Disaster for Karmic Koala users: can't install new software??

Eliot Rosewater

Today I went to install software to merge a few pdf files on my Ubuntu 9.10 install. The sudo apt-get call threw up loads of errors. The same happened through synaptic, and when I ran a basic `apt-get update` call. So I went to investigate...

Looking at the directory here: http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ubuntu/dists/ it seems all the information for Karmic Koala has been erased, so we can't install any new software. What an absolute disaster. :mad:

I wouldn't mind, but the reason I'm still using 9.10 is because 10.04+ have a shutdown/restart bug that bars me from shutting down my computer.

niallb

No worries.
Open up /etc/apt/sources.list

and change the main lines to something like these - you won't be getting fresh updates of course, but you know that already:

deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu karmic main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu karmic-backports main restricted universe 
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu karmic-updates main restricted universe 

deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu karmic main restricted universe

PrzemoF

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

I wouldn't mind, but the reason I'm still using 9.10 is because 10.04+ have a shutdown/restart bug that bars me from shutting down my computer.

You're trying to halt/shutdown it and a second after shutting down it starts again? Can you send some basic info about your PC? I have similiar problem with laptop ASUS A6j (or "k"?)

Eliot Rosewater

OSI wrote: »

Unfortunately, unless you are running an LTS release (the current one being 10.04) you lose support after 18-24 months for your version of Ubuntu.

I knew support was ended, but it was only in the last few weeks that they deleted the stuff of their servers which prevented me from installing new software. Eventually removing support is clearly necessary, but not being able to install software is very unhelpful ... at least, until help arrives...

niallb wrote: »

No worries.
Open up /etc/apt/sources.list

Thank you so much niallb! Just performed a search and replace on the file, sticking in "old-releases" on every URL, and things are working now. I can't wait to merge some pdfs!!

PrzemoF wrote: »

You're trying to halt/shutdown it and a second after shutting down it starts again? Can you send some basic info about your PC? I have similiar problem with laptop ASUS A6j (or "k"?)

This is exactly my problem! There was a bug report filed 18 months ago but nothing ever came of it. What do you want to know about my computer? It's a desktop Dell Dimension 5150. I can specific provide hardware details if you want.

It might not actually be a problem with Ubuntu but rather with Linux or Gnome; I recall booting up Fedora and having the same problem. I have programming skills but know little about the workings of Linux so couldn't try to fix it myself.

PrzemoF

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

This is exactly my problem! There was a bug report filed 18 months ago but nothing ever came of it. What do you want to know about my computer? It's a desktop Dell Dimension 5150. I can specific provide hardware details if you want.

It might not actually be a problem with Ubuntu but rather with Linux or Gnome; I recall booting up Fedora and having the same problem. I have programming skills but know little about the workings of Linux so couldn't try to fix it myself.

The bug affected my system for the first time about 2 weeks ago.

I think it might be wake-on-lan (last post in the bug report). I started to use cable connection about 2 weeks ago and the laptop actually halts, but then it wakes up after a second, so it's not the problem with halt itself, but rather with something (lan) waking it up.

Do you have lan cable connected?

I have lan cable connected to thomson upc router.

Eliot Rosewater

PrzemoF wrote: »

The bug affected my system for the first time about 2 weeks ago.

I think it might be wake-on-lan (last post in the bug report). I started to use cable connection about 2 weeks ago and the laptop actually halts, but then it wakes up after a second, so it's not the problem with halt itself, but rather with something (lan) waking it up.

Do you have lan cable connected?

Yes, I do. Have you tried shutting down without LAN plugged in? Would that "fix" it anyway?

I don't have a switch in my BIOS for wake-on-lan, from my memory. After the error sprouted I went through my BIOS and found nothing to change.

I'm not sure I even have a new Ubuntu installed on my PC but would love to get one.

Eliot Rosewater

Plugging out the LAN didn't do anything. Apparently my computer model doesn't have a wake-on-lan capability.

Eliot Rosewater

Woop woop quadruple woop! Turned off my integrated Network Interface Controller in the BIOS and the problem disappeared! My Internet is connected via a separate PCI port, so it hasn't affected anything. Well, Internet's not working on Windows, but I'll live with that!!

Thank you so much PrzemoF!! I'm going to install Ubuntu 11.10 during the holidays. I wish Canonical deleted random stuff off their servers more often!!

henbane

You might want to be careful about upgrading to 11.10, it's not a smooth upgrade from 11.04, let alone 9.xx depending on hardware of course

Eliot Rosewater

henbane wrote: »

You might want to be careful about upgrading to 11.10, it's not a smooth upgrade from 11.04, let alone 9.xx depending on hardware of course

Will be doing a full reinstall on a different partition, to be sure that everything's working before I make the switch. Thanks for the heads up though!

PrzemoF

Disconnecting the cable fixes the problem, but I can't see wake-on-lan option in BIOS. Yet it works and I have no idea how to stop it :-)

Eliot Rosewater

I found a thread on Dell Support Forums where a Dell technician said the my model of PC doesn't have a wake-on-lan capability! So maybe it's something else lan related? Very strange problem.