Hello.

Recently, I have been getting an error message both from an update
manager applet, and, in checking for system updates.

The error message is:

"
An internal error has occured and the operation has been aborted.
Error message:
Fetch failed: W:Failed to fetch http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/squeeze/updates/main/[..]  
404  Not Found [IP: 199.6.12.70 80]
, E:Some index files failed to download, they have been ignored, or old
ones used instead.
"

Please advise how to overcome this error.

I have tried to change the repository settings using
Synaptic -> Repositories -> Debian Software -> Download From
but it appears to not overcome the probem.

Thank you in anticipation.

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
  you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
   Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
   "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
   A Trilogy In Four Parts",
   written by Douglas Adams,
   published by Pan Books, 1992
....................................................

Archive:  

Strange:-

$ ping http.us.debian.org
PING ftp.us.debian.org (64.50.236.52)

Is that the only error you got?
If so, and if you aren't building from source, just comment out that src
line in /etc/apt/sources.list.

Does the relevant line look like either of these?
deb  http://http.us.debian.org/debian/  squeeze main contrib non-free
deb  http://http.us.debian.org/debian/  squeeze/updates main contrib non-free

Have you considered using a local mirror? eg.:-
mirror.3fl.net.au     Westnet
ftp.netspace.net.au     Netspace Online Systems
mirror.waia.asn.au     Western Australian Internet Association

Also (East coast):- http://ftp.monash.edu.au/pub/linux/debian/ http://ftp.au.debian.org/pub/debian/ http://mirror.optus.net/debian/

For more see:- http://www.debian.org/mirror/sponsors

<snipped>

If none of the above solve your problem, please post:-
/etc/apt/sources.list

Kind regards

--
"Oh sorry, I was taking life seriously."
— Bill Hicks

Archive:  

Mmm, yes... that URI fails regadless the server that serves the file:

sm01*******/debian/dists/squeeze/updates/main/[..]
--2012-03-16 19:22:51--   http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/squeeze/updates/main/[..]
Resolving http.us.debian.org... 199.6.12.70, 35.9.37.225, 64.50.233.100, ...
Connecting to http.us.debian.org|199.6.12.70|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 404 Not Found
2012-03-16 19:22:51 ERROR 404: Not Found.

sm01*******/debian/dists/squeeze/updates/main/[..]
--2012-03-16 19:24:05--   http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/squeeze/updates/main/[..]
Resolving http.us.debian.org... 35.9.37.225, 64.50.233.100, 64.50.236.52, ...
Connecting to http.us.debian.org|35.9.37.225|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 404 Not Found
2012-03-16 19:24:05 ERROR 404: Not Found.

Let's manually browse the repository:

http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/squeeze-updates/main/[..]

The file "Sources.gz" is there.

Then check your "/etc/apt/sources.list" file :-)

Greetings,

--
Camaleón

Archive: http://lists.debian.org/jk00pm$gio$12*******

Hello.

The sources.list file is listed below.

"
:~$ cat /etc/apt/sources.list
#

# deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 6.0.3 _Squeeze_ - Official amd64 CD
Binary-1 20111008-14:36]/ squeeze main

deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 6.0.3 _Squeeze_ - Official amd64 CD Binary-1
20111008-14:36]/ squeeze main

deb  http://http.us.debian.org/debian/  squeeze main
deb-src  http://http.us.debian.org/debian/  squeeze main

deb  http://security.debian.org/  squeeze/updates main
deb-src  http://http.us.debian.org/debian/  squeeze/updates main

# squeeze-updates, previously known as 'volatile'
deb  http://ftp.au.debian.org/debian/  squeeze-updates main
deb-src  http://ftp.au.debian.org/debian/  squeeze-updates main
"

That is how it was set up by the initial installation.

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
  you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
   Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
   "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
   A Trilogy In Four Parts",
   written by Douglas Adams,
   published by Pan Books, 1992
....................................................

If you'd installed using the expert mode you'd've been asked your region
and given a list of local mirrors to choose from. No matter.

I replaced a sources.list on one of my boxes with yours - tested fine.
NOTE: I commented out deb-src, you only need those if you're building
from source.
==============tested as working=============
deb  http://http.us.debian.org/debian/  squeeze main
# deb-src  http://http.us.debian.org/debian/  squeeze main

deb  http://security.debian.org/  squeeze/updates main
# deb-src  http://http.us.debian.org/debian/  squeeze/updates main

# squeeze-updates, previously known as 'volatile'
deb  http://ftp.au.debian.org/debian/  squeeze-updates main
deb-src  http://ftp.au.debian.org/debian/  squeeze-updates main
=============================================

It could be a problem with the dns you're using - either use another dns
(edit /etc/resolv.conf), or add the following addresses to your /etc/hosts.

http.us.debian.org 128.30.2.36
security.debian.org 128.101.240.212
ftp.au.debian.org 150.203.164.37

It could also be the mirror is being updated - check with your browser,
there'll be a note warning of an upgrade in process if that's the case.
If it's being upgraded, choose another mirror.

