Why do I get 404 error on .canonical.com on some archive servers?

Question

I've been having a broken package problem for a fair amount of time now, and it was giving me trouble earlier when I was trying to install rvm. After some searching, I opened the software sources manager "gksu software-properties-gtk" and unchecked the archive.canonical.com repositories from "Other Software" and I no longer have any broken packages. Are these important repositories? Should I be worried about my installations health? I'm an Ubuntu noob, so this is worrying me.

It it matters, here were the "sudo apt-get update" errors:

 sudo apt-get update

Hit http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg
Hit http://dl.google.com stable Release                                                                                
Hit http://dl.google.com stable/main amd64 Packages                                                                    
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security Release.gpg                                                            
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg                                                                   
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates Release.gpg                                                           
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports Release.gpg                                                         
Hit http://dl.google.com stable/main i386 Packages                                                                     
Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main TranslationIndex                                                                  
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security Release                                                          
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise Release                                                                       
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg                                                                       
Hit http://archive.canonical.com precise Release.gpg                                                                   
Ign http://archive.canonical.com [distro] Release.gpg                                                                  
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net precise Release.gpg                                                                       
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates Release                                                         
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/main Sources                                                           
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports Release                                                             
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/main Sources                                                                  
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/restricted Sources                                                            
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/universe Sources                                                              
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/multiverse Sources                                                            
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/main amd64 Packages                                                           
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/restricted Sources                                                     
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/universe Sources                                                       
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/multiverse Sources                                                     
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/main amd64 Packages                                                    
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/restricted amd64 Packages                                              
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/universe amd64 Packages                                                
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/multiverse amd64 Packages                                              
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/main i386 Packages                                                     
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/restricted i386 Packages                                               
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/universe i386 Packages                                                 
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com precise Release                                                                           
Hit http://archive.canonical.com precise Release                                                                       
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net precise Release                                                                           
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/restricted amd64 Packages                                                     
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/universe amd64 Packages                                                       
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/multiverse amd64 Packages                                                     
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/main i386 Packages                                                            
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/restricted i386 Packages                                                      
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/universe i386 Packages                                                        
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/multiverse i386 Packages                                                      
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/main TranslationIndex                                                         
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/multiverse TranslationIndex                                                   
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/multiverse i386 Packages                                               
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/main TranslationIndex                                                  
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/multiverse TranslationIndex                                            
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/restricted TranslationIndex                                            
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/restricted TranslationIndex                                                   
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/universe TranslationIndex                                              
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/universe TranslationIndex                                                     
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/main Sources                                                          
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/restricted Sources                                              
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/universe Sources                                                
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/multiverse Sources                                                    
Ign http://archive.canonical.com [distro] Release                                                                      
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com precise/main Sources                                                                
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net precise/main Sources                                                                
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/main amd64 Packages                                             
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/restricted amd64 Packages                                       
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/universe amd64 Packages                                               
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/multiverse amd64 Packages                                             
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/main Translation-en                                                    
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/multiverse Translation-en                                              
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/main i386 Packages                                                    
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/restricted i386 Packages                                              
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/universe i386 Packages                                          
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/multiverse i386 Packages                                              
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/main TranslationIndex                                                 
Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en_US                                                                 
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/restricted Translation-en                                        
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/multiverse TranslationIndex                                           
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/restricted TranslationIndex                                           
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/universe TranslationIndex                                       
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/restricted amd64 Packages                                     
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/main amd64 Packages                                                 
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/multiverse amd64 Packages                                           
Hit http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner Sources                                                               
Hit http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner amd64 Packages                                                        
Hit http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner i386 Packages                                                         
Ign http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner TranslationIndex                                                      
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com precise/main amd64 Packages                                                         
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com precise/main i386 Packages                                                                
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com precise/main TranslationIndex                                                             
Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en                                                                    
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net precise/main amd64 Packages                                                         
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net precise/main i386 Packages                                                          
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net precise/main TranslationIndex                                                       
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/universe Translation-en                                          
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/universe amd64 Packages                 
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/restricted i386 Packages                
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/main i386 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/multiverse i386 Packages                
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/universe i386 Packages                  
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/main TranslationIndex                   
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/multiverse TranslationIndex             
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/restricted TranslationIndex             
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/universe TranslationIndex               
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/main Translation-en                               
Ign http://archive.canonical.com [distro]/partner TranslationIndex                         
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/multiverse Translation-en                         
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/restricted Translation-en                         
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/universe Translation-en                           
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/main Translation-en                       
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/multiverse Translation-en                 
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/restricted Translation-en                 
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/universe Translation-en                   
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/main Translation-en                     
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/multiverse Translation-en               
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/restricted Translation-en               
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/universe Translation-en
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com precise/main Translation-en_US          
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net precise/main Translation-en_US          
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com precise/main Translation-en
Err http://archive.canonical.com [distro]/partner Sources
  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.150 80]
Err http://archive.canonical.com [distro]/partner amd64 Packages
  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.150 80]
Err http://archive.canonical.com [distro]/partner i386 Packages
  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.150 80]
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net precise/main Translation-en
Ign http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner Translation-en
Ign http://archive.canonical.com [distro]/partner Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.canonical.com [distro]/partner Translation-en
W: Failed to fetch http://archive.canonical.com/dists/[distro]/partner/source/Sources  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.150 80]

