Software Manager Won't Open and Update Manger won't show anything

[gulliver49]

When I try to start software manager, I can put in my password but then after I do that the window disappears and nothing happens. I looked up another thread and they said do "mintupdate from the terminal. So I did that and got this

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add_categories took 0.388 ms
build_matched_packages took 0.093 ms
    Application()
  File "/usr/lib/linuxmint/mintinstall/mintinstall.py", line 59, in wrapper
    res = func(*arg)
  File "/usr/lib/linuxmint/mintinstall/mintinstall.py", line 477, in __init__
    self.add_packages()
  File "/usr/lib/linuxmint/mintinstall/mintinstall.py", line 59, in wrapper
    res = func(*arg)
  File "/usr/lib/linuxmint/mintinstall/mintinstall.py", line 1252, in add_packages
    cache = apt.Cache()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apt/cache.py", line 114, in __init__
    self.open(progress)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apt/cache.py", line 165, in open
    self._cache = apt_pkg.Cache(progress)
SystemError: W:Target Packages (main/binary-amd64/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:2, W:Target Packages (main/binary-all/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:2, W:Target Translations (main/i18n/Translation-en_US) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:2, W:Target Translations (main/i18n/Translation-en) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:2, W:Target Packages (main/binary-amd64/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:3, W:Target Packages (main/binary-all/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:3, W:Target Translations (main/i18n/Translation-en_US) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:3, W:Target Translations (main/i18n/Translation-en) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:3, W:Target Packages (apps/binary-amd64/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2, W:Target Packages (apps/binary-i386/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2, W:Target Packages (apps/binary-all/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2, W:Target Translations (apps/i18n/Translation-en_US) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2, W:Target Translations (apps/i18n/Translation-en) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2, E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.removed_ubuntu_dists_trusty-removed_apps_binary-amd64_Packages, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

I found this similar thread in the forum viewtopic.php?f=90&t=277232&p=1523170#p1523170

that suggested I run a command

cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/additional-repositories.list

and the response I got was

cat: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/additional-repositories.list: No such file or directory


Of course I have no idea what any of this means I just want it to work. Also I can't use update manager. I try clicking refresh but it never shows any updates. I went to software sources and clicked restore the default settings but that didn't help.

When I try to update the cache it says

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Target Packages (main/binary-amd64/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:2Target Packages (main/binary-all/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:2Target Translations (main/i18n/Translation-en_US) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:2Target Translations (main/i18n/Translation-en) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:2Target Packages (main/binary-amd64/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:3Target Packages (main/binary-all/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:3Target Translations (main/i18n/Translation-en_US) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:3Target Translations (main/i18n/Translation-en) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:3Target Packages (apps/binary-amd64/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2Target Packages (apps/binary-i386/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2Target Packages (apps/binary-all/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2Target Translations (apps/i18n/Translation-en_US) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2Target Translations (apps/i18n/Translation-en) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2The repository 'https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/brave-apt sonya Release' does not have a Release file.Data from such a repository can't be authenticated and is therefore potentially dangerous to use.See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.Failed to fetch http://archive.removed/ubuntu/dists/trusty-removed/InRelease  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?)Failed to fetch https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/brave-apt/dists/sonya/main/binary-amd64/Packages  403  ForbiddenSome index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

I also got

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E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.removed_ubuntu_dists_trusty-removed_apps_binary-amd64_Packages
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report.

W: Target Packages (main/binary-amd64/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:2
W: Target Packages (main/binary-all/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:2
W: Target Translations (main/i18n/Translation-en_US) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:2
W: Target Translations (main/i18n/Translation-en) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:2
W: Target Packages (main/binary-amd64/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:3
W: Target Packages (main/binary-all/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:3
W: Target Translations (main/i18n/Translation-en_US) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:3
W: Target Translations (main/i18n/Translation-en) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:3
W: Target Packages (apps/binary-amd64/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2
W: Target Packages (apps/binary-i386/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2
W: Target Packages (apps/binary-all/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2
W: Target Translations (apps/i18n/Translation-en_US) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2
W: Target Translations (apps/i18n/Translation-en) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list:2

What does this mean?!

Thank you in advance for any help

[WharfRat]

Hello gulliver49

Welcome to Linux Mint and the Linux Mint forum

It look like you did something with the package sources lists as it's complaining that it is configured multiple times

Can yuo paste back the results of ls -lh /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ and inxi -r

[gulliver49]

Hi Wharf

When I do the first command I get

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total 40K
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  73 Dec  8  2017 brave-sonya.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  74 Sep 12 20:40 brave-trusty.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 222 Oct  3 05:43 brave-xenial.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 112 Dec  8  2017 removed.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 189 Jul  2  2017 google-chrome.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 478 Oct 17 20:26 official-package-repositories.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  56 Sep 30 08:55 skype-stable.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 152 Oct 17 20:24 steam.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 156 Oct 14 10:46 umang-indicator-stickynotes-xenial.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 134 Jul 18 20:00 webupd8team-java-xenial.list