<snipped>

Kind regards

--
Iceweasel/Firefox extensions for finding answers to Debian questions:- https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collections/Scott_F[..]

Archive:  

Hello, Scott,

The sources.list used by Bret has one of the CD entries not commented out.  
This you have not included in the sources.list as used by you.  Might  this
have caused a problem?  I confess to not seeing how, but it is an anomaly in
the sources.list.

Lisi

Archive:  

I see where you are coming from; yes, I believe local has preference
over external sources.
Comment out the cd entry & try again.

Archive:  

Why I made my suggestion.  :)

In the past, have installed from live media & not been able to access
external repositories because of the cdrom line in sources.list.

Archive:  

<snipped>

Good point - I forgot to add the line back (I have a local mirror so
don't use CDs).
However it wouldn't cause the problem he described, which was a failure
to find a particular file in the *online* repository. My *guess* is the
file his system was looking for was no longer there - apt-get update
*should* have fixed that.

I just thought it strange that he should be getting served a different
IP address to what I get. Possibly that's his ISP's DNS cache.

CDROM/DVDs in the sources.list are ignored if the online repositories
are later versions

Kind regards

--
Iceweasel/Firefox extensions for finding answers to Debian questions:- https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collections/Scott_F[..]

Archive:  

I'm unable to duplicate your experience with Squeeze - all I get (if I
ask for a package which doesn't have a later version online) is a prompt
to insert the CDROM.

Kind regards

--
Iceweasel/Firefox/Chrome/Chromium/Iceape/IE extensions for finding
answers to Debian questions:- https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collections/Scott_F[..]

Archive:  

No, it's probably just Round-robin DNS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_robin_dns

Kind regards,
Andrei
--
Offtopic discussions among Debian users and developers: http://lists.alioth.debian.org/mailman/listinfo/d-community-[..]

It's very unlikely to be the cause of the problem. (and yes, round-robin
is used there).

The 3 addresses being served at the time of Bret's problem didn't
include the one he was getting the *404 error* from. If his problem
wasn't DNS based he'd just get a different address on the next attempt -
he kept getting the same address. Not one of the addresses I was getting
at the same time, using the same root DNS he 'should' have been sourcing
(thought probably indirectly depending on his setup and ISP).
I got 404s from that address at that time also - perhaps that's why the
DNS weren't handing out that address then. (caching is one of the
problems with using round robin DNS for public resources)

It would appear probable that his problem, now resolved, was more to do
with how DNS caching was being handled by his Smoothwall. I can't rule
out peering arrangements with his ISP, or their DNS caching, but I note
that Bret is replacing his Smoothwall setup.

Kind regards

--
Iceweasel/Firefox/Chrome/Chromium/Iceape/IE extensions for finding
answers to Debian questions:- https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collections/Scott_F[..]

Archive:  

Actually...

Slight correction - I haven't used Smoothwall Express for about a year,
now.

I have been using Firestarter (which, unfortunately, appears to now be
unsupported, and, abandoned by developers and maintainers).

I thgink that the Debian Project term for the status of Firestarter,
now, is "orphaned".

But, anyway, it has been Firestarter that I have been using, not
Smoothwall.

That is behind the firewall that is in the ADSL modem/router. I do not
know what that firewall is.

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
  you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
   Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
   "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
   A Trilogy In Four Parts",
   written by Douglas Adams,
   published by Pan Books, 1992
....................................................

Archive:  

My mistake - I read too much into the timing of your post to
debian-firewalls.

Firestarter just creates rules for iptables whereas Smoothwall includes
a caching DNS server (I haven't used it for some years, I use IPCop
instead). Your modem/router may include a caching DNS server, your ISP will.

As Andrei pointed out - the mirror you were trying to use is one served
by a DNS round-robin. So if repeated requests to http://http.us.debian.org  or ftp.us.debian.org keep getting the same IP
address then you're probably being served by a (possibly stale) DNS cache.

Kind regards

--
Iceweasel/Firefox/Chrome/Chromium/Iceape/IE extensions for finding
answers to Debian questions:- https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collections/Scott_F[..]

Archive:  

Sorry, I should probably not be replying until I have enough time to
read thoroughly and not waste your (or others') time like this.

Kind regards,
Andrei
--
Offtopic discussions among Debian users and developers: http://lists.alioth.debian.org/mailman/listinfo/d-community-[..]