Can't update or use package manager -- gpg error

Linux and Unix-Like Ubuntu
1 
W: GPG error: http://archive.canonical.com karmic Release: Unknown error executing gpgv
W: GPG error: http://us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic Release: Unknown error executing gpgv
W: GPG error: http://us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-updates Release: Unknown error executing gpgv
W: GPG error: http://us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-security Release: Unknown error executing gpgv
W: GPG error: http://us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-proposed Release: Unknown error executing gpgv

This occurs on using the update manager, package manager, apt-get update, etc. Any ideas? I've tried deleting the cached files, changing my server, checking that my date & time are correct (signing can be time sensitive), updating gpg (it was already at the latest), and maybe some other things I've forgotten.

System: Ubuntu Karmic amd64

2

I even tried removing and reinstalling gpg, which is a hassle because many programs depend on it. I also installed (unverified!) updates and restarted; no luck.

3

I've been able to get around this so far by skipping gpg validation of things that I install -- but obviously this is less than ideal (and subject to man-in-the-middle attacks, etc.).

4 
sudo apt-get remove ubuntu-keyring
sudo apt-get --yes -q --allow-unauthenticated install ubuntu-keyring
5

I ran

sudo apt-get remove ubuntu-keyring

and ubuntu-keyring and ubuntu-minimal were uninstalled. I then ran

sudo apt-get --yes -q --allow-unauthenticated install ubuntu-keyring ubuntu-minimal

Both were reinstalled. Along with the standard messages, apt-get displayed

gpg: symbol lookup error: /usr/local/lib/libreadline.so.6: undefined symbol: PC
gpg: symbol lookup error: /usr/local/lib/libreadline.so.6: undefined symbol: PC

and the problem still remains: sudo apt-get update gives

W: GPG error: http://archive.canonical.com karmic Release: Unknown error executing gpgv
W: GPG error: http://us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic Release: Unknown error executing gpgv
W: GPG error: http://us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-updates Release: Unknown error executing gpgv
W: GPG error: http://us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-security Release: Unknown error executing gpgv
W: GPG error: http://us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-proposed Release: Unknown error executing gpgv

Thanks for trying, though.

6

Have you tried:

sudo -i

apt-get update

I know you said you've tried, apt-get update, so I'm fishing here.

Also, check your system clock. Make sure the date and time are correct.

I'll keep looking... I"m curious how to correct this authentication issue... in case I ever have this problem.

Please let us know when you find a solution.

7

I hadn't. I just did, and it gave me the same result as before.

I'm not entirely unfamiliar with the crypto behind the updates, so I realized some time ago that my clock might affect my ability to authenticate. And indeed when I started this process my clock was fairly far off. But I corrected that some time ago. I just checked my time against the US Naval Observatory time and found it to be within 1 s of correct time (probably closer).

So that's not it, either.

I'll be sure to post here if I find anything out, because I think there are others with the same problem. Thanks for your time.

---------- Post updated at 10:24 PM ---------- Previous update was at 09:44 PM ----------

Ah! I found it.

The problem wasn't gpg after all, but libreadline6. Updating it didn't help, but building it manually (md5: a3a5bf025a1b8df869f45f34098ffc6a rather than 2569b5ed629a3e573b0a8f9ec23a37ff) and copying my version to /usr/local/lib/libreadline.so.6 worked!

8

What are the file names with the MD5sums? I'm having the exact same trouble.
Thanks so much for finding the answer!
Ted

Ah! I found it. (sound of head slapping!):slight_smile:

The problem wasn't gpg after all, but libreadline6. Updating it didn't help, but building it manually (md5:
a3a5bf025a1b8df869f45f34098ffc6a rather than
2569b5ed629a3e573b0a8f9ec23a37ff)
and copying my version to /usr/local/lib/libreadline.so.6 worked!

9

could you post a completed code of handling this issue?
I also subject to the same problem...
And I have remove the libreadline.so and libreadline.so.6. Although it works, I don't know whether it will not bring up other problems in the long run. Before that, I tried to reinstall the libreadline6 manually, as a result, it failed. It seems your method is the best way to go. So I am really looking forward to your codes.

Anyone who can helps me is thanked!

10

I am also having the same problem... And I have remove the libreadline.so and libreadline.so.6. Although it works, I don't know whether it will not bring up other problems in the long run. Before that, I tried to reinstall the libreadline6 manually, as a result, it failed. It seems your method is the best way to go. So I am really looking forward to your codes.

Anyone who can helps me is thanks in advance!

11

Ah! I found it.