W: Failed to fetch http://archive.canonical.com/dists/[distro]/partner/binary-amd64/Packages  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.150 80]

W: Failed to fetch http://archive.canonical.com/dists/[distro]/partner/binary-i386/Packages  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.150 80]

E: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

The reason repositories are not found is that somehow he edited and change the actual distro release to(sic) "distro". I am even more confused about both the 32bit and 64bit entries. Please clarify your question. — xangua, Nov 23 '13 at 06:14
Sorry, I'm using Ubuntu 12.04, 64-bit. But considering this question was downvoted, just forget about it I suppose. — Kevin Busch, Nov 23 '13 at 23:43
Sorry, I switched over to Ubuntu half a year ago and am quite inexperienced. What do you mean by "switch to the Ubuntu main server"? — Kevin Busch, Nov 24 '13 at 01:57
Originally it said "Server for United States" I changed that to Main Server and got similar results upon running "sudo apt-get update" — Kevin Busch, Nov 24 '13 at 02:12

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:23

Err http://archive.canonical.com [distro]/partner Sources
  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.150 80]
Err http://archive.canonical.com [distro]/partner amd64 Packages
  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.150 80]
Err http://archive.canonical.com [distro]/partner i386 Packages
  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.150 80]

the line that contains [distro] should be replaced with precise if you are running 12.04.

To edit the source list start by opening a terminal.
edit /etc/apt/sources.list with like gksu gedit /etc/apt/sources.list and a gedit window of the file will open.
find the lines that say deb http://archive.canonical.com [distro]/partner and deb-src http://archive.canonical.com [distro]/partner
deb http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner and deb-src http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner

This should be six lines to edit according to your error.

Source of commands

Thanks so much! This worked great! By the way, what exactly are those archive.canonical repositories used for anyways? — Kevin Busch, Nov 24 '13 at 02:25
@KyleSum in my source file it just says that is the software from Canonical's 'partner' repository. I don't know what packages those are. But do you have any updates to install now? — Alvar, Nov 24 '13 at 02:29

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Jul 28 '14 at 07:22

In xubuntu 12.04 the flashplugin-installer fails. The ubuntu archive is accessed, the file it is seeking (the .orig.tgz flashplugin-installer tgz archive) exists, but the download stalls.

My method to fix this was to use synaptic as root and remove completely the flashplugin-installer from the apt system.

Then I went here:
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/download/?installer=Flash_Player_11.2_for_other_Linux_%28.tar.gz%29_32-bit&standalone=1

and downloaded the Adobe file offered, and did a manual install :

unpack the archive
read the Readme and follow it's directions
Done.

The Readme is easily followed but requri3es to be executed as root using su - or using sudo.
This fix is for the 32bit installer for xubuntu 12.04 update 4.

Why do I get 404 error on .canonical.com on some archive servers?

2 Answers2