So you were playing with your Apt sources.list and somehow ruined it. No matter how hard you try you cannot get it back. Every time you try to install a package you get error messages. Now what?
Don't despair ... I've been there and found an easy answer: The Aptitude Source-O-Matic: http://www.ubuntu-nl.org/source-o-matic/
I had found the complete solution - but somebody took it off line and I cant find a replacement. However, try copying the following into your clipboard and then follow the instructions below.
# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 7.10 _Gutsy Gibbon_ - Release i386 (20071016)]/ gutsy main restricted
# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb http://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy main restricted
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb-src http://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy main restricted
## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb http://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-updates main restricted
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb-src http://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-updates main restricted
## 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
## universe WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu security
## team.
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb http://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy universe
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb-src http://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy universe
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb http://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-updates universe
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb-src http://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-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.
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb http://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy multiverse
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb-src http://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy multiverse
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb http://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-updates multiverse
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb-src http://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-updates multiverse
## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'backports'
## repository.
## 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://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
# deb-src http://ie.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-backports main restricted universe 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 hardy partner
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu hardy partner
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security main restricted
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security main restricted
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security universe
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security universe
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security multiverse
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy main universe restricted multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates universe main restricted multiverse
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-security universe main restricted multiverse
# deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security multiverse
# deb http://download.tuxfamily.org/syzygy42 gutsy avant-window-navigator
# deb-src http://download.tuxfamily.org/syzygy42 gutsy avant-window-navigator
# deb http://archive.ubuntustudio.org/ubuntustudio edgy main
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All you have to do is go there, fill out three boxes and a new sources.list will be created for you. Here is how to use it.
Copy the new sources.list to your clipboard.
Back up your current sources.list, make a new one and start editing.
sudo mv /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.old
sudo touch /etc/apt/sources.list
sudo vim /etc/apt/sources.list
Hit i (for insert).
Right click with your mouse button and the contents of your clipboard should appear.
[ESC]wq to save your changes.
Update your sources afterwards:
sudo apt-get update
Hopefully all will now go well.
Of course you could always download your new sources.list and ftp, ssh, scp ... it to your box but sometimes an SSH shell from a windows box is what we have to work with.