When i do the second command I get

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Repos:     Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-sonya.list
           deb [arch=amd64] https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/brave-apt sonya main
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-trusty.list
           deb [arch=amd64] https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/brave-apt trusty main
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list
           deb [arch=amd64] https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/brave-apt xenial main
           deb [arch=amd64] https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/brave-apt xenial main
           deb [arch=amd64] https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/brave-apt xenial main
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list
           deb http://archive.removed/ubuntu trusty-removed apps
           deb http://archive.removed/ubuntu trusty-removed apps
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list
           deb [arch=amd64] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
           deb http://packages.linuxmint.com sonya main upstream import backport
           deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial main restricted universe multiverse
           deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates main restricted universe multiverse
           deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports main restricted universe multiverse
           deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-security main restricted universe multiverse
           deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ xenial partner
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/skype-stable.list
           deb [arch=amd64] https://repo.skype.com/deb stable main
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/umang-indicator-stickynotes-xenial.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/umang/indicator-stickynotes/ubuntu xenial main
           deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/umang/indicator-stickynotes/ubuntu xenial main
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/webupd8team-java-xenial.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/webupd8team/java/ubuntu xenial main
           deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/webupd8team/java/ubuntu xenial main

[gm10]

What a mess. Run this:

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find /etc/apt -name *.list -print|sed 's/.*/F=&;cat <(sort -u $F)|sudo tee $F/'|source /dev/stdin

and this:

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sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-sonya.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-trusty.list

That should fix it.

[gulliver49]

What a mess. Run this:

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find /etc/apt -name *.list -print|sed 's/.*/F=&;cat <(sort -u $F)|sudo tee $F/'|source /dev/stdin

and this:

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sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/removed.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-sonya.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-trusty.list

That should fix it.

Thanks this fixed it! Not sure why everything got messed up in the first place, but anyway, no point worrying about it now.

[Lysander666]

I don't post here very often, but I had to post in this thread in the hope that it helps you, gulliver49. Please don't take my post as being too critical or impolite, but I am about to dissect your OP with all the finesse of a mortician using a chainsaw.

Not sure why everything got messed up in the first place

Because you messed it up. Somehow. Systems do not break themselves [well, most of the time]. The biggest threat to any computer is its user, and somewhere along the line you have done something to cause this unholy mess.

but anyway, no point worrying about it now.

Well, certainly not until the time when you mess something up and then have to come back, insisting that you have no idea how anything went wrong

When I try to start software manager, I can put in my password but then after I do that the window disappears and nothing happens. I looked up another thread and they said do "mintupdate from the terminal. So I did that and got this

That, at least, is very good. You started to do a little research into your problem before posting. But....

Of course I have no idea what any of this means

Why 'of course'? You have the entire internet at your disposal and the capacity to do a huge amount of searching, checking and cross-referencing. It would have taken less time for you to look into things yourself than to post here and wait for a response.

I just want it to work.

The way to get something to work is to spend some time learning what you are doing. gm10 has kindly offered a solution, but I think you have no idea a] what your problem was or b] why the solution worked. Let me tell you something vitally important: blindly copying and pasting commands into your terminal, especially as root, can have catastrophic consequences if you have no idea what they mean. If gm10 had trolled you before the mods had noticed [not that I'm saying he would], you could be looking at a completely broken system with reinstallation being the only option.

What does this mean?!

It means exactly what it says. It may look like a wall of impenetrable text to you, but that wall of text tells you what the issue is. That's what it's for.

Code: Select all

Target Packages (main/binary-amd64/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-xenial.list:2

sources.list.d has multiple conflicts, most likely because you installed something lazily because you "just wanted it to work". gm10 has removed the conflicts for you, very kindly.

It's good that you came back to say thank you. But your attitude of "I just want this to work", "what does this mean??" and "no point worrying" is exactly what got you into this strudel in the first place.

Some people here don't appreciate my communication, but I'm telling you so that you can improve your own working ethic and so that you can understand how you got into the situation that you did. I hope you don't take issue with my post, since it's not meant to flame you, but to help you reflect on what happened - and hopefully to get you to care enough so that you can start to be a good Linux user. At the moment you are one of the worst kinds of Linux users - lazy, uncaring and haphazardly pasting commands into your terminal. This time you were lucky with some good responses - another time you may not be. Take an interest and take responsibility for your system. Good luck.

[gm10]

Why 'of course'? You have the entire internet at your disposal and the capacity to do a huge amount of searching, checking and cross-referencing. It would have taken less time for you too look into things yourself than to post here and wait for a response.

[...]

Some people here don't appreciate my communication, but I'm telling you so that you can improve your own working ethic and so that you can understand how you got into the situation that you did. I hope you don't take issue with my post, since it's not meant to flame you, but to help you reflect on what happened - and hopefully to get you to care enough so that you can start to be a good Linux user. At the moment you are one of the worst kinds of Linux users - lazy, uncaring and haphazardly pasting commands into your terminal. This time you were lucky with some good responses - another time you may not be. Take an interest and take responsibility for your system. Good luck.

I'll have to strongly disagree with you here. Of course I would welcome it if OP had a full and complete knowledge of how to operate his system. But you telling him to go out and google a solution when googling instructions was what got him into this situation in the first place is a bit rich. In particular since that's even what he had been doing, except the possible solutions he was finding did not get him anywhere.

From my perspective he then did exactly the right thing, he decided that instead of making things worse he'd just ask on the forum that was specifically created to help users like him. It was his first post on this forum, too.

There are regular posters here where I do indeed think that if they'd just spend half the time they are asking for help with things they broke for educating themselves on how to properly operate their system they'd save everybody including themselves a ton of time, but OP wasn't one of them. Not everybody has the technical understand that I suppose you and I have. Some people will never have it. That's ok. We still want them to use Linux Mint. That's why this place exists.