Apt-get and Update manager stopped working

[jedimaster]

apt-get and Package manager has stopped working for me, any idea how I can fix this?

apt-get error:
apt-get: relocation error: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libapt-private.so.0.0: symbol _ZN9pkgSystem9LockInnerEv, version APTPKG_5.0 not defined in file libapt-pkg.so.5.0 with link time reference

Update manager error:
"Please switch to another Linux Mint mirror"
"Your apt-cache is corrupted"

GPG error: http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates InRelease:
The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY xxxx NO_PUBKEY yyyy

The repository 'http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates InRelease' is not signed.
Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.

I believe this problems started when trying to install rStudio:
New rStudio installation failed because of some missing packages (wrong versions maybe)
libssl.so.1.0.0
libcrypto.so.1.0.0
libssl-dev

After running apt-get update and apt-get upgrade command at the end apt-get got corrupted somehow.L

Version: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia

[karlchen]

Hello, jedimaster.

At the end of your post you state that your Mint is Linux Mint 18.3.
Yet, one of the error messages, which you post, talk about Debian Stretch repositories! How is this possible?

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GPG error: http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates InRelease:
The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY xxxx NO_PUBKEY yyyy

The repository 'http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates InRelease' is not signed.
Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.

In case this means that you have mixed Linux Mint 18.3 repos (Linux Mint and Ubuntu) with Debian repos, then it is not totally unlikely that you have borked your APT software management system by mixing Linux Mint APT executables and libraries with Debian APT executables and libraries.
This might also explain the initial error message:

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apt-get: relocation error: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libapt-private.so.0.0: 
symbol _ZN9pkgSystem9LockInnerEv, version APTPKG_5.0 not defined in file libapt-pkg.so.5.0 with link time reference

Please, post the complete output of the terminal command

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inxi -Sxxxr

Best regards,
Karl

[Lord Boltar]

Yep probably wrong version since you are getting - GPG error: http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates InRelease - this is for Debian 9 you need the Ubuntu 18.04 version of rStudio which is what Mint 18 is based on.
I would try to remove it first

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sudo apt-get remove rstudio

After uninstalling RStudio, your personalized settings are preserved in the RStudio-Desktop directory.
user's home directory ~/.rstudio-desktop

then run

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sudo apt-get update

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sudo apt upgrade

[jedimaster]

Please, post the complete output of the terminal command

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inxi -Sxxxr

Best regards,
Karl

Here it is, I removed security debian

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System:    Host: x Kernel: 4.4.0-193-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: MATE 1.18.0 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3) info: mate-panel dm: mdm Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Repos:     Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list
           deb [arch=amd64] https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main
           
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/deadsnakes-ppa-xenial.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/deadsnakes/ppa/ubuntu xenial main
           deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/deadsnakes/ppa/ubuntu xenial main
           
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ethereum-ethereum-xenial.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ethereum/ethereum/ubuntu xenial main
           deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/ethereum/ethereum/ubuntu xenial main
           
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nathan-renniewaldock-flux-xenial.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/nathan-renniewaldock/flux/ubuntu xenial main
           deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/nathan-renniewaldock/flux/ubuntu xenial main
           
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nilarimogard-webupd8-xenial.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/nilarimogard/webupd8/ubuntu xenial main
           deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/nilarimogard/webupd8/ubuntu xenial main
           
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
           deb http://packages.linuxmint.com sylvia 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/ondrej-php-xenial.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ondrej/php/ubuntu xenial main
           deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/ondrej/php/ubuntu xenial main
           
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pipelight-stable-xenial.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/pipelight/stable/ubuntu xenial main
           deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/pipelight/stable/ubuntu xenial main
           
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pmcenery-ppa-xenial.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/pmcenery/ppa/ubuntu xenial main
           deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/pmcenery/ppa/ubuntu xenial main
           
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pmcenery.list
           deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/pmcenery/ppa/ubuntu maverick main
           deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/pmcenery/ppa/ubuntu maverick main
           
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/signal-xenial.list
           deb [arch=amd64] https://updates.signal.org/desktop/apt xenial main
           
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/slack.list
           deb https://packagecloud.io/slacktechnologies/slack/debian/ jessie main
           
           Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list
           deb http://repository.spotify.com stable non-free

[jedimaster]

I couldnt solve this issue,I still get this error:

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sudo apt-get update
apt-get: relocation error: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libapt-private.so.0.0: 
symbol _ZN9pkgSystem9LockInnerEv, version APTPKG_5.0 not defined in file libapt-pkg.so.5.0 with link time reference

Do I need to reinstall linux?

[karlchen]

Hi, jedimaster.

Sorry that your problem slipped into oblivion after December 2020 somehow.
No-one followed up on it, not me, not you, no-one.
Anyway.
By now, middle of April 2021, indeed we are very close to the end of the supported lifetime of Linux Mint 18.x, including 18.3 of course.
So indeed, in this situation it is a valid thought:
+ spend time on solving the problem, which has been unresolved for months, though EOL is near?
+ spend time on preparing and at some point in time actually doing the migration from 18.3 to 20.1 (or on old hardware 19.3)?

Remember, please, the diagnosis provided above, stll applies.
As your inxi report above reveals still another Debian repo is still present and enabled on your system:

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Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/slack.list
           deb https://packagecloud.io/slacktechnologies/slack/debian/ jessie main

Note:
Removing the Debian security repo from your list has not uninstalled any piece of software, which you installed from that repo.
As a consequence, removing that repo alone has not resolved the existing conflict in your APT environment.

Side note: there is also an old Ubuntu Maverick repo in your list, which should not be present on Mint 18.3, either.

--
My conclusion:
You have used a partially borked system for a minimum of 6 months now, which has not received any security updates for a minimum of 6 months. This is particularly unpleasant with respect to your e-mail application and your browsers (Brave, Firefox).
Personally I tend to advise:
Spend time on preparing and at some point in time actually doing the migration from 18.3 to 20.1 (or on old hardware 19.3).

Best regards,
Karl