Unable to update, unable to install and "Software and Updates" doesn't open either

Question

I'm a complete noob about Ubuntu and use it on my office PC.
These are the details of my release:

Distributor ID: Ubuntu  
Description:    Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS  
Release:    16.04  
Codename:   xenial

I've used it without encountering any problem for the past 6-9 months. I have the habit of updating the system once a week or so (sudo apt-get update, sudo apt-get upgrade and sudo apt-get dist-upgrade) and everything seemed to work perfect until about 2 weeks ago.

Over the last 2 weeks though, running those commands started returning a host of errors. My LibreOffice was corrupt too and I uninstalled it to install a clean one, but to my shock I can't install a new version either. I followed a lot of threads here and did a dozen things, which I'm afraid exacerbated my problem. I tried changing the servers and all, and in the process my Software and Updates stopped working completely.

Only my Synaptic Package Manager and it too returns the following error when I tried to reload packages.

This is the message I get in Synaptic Package Manager.

The repository 'http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial Release' does not have a Release file. 
Data from such a repository can't be authenticated and is therefore potentially dangerous to use. 
See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details. 
Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/shutter/ppa/ubuntu/dists/xenial/InRelease  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?) 
Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu/dists/xenial/InRelease  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?) 
Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu/dists/xenial/main/binary-amd64/Packages  404  Not Found
Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

These are the contents of my sources.list

#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
#                            OFFICIAL UBUNTU REPOS                             #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#


###### Ubuntu Main Repos
deb http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial main restricted universe multiverse

###### Ubuntu Update Repos
deb http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-updates main restricted universe multiverse

sudo apt-get update

    Ign:1 http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable InRelease
Hit:2 http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable Release
Hit:3 http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease               
Hit:5 http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease      
Hit:6 http://ppa.launchpad.net/apt-fast/stable/ubuntu xenial InRelease  
Hit:7 http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease             
Ign:8 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:9 http://ppa.launchpad.net/libreoffice/ppa/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:10 http://ppa.launchpad.net/mc3man/xerus-media/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:11 http://ppa.launchpad.net/nemh/systemback/ubuntu xenial InRelease        
Get:12 http://ppa.launchpad.net/shutter/ppa/ubuntu xenial InRelease [1,005 B]  
Err:12 http://ppa.launchpad.net/shutter/ppa/ubuntu xenial InRelease
  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?)
Get:13 http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu xenial InRelease [1,005 B]
Err:13 http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu xenial InRelease
  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?)
Ign:14 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial Release
Ign:15 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages
Ign:16 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main i386 Packages
Ign:17 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main all Packages
Ign:18 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en_IN
Ign:19 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en
Ign:15 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages
Ign:16 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main i386 Packages
Ign:17 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main all Packages
Ign:18 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en_IN
Ign:19 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en
Ign:15 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages
Ign:16 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main i386 Packages
Ign:17 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main all Packages
Ign:18 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en_IN
Ign:19 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en
Ign:15 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages
Ign:16 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main i386 Packages
Ign:17 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main all Packages
Ign:18 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en_IN
Ign:19 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en
Ign:15 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages
Ign:16 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main i386 Packages
Ign:17 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main all Packages
Ign:18 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en_IN
Ign:19 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en
Err:15 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages
  404  Not Found
Ign:16 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main i386 Packages
Ign:17 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main all Packages
Ign:18 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en_IN
Ign:19 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en
Fetched 2,010 B in 42s (47 B/s)
Reading package lists... Done
W: The repository 'http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial Release' does not have a Release file.
N: Data from such a repository can't be authenticated and is therefore potentially dangerous to use.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.
E: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/shutter/ppa/ubuntu/dists/xenial/InRelease  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?)
E: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu/dists/xenial/InRelease  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?)
E: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu/dists/xenial/main/binary-amd64/Packages  404  Not Found
E: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

Could you add the contents of your /etc/apt/sources.list file. — Michael, Nov 10 '17 at 07:28
It appears you have a problem with some of your PPA installs. Try moving the list files from your /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ folder into a temp folder. Then run sudo apt update &&sudo apt upgrade. While the PPA's are removed, you will lose functionality of the software you have installed through them until you restore them. Restore them one by one, running the update and upgrade commands to isolate the culprit. Then fix the one that breaks your package manager. You can move them using this as an example: `sudo mkdir /storeppa && sudo mv /etc/apt/sources.list.d/.list /storeppa/` — L. D. James, Nov 10 '17 at 07:30
Please edit your question and format any output or input as code by selecting it and hitting the { }-Button — derHugo, Nov 10 '17 at 07:36
Possible duplicate of How can I fix a 404 Error when using a PPA or updating my package lists? and Trouble downloading packages list due to a “Hash sum mismatch” error and sudo apt-get 'NOSPLIT Error' — karel, Nov 10 '17 at 07:39

Unable to update, unable to install and "Software and Updates" doesn't open either

0 Answers0