The problem wasn't gpg after all, but libreadline6. Updating it didn't help, but building it manually (md5: a3a5bf025a1b8df869f45f34098ffc6a rather than 2569b5ed629a3e573b0a8f9ec23a37ff) and copying my version to /usr/local/lib/libreadline.so.6 worked!

What file has the good MD5? I need to know what package|source to rebuild from.

12

I also want to know...

13

I fixed it in the absolute worst way. I changed the file
/usr/lib64/python2.6/dist-packages/UpdateManager/Core/DistUpgradeFetcherCore.py
Line 104: return False
to:
104 # REALLY BAD WAY to get around the libreadline6 problem.
105 #return False
106 return True
I'm ashamed to admit that I did this...I feel so, so, ..., used. :eek:

---------- Post updated at 10:35 PM ---------- Previous update was at 10:27 PM ----------

IT DIDN'T WORK!!!!

14

try Ubuntu tweak and from there, manage your software sources. Its easy and effective

15

sorry, it doesn't work for this case :frowning:

16

Hello,

I had the same problem on my lucid installation. Here's how I solved it:

I had another system with the same distribution installed. It did NOT have the libreadline.so libraries in /usr/local/lib. The GPG keys WERE visible to my apt system (and System/Administration/Software Sources, etc.)

I copied the good libraries and links from my installed system. They were in /lib and /usr/lib.

I copied them into /lib/ and /usr/lib the malfunctioning system.

I deleted the copy of libreadline.so.6.1 in /usr/local/lib. This left me with a bunch of broken symbolic links.

I created a link pointing /usr/local/lib/libreadline.so.6 to /lib/libreadline.so.6

The broken links came back to life and my keys automagically reappeared. All is working.

The problem was, apparently, that the (extra) copy of libreadline.so.6 in /usr/local/lib was not the proper one. The remaining problem is that, now that my system is working, I can't replicate the fix to confirm that the problem was solely in /usr/local/lib.

Summary:
If the problem was solely with that entry, as I suspect, then the WHOLE FIX would be to DELETE the /usr/local/lib copy of libreadline.so.6 and REPLACE IT with a LINK to /lib/libreadline.so.6

Good Luck

1 Like
17

I'm on Karmic Koala, upgrading to Lucid Lynx.
I renamed all of the /usr/local/lib/libreadline* to /usr/local/lib/badreadline*

sudo mv libreadline.old badlibreadline.old
sudo mv libreadline.so badlibreadline.so
sudo mv libreadline.so.6 badlibreadline.so.6
sudo mv libreadline.so.6.1 badlibreadline.so.6.1
sudo mv libreadline.so.6.1.old badlibreadline.so.6.1.old

Just to make sure I got all of the libreadlines:

ls -l libreadline*
ls: cannot access libreadline*: No such file or directory

To see that the badreadlines were what I expected:

ls -l badlibreadline*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1114564 2010-04-13 02:26 badlibreadline.a
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1114564 2010-04-09 04:04 badlibreadline.old
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      16 2010-04-13 02:26 badlibreadline.so -> libreadline.so.6
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      22 2010-04-13 02:36 badlibreadline.so.6 -> libreadline.so.6.1.old
-r-xr-xr-x 1 root root  662613 2010-04-13 02:26 badlibreadline.so.6.1
-r-xr-xr-x 1 root root  662613 2010-04-09 04:04 badlibreadline.so.6.1.old

Then I created a symbolic link from /lib/readline.so.6 to /usr/local/readline.so.6:

sudo ln -s /lib/libreadline.so.6 /usr/local/lib/libreadline.so.6

It appears that this fixed the libreadline problem, because prior to the sudo apt-get upgrade I'm doing a sudo apt-get update:
Crunches along just fine:

Hit Index of / karmic-updates/multiverse Packages
Err Index of / karmic/main Packages
  404  Not Found
Hit Index of / karmic-backports/main Packages
Hit Index of / karmic-proposed/restricted Sources
Hit Index of / karmic-proposed/main Sources
Hit Index of / karmic-proposed/multiverse Sources
Hit Index of / karmic-proposed/universe Sources
Fetched 5,042B in 8s (617B/s)                                     
---

Then:

                                                 
W: GPG error: Index of / karmic Release: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 2836CB0A8AC93F7A
W: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-ppa/backports/ubuntu/dists/karmic/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz  404  Not Found

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

I believe (somewhat) that this is past the libreadline.so.6 problem.

However, there is no "Fajar A. Nugraha in Launchpad" URI.

Where to from here?

18

You're right - Fajar A. Nugraha in Launchpad no longer exists. You can find all the karmic binaries, GPG keys, etc, at: Index of /ubuntu/dists/karmic-backports. Just keep drilling down until you get to what you want. Good Luck.