Unable to install synaptic

Question

I am unable to install synaptic on my system. I have tried the following but no luck.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install synaptic

I get the output:

Reading package lists... Done 
Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done 
Package synaptic is not available, but is referred to by another package. 
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or is only available from another source 
E: Package 'synaptic' has no installation candidate

This is the error message I get when I run sudo apt update :

cccc@cccc:~$ sudo apt update
[sudo] password for ccccc: 
Ign:1 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful InRelease
Hit:2 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu artful InRelease
Ign:3 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful-updates InRelease
Ign:4 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful-backports InRelease
Ign:5 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful-security InRelease
Err:6 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful Release
  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.88.149 80]
Err:7 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful-updates Release
  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.88.149 80]
Err:8 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful-backports Release
  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.88.149 80]
Err:9 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful-security Release
  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.88.149 80]
Reading package lists... Done                      
E: The repository 'http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful Release' 
does not have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is 
therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user 
configuration details.
E: The repository 'http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful-updates 
Release' does not have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is 
therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user 
configuration details.
E: The repository 'http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful- 
backports Release' does not have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is 
therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user 
configuration details.
E: The repository 'http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful-security 
Release' does not have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is 
therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user 
configuration details.

Does anyone know how to install it?

That's the way. Please edit your question and show us any error messages you get. — Gunnar Hjalmarsson, May 25 '19 at 20:56
Possible duplicate of How do I enable the "Universe" repository? as the package is available in universe pocket. All you need is to run sudo add-apt-repository universe and retry. — N0rbert, May 25 '19 at 21:02
Do you have any lines in your /etc/apt/sources.list that have either arm64 or binary-arm64 in the line? I found a bug where this line disables other lines in sources.list unless it's commented out by preceding it with a # character. — karel, May 25 '19 at 21:42
Sorry having trouble getting to /etc/apt/sources.list, can you tell me another way as not working in the terminal — Phil UK, May 25 '19 at 22:13
Please edit your question to show us the complete output of sudo apt update, including all error messages. — user535733, May 26 '19 at 00:29
Please read my comment in your other question. The problem is basically the same, you're using an End of Life release that no longer have online repositories therefore you can't install software that depends on those repositories. Seeing both of your questions made me suspect that from the start. — , May 27 '19 at 09:50

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited May 31 '19 at 12:02

1

Your problem is that you're using Ubuntu 17.10 aka "artful", which is End of Life, and therefore the package repositories are no longer available.

You should upgrade using the EOL Upgrades guide, or do a fresh install of a supported version.

You can check which Ubuntu versions are still supported in the Releases page.

edited May 31 '19 at 12:02

mook765

15,925

answered May 31 '19 at 11:21

Marius Gedminas

11,340

Unable to install synaptic

1 Answers1