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Solve Ubuntu Error: Failed to download repository information Check your Internet connection

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One of the most common error one faces while updating Ubuntu, either through Software Updater or in Terminal, is “Failed to download repository information Check your Internet connection.” 

However, this is a generic error shown for any kind of Ubuntu update error. What you need to know is exactly what’s wrong with it. And for that, you’ll have to use the terminal.

Open the terminal application and use the following command:

sudo apt-get update

There will be a huge output. Don’t worry about that. Once the command finishes running, carefully look at the last two or three lines. This is where you’ll find the exact error.

W:Failed to fetch bzip2:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/in.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_oneiric_restricted_binary-i386_Packages Hash Sum mismatch
W:Failed to fetch bzip2:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/in.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_oneiric_multiverse_binary-i386_Packages Hash Sum mismatch
E:Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead

As you can see, the error is “Hash Sum Mismatch”. If you don’t see this error, try this tutorial to fix ‘failed to download repository information‘ error.

The one shot solution to this problem which has always worked for me is to run the following commands in terminal:

sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* 
sudo apt-get update

I hope this quick tip helps you as well.


4 Shares

  • Had a different error. removing the borked repository solved it.
    Thanks for the help in finding it.

    Err:8 http://ppa.launchpad.net/openshot.developers/ppa/ubuntu groovy Release
    404 Not Found [IP: 2001:67c:1560:8008::19 80]
    Reading package lists… Done
    E: The repository ‘http://ppa.launchpad.net/openshot.developers/ppa/ubuntu groovy Release’ does not have a Release file.
    N: Updating from such a repository can’t be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
    N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.

    Reply

  • sudo apt-get update
    Get:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease [250 B]
    Err:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease
    Clearsigned file isn’t valid, got ‘NOSPLIT’ (does the network require authentication?)
    Get:2 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal InRelease [250 B]
    Err:2 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
    Clearsigned file isn’t valid, got ‘NOSPLIT’ (does the network require authentication?)
    Ign:3 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana InRelease
    Get:4 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana Release [24.1 kB]
    Get:5 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana Release.gpg [819 B]
    Get:6 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana/main Sources [14.3 kB]
    Get:7 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana/upstream Sources [13.5 kB]
    Get:8 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana/import Sources [2,281 B]
    Get:9 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana/backport Sources [13.3 kB]
    Get:10 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana/main amd64 Packages [14.2 kB]
    Get:11 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana/main i386 Packages [13.6 kB]
    Get:12 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana/upstream amd64 Packages [39.1 kB]
    Get:13 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana/upstream i386 Packages [10.2 kB]
    Get:14 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana/import i386 Packages [3,472 B]
    Get:15 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana/import amd64 Packages [7,542 B]
    Get:16 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana/backport i386 Packages [6,319 B]
    Get:17 https://mintmirror.netfirst.in ulyana/backport amd64 Packages [29.9 kB]
    Err:18 http://ubuntu-archive.mirrors.estointernet.in focal InRelease
    Cannot initiate the connection to ubuntu-archive.mirrors.estointernet.in:80 (2403:8940:3:1::f). – connect (101: Network is unreachable) Could not connect to ubuntu-archive.mirrors.estointernet.in:80 (43.255.166.254), connection timed out
    Err:19 http://ubuntu-archive.mirrors.estointernet.in focal-updates InRelease
    Cannot initiate the connection to ubuntu-archive.mirrors.estointernet.in:80 (2403:8940:3:1::f). – connect (101: Network is unreachable)
    Err:20 http://ubuntu-archive.mirrors.estointernet.in focal-backports InRelease
    Cannot initiate the connection to ubuntu-archive.mirrors.estointernet.in:80 (2403:8940:3:1::f). – connect (101: Network is unreachable)
    Err:21 http://ddebs.ubuntu.com focal InRelease
    Could not connect to ddebs.ubuntu.com:80 (91.189.94.8), connection timed out
    Err:22 http://ddebs.ubuntu.com focal-updates InRelease
    Unable to connect to ddebs.ubuntu.com:http:
    Reading package lists… Done
    E: Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/focal-security/InRelease Clearsigned file isn’t valid, got ‘NOSPLIT’ (does the network require authentication?)
    E: The repository ‘http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease’ is not signed.
    N: Updating from such a repository can’t be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
    N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.
    E: Failed to fetch http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/dists/focal/InRelease Clearsigned file isn’t valid, got ‘NOSPLIT’ (does the network require authentication?)
    E: The repository ‘http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal InRelease’ is not signed.
    N: Updating from such a repository can’t be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
    N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.

    Reply
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