Registered: Jan 2011
Location: Abingdon, VA
Distribution: Catalina
Posts: 9,374
Blog Entries: 37

Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Quote:
Originally Posted by L a r r y View Post
It comes up when I select to add a new repository, and I need to edit the line with correct information. Originally, all I did was change the name of the repository at the end of the "domain.com" entry that was there.
It merely shows the format of an acceptable PPA entry. You did it incorrectly.
Don't take it so personally.
What are PPAs and how do I use them?
 
  


Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
can't refresh the updates in Mint 17.2 niborok Linux - Newbie 8 06-10-2016 01:23 AM
Could not refresh list of updates crash rclinux Linux - Laptop and Netbook 1 02-13-2016 04:50 PM
How to fix the software updates on mint 15 mlytle Linux - Software 7 08-02-2014 06:16 PM
Refresh Exim4 uid list rbeserie Linux - Software 1 04-19-2011 03:38 AM
Automatic Updates in Suse 11.2 (11.3 too?) fix unassassinable Linux - Desktop 2 11-02-2010 06:34 PM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Software

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:00 AM.

Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration