1

I typed the command

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

and got the following error

W: Failed to fetch http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/main/source/Sources  404  Not Found

and similar other messages

Previously, I had typed the following commands from an answer on this site Upgrading to a no longer supported version

username-M:~$ sudo cp -v /etc/apt/sources.{list,backup}
[sudo] password for username: 
'/etc/apt/sources.list' -> '/etc/apt/sources.backup'

username:~$ sudo sed -i 's/us.archive/old-releases/' /etc/apt/sources.list

the problematic sources.list file

# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 12.04 _Precise Pangolin_ - Release i386 (20131017)]/ precise main restricted

# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise main restricted
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise main restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates main restricted
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates main restricted

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team. Also, please note that software in universe WILL NOT receive any
## review or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise universe
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise universe
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates universe
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates universe

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu 
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to 
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in 
## multiverse WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu
## security team.
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise multiverse
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise multiverse
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates multiverse
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates multiverse

## N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as
## extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes
## newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features.
## Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review
## or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-backports main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-security main restricted
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-security main restricted
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-security universe
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-security universe
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-security multiverse
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-security multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from Canonical's
## 'partner' repository.
## This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is offered by Canonical and the
## respective vendors as a service to Ubuntu users.
# deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu precise partner
# deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu precise partner

## This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is offered by third-party
## developers who want to ship their latest software.
# deb http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu precise main
# deb-src http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu precise main
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-proposed restricted main multiverse universe
Community
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user221478
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2 Answers2

2

Your should reset your repository by resetting sources.list file which will be in /etc/apt/sources.list

Visit http://repogen.simplylinux.ch/ to generate the new sources.list file according to your Ubuntu version

Backup sources.list before you do something destructive like an in-place sed replace on it in the future

e.g. sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.backup.
Hussain K
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  • How do i know which Ubuntu branches, Ubuntu updates, Ubuntu Partner Repos, Ubuntu Extra Repos, 3rd Parties repos? Do I replace this sources.list file with my current sources.list file? – user221478 Dec 22 '15 at 14:41
  • First select your specific Country & Version. Then select all Ubuntu branches, Ubuntu updates, Ubuntu partner repos and Ubuntu extra repos. This will consist of all major Ubuntu repos and if you specifically need any extra repo select as per your requirement and generate the list. – Hussain K Dec 22 '15 at 14:49
  • Thanks :) . Can you also provide me an answer to http://askubuntu.com/questions/712417/how-do-i-perform-an-upgrade-from-an-eol-version – user221478 Dec 22 '15 at 15:22
  • Actually, I haven't implemented it . Since, my purpose was to change the sources.list file, so that I could perform the upgrade, this is just resetting the file. – user221478 Dec 22 '15 at 15:32
  • @user221478 You just need to edit the sources.list file. Copy the list file which you have generated from the link I mentioned earlier and then paste it into the sources.list file. Save it and Do a sudo apt-get update & sudo apt-get upgrade. It will work as a charm – Hussain K Dec 22 '15 at 15:40
  • @Arronical: The link which I have mentioned in my answer still can create sources.list file(repo file) for Ubuntu 12.04 Version. – Hussain K Dec 22 '15 at 15:56
  • Yeah, I'd only just noticed that it wasn't an unsupported release, the question is ill fitted to the actual situation. Although the OP wisely made a backup of his /etc/apt/sources.list file, so can reset the file from that. – Arronical Dec 22 '15 at 15:58
1

The problem is that your trying to use the process for updating from an unsupported release, when your release is still supported.

This is shown by your error line

W: Failed to fetch http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/main/source/Sources  404  Not Found

It has the release name 'precise' in there, which relates to 12.04, a still supported release. The precise repositories will still be available in us.archive.ubuntu.com and hasn't yet been moved to the old-releases server.

You can reset your sources.list file from your backup with the command:

sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.backup /etc/apt/sources.list

After that your apt-get commands should work.

Edit:

It looks like your /etc/apt/sources.backup file contains the same lines as the /etc/apt/sources.list file, so it would be prudent to make another backup of this sources.list file, then try to correct the switch from us.archive.ubuntu.com to old-releases.ubuntu.com.

Make a new backup with:

sudo cp -a /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.secondbackup

And do the reverse of your previous sed command:

sudo sed -i 's/old-releases/us.archive/' /etc/apt/sources.list

Then to check that it has worked, just do the update part of your apt-getcommand:

sudo apt-get update
Arronical
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  • It didn't work. Can you suggest a different method to correct my sources.list file ?I have no idea how i made this mistake. – user221478 Dec 22 '15 at 16:10
  • Could you edit your original question to include the contents of your sources.list file please? The command cat /etc/apt/sources.list can get that for you. – Arronical Dec 22 '15 at 16:12
  • I've updated the answer @user221478 – Arronical Dec 22 '15 at 16:31
  • Thanks :). It's still executing the update command. But I think it should work now :D. – user221478 Dec 22 '15 at 16:38
  • Arronicle - Can you please answer this question too http://askubuntu.com/questions/712237/update-manager-doesnt-show-the-latest-version-for-upgrade – user221478 Dec 22 '15 at 16:45