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I am new to Ubuntu and so far I have this problem: I've tried to install skype and couldn't do it. Then the software "app" stop working and I get an error of Failed to load the package list, followed by details:

E:Malformed entry 55 in list file /etc/apt/sources.list (Component),  
E:The list of sources could not be read.

I'm really rookie at this, but I've tried my best figuring out through older ask ubuntu questions of the "E:Malformed entry 54" but that is not working.

Please help.

muru
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Leo Lacarne
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  • Please copy and paste the output of cat /etc/apt/sources.list into your question, select it, and press the {} button in the editor. – Chai T. Rex Mar 25 '17 at 00:48
  • And what exactly did you do from the previous posts that did not work? – muru Mar 25 '17 at 05:35
  • @muru do you know why the down vote on the question, and my accepted answer? – heynnema Mar 25 '17 at 22:01
  • @heynnema on the question, see my comment. On your answer, I don't know, but I can add one more if you like. – muru Mar 25 '17 at 22:02
  • @muru an up vote would make me feel so much better :-) – heynnema Mar 25 '17 at 22:03
  • @heynnema goes for all of us. – muru Mar 25 '17 at 22:04
  • @heynnema I don't know for sure the reason why anyone downvotes answers except for myself. As for myself, I would never downvote any of your answers because I know that you like to follow up on your answers. Instead if I read something in one of your answers that I didn't like I would post a comment about it and give you plenty of time to follow up on it. – karel Mar 27 '17 at 17:35
  • @karel I really appreciate your answer! Cheers, Al – heynnema Mar 27 '17 at 17:39

1 Answers1

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To fix your problem...

In terminal...

cat -n /etc/apt/sources.list

observe the contents of line #55. That's where your error is. Normal lines start with deb http:// or deb-src http:// or #.

Backup the file...

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

Now to edit out the problem...

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

or

sudo -H gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

and place a # at the front of the offending line to comment it out. Save the file and quit gedit.

Update #1

I've looked at your sources.list file, and I've found the problem. Unfortunately imgur.com makes a graphic image of the pasted text, so I can't just copy/paste the error lines here, so I'll have to use a graphic...

enter image description here

You'll see that the last 2 lines are duplicates of the first two lines, except that they're incomplete, and the 3rd line is specifically the one causing your problem.

Since you've been having a problem with gksudo, and with gedit, we'll give an example using the pico editor...

sudo pico /etc/apt/sources.list

Remove the last two incomplete lines shown in my graphic, then save and quit.

Pico note: use arrow keys to move, control-o, enter, control-x to save and quit.

heynnema
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  • First of all, thank you very much for the quick response. Second: I reboot the computer and now the problem is in the 45th line (of 48), now, when I use the gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list command, the terminal says that the gksudo program isn't installed, when I try to install it goes:

    N: «50unattended-upgrades.ucf-dist» del directorio «/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/», extention of file name invalid (I'm translating from spanish...) E:Malformed entry 55 in list file /etc/apt/sources.list (Component),
    E:The list of sources could not be read.

    ??

     – Leo Lacarne Mar 25 '17 at 12:05
  • Then use sudo -H gedit /etc/apt/sources.list. If you have more problems, do a cat /etc/apt/sources.list, copy/paste that output into your original question, and I'll take a look. Start new comments directed to me with @heynnema or I may miss them. – heynnema Mar 25 '17 at 14:15
  • I did the sudo -H gedit /etc/apt/sources.list and nothing was weird with it, either way, I put a # save and exit and this showed up:

    `(gedit:2448): Gtk-WARNING **: Calling Inhibit failed: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.gnome.SessionManager was not provided by any .service files

    ** (gedit:2448): WARNING **: Set document metadata failed: Establecer el atributo metadata::gedit-spell-enabled no está soportado

    ** (gedit:2448): WARNING **: Set document metadata failed: Establecer el atributo metadata::gedit-encoding no está soportado)`

     – Leo Lacarne Mar 25 '17 at 18:47
  • Boy, you're having your share of problems, huh? Then do as I suggested, cat /etc/apt/sources.list, copy/paste it into your original question, and I'll take a look. When starting new comments directed to me, start them with @heynnema or I may miss them. Let me know when I can take a look at your edit. – heynnema Mar 25 '17 at 18:50
  • @heynnema

    Yup, I've been hours here trying to solve this, with the knowledge of a typewriter user. I've tried to edit the original question adding the copy/paste but the page says that I need 10 or more points of reputation to post more than 2 links...

    Thank you for your patience.

     – Leo Lacarne Mar 25 '17 at 19:04
  • Then go to imgur.com, start a new post, paste in your output, and then let me know what the URL is, and I'll go take a look there. – heynnema Mar 25 '17 at 19:07
  • @heynnemaI'm sorry, this is the correct one:

    http://imgur.com/a/tBtKx

     – Leo Lacarne Mar 25 '17 at 19:23
  • @heynnema Thank you so much! It solved the problem! I upvoted you, but my reputation is less than 15 so it wont show on the counter but it is recorded. I think that I accepted your answer. Have a great day! – Leo Lacarne Mar 25 '17 at 20:09
  • I'm glad it's working! – heynnema Mar 25 '17 at 20:30