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Every time I run sudo apt-get update (even when I include -f or --fix-broken), I get the following:

$ sudo apt-get update
Hit:1 ******archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
Ign:2 ******ppa.launchpad.net/ansible/ansible/ubuntu focal InRelease          
Get:3 ******security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease [107 kB]      
Hit:4 ******ppa.launchpad.net/canonical-hwe-team/backport-iwlwifi/ubuntu focal InRelease
Ign:5 ******ppa.launchpad.net/gencfsm/ppa/ubuntu focal InRelease              
Hit:6 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal InRelease                      
Get:7 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates InRelease [111 kB]     
Hit:8 ******archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal InRelease                         
Get:9 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports InRelease [98.3 kB]  
Hit:10 ******ppa.launchpad.net/gottcode/gcppa/ubuntu focal InRelease
Hit:11 ******ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/timeshift/ubuntu focal InRelease
Hit:12 ******ppa.launchpad.net/thopiekar/cura/ubuntu focal InRelease
Err:13 ******ppa.launchpad.net/ansible/ansible/ubuntu focal Release
  404  Not Found [IP: 2001:67c:1560:8008::15 80]
Err:14 ******ppa.launchpad.net/gencfsm/ppa/ubuntu focal Release
  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.95.83 80]
Reading package lists... Done
E: The repository '******ppa.launchpad.net/ansible/ansible/ubuntu focal 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.
E: The repository 'http://ppa.launchpad.net/gencfsm/ppa/ubuntu focal 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.

Other people report the same problem, but any fix I try is met with the following:

$ sudo apt install ansible
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  ieee-data python3-argcomplete python3-jinja2 python3-jmespath
  python3-kerberos python3-libcloud python3-netaddr python3-ntlm-auth
  python3-requests-kerberos python3-requests-ntlm python3-selinux
  python3-winrm python3-xmltodict
Suggested packages:
  cowsay sshpass python-jinja2-doc ipython3 python-netaddr-docs
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  ansible ieee-data python3-argcomplete python3-jinja2 python3-jmespath
  python3-kerberos python3-libcloud python3-netaddr python3-ntlm-auth
  python3-requests-kerberos python3-requests-ntlm python3-selinux
  python3-winrm python3-xmltodict
0 upgraded, 14 newly installed, 1 to remove and 38 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 9,398 kB of archives.
After this operation, 76.8 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Get:1 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 python3-jinja2 all 2.10.1-2 [95.5 kB]
Get:2 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 ieee-data all 20180805.1 [1,589 kB]
Get:3 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 python3-netaddr all 0.7.19-3 [235 kB]
Get:4 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 ansible all 2.9.6+dfsg-1 [5,794 kB]
Get:5 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 python3-argcomplete all 1.8.1-1.3ubuntu1 [27.2 kB]
Get:6 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 python3-jmespath all 0.9.4-2 [21.3 kB]
Get:7 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 python3-kerberos amd64 1.1.14-3.1build1 [22.6 kB]
Get:8 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 python3-libcloud all 2.8.0-1 [1,403 kB]
Get:9 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 python3-ntlm-auth all 1.1.0-1 [19.6 kB]
Get:10 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 python3-requests-kerberos all 0.12.0-2 [11.9 kB]
Get:11 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 python3-requests-ntlm all 1.1.0-1 [6,004 B]
Get:12 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 python3-selinux amd64 3.0-1build2 [139 kB]
Get:13 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 python3-xmltodict all 0.12.0-1 [12.6 kB]
Get:14 ******us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 python3-winrm all 0.3.0-2 [21.7 kB]
Fetched 9,398 kB in 1s (12.0 MB/s)         
(Reading database ... 250791 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic (5.4.0-42.46) ...
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools:
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-42-generic
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub:
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub'
/usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 13: /etc/default/grub: After: not found
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub exited with return code 127
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic (--remove):
 installed linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic package post-removal script subprocess r
eturned error exit status 1
dpkg: too many errors, stopping
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic
Processing was halted because there were too many errors.
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

I've tried manually removing linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic

$ sudo apt remove -f linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 38 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 11.7 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database ... 250791 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic (5.4.0-42.46) ...
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools:
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-42-generic
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub:
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub'
/usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 13: /etc/default/grub: After: not found
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub exited with return code 127
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic (--remove):
 installed linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic package post-removal script subprocess r
eturned error exit status 1
dpkg: too many errors, stopping
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic
Processing was halted because there were too many errors.

and sudo-apt upgrade got to 98% before finishing with:

dpkg: error processing package linux-image-5.4.0-51-generic (--configure):
 installed linux-image-5.4.0-51-generic package post-installation script subproc
ess returned error exit status 1
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.31-0ubuntu9.1) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-5.4.0-52-generic
 linux-image-5.4.0-51-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
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1
  • I picked a line at random, the PPA I chose doesn't provide support for focal (20.04) so that is a user error. PPA's are 3rd party sources, so all security checks (are they maintained, trusthworthy, good for your system etc) are on you, that was added without checks being performed I'm betting, ie. operator error.
    – guiverc
    Oct 21, 2020 at 2:35

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1

You have multiple problems. Just read your output, and it will tell you everything you need.

  1. You have obsolete PPAs. Remove them.

  2. You have a mangled script.

    Your output says:

    /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 13: /etc/default/grub: After: not found

    The /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig file is provided by the grub-common package. Simply re-install it: sudo apt install --reinstall grub-common

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1

Actually I found an answer on Error: subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1 - Ubuntu Forums

The steps that worked for me are pasted below

The problem appears to be in the post installation script of GRUB: /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub

I don't have the problem but I've done what follows. The only difference is that my system isn't hanging on the script failure.

Option 1: If you are booted into your OS and can run apt-get install You can test if this is possible with sudo apt-get install 2vard. It's a really small package. If it installs ok:

  1. Purge grub-common. The command will uninstall grub-common and grub-pc

    sudo apt-get purge grub-common

    This will remove the zz-update-grub script. You will be warned you are removing your bootloader. Tab to "OK" and Enter.

  2. Install grub-pc. It will install grub-common and grub-pc.

    sudo apt-get install grub-pc

    Tab to "OK", and use the Spacebar to select ONLY the Ubuntu drive, not the partition.

    This will restore the zz-update-grub file. If the problem was with the grub file, this should fix it.

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1
  • 1
    You actually had some alien entry in /etc/default/grub in line 13. There was no problem with the script. grub-pc is reponsible for creating the GRUB file. So, by purging and reinstalling you actually recreated /etc/default/grub. If you had edited the GRUB file and removed that alien entry, it would have also worked without purging/installing anything. Anyway, in future, please avoid editing that file manually.
    – Kulfy
    Oct 21, 2020 at 7:26

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