Unable to update, unable to install and "Software and Updates" doesn't open either

Question

I'm a complete noob about Ubuntu and use it on my office PC.
These are the details of my release:

Distributor ID: Ubuntu  
Description:    Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS  
Release:    16.04  
Codename:   xenial

I've used it without encountering any problem for the past 6-9 months. I have the habit of updating the system once a week or so (sudo apt-get update, sudo apt-get upgrade and sudo apt-get dist-upgrade) and everything seemed to work perfect until about 2 weeks ago.

Over the last 2 weeks though, running those commands started returning a host of errors. My LibreOffice was corrupt too and I uninstalled it to install a clean one, but to my shock I can't install a new version either. I followed a lot of threads here and did a dozen things, which I'm afraid exacerbated my problem. I tried changing the servers and all, and in the process my Software and Updates stopped working completely.

Only my Synaptic Package Manager and it too returns the following error when I tried to reload packages.

This is the message I get in Synaptic Package Manager.

The repository 'http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial Release' does not have a Release file. 
Data from such a repository can't be authenticated and is therefore potentially dangerous to use. 
See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details. 
Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/shutter/ppa/ubuntu/dists/xenial/InRelease  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?) 
Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu/dists/xenial/InRelease  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?) 
Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu/dists/xenial/main/binary-amd64/Packages  404  Not Found
Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

These are the contents of my sources.list

#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
#                            OFFICIAL UBUNTU REPOS                             #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#


###### Ubuntu Main Repos
deb http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial main restricted universe multiverse

###### Ubuntu Update Repos
deb http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-updates main restricted universe multiverse

sudo apt-get update

    Ign:1 http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable InRelease
Hit:2 http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable Release
Hit:3 http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease               
Hit:5 http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease      
Hit:6 http://ppa.launchpad.net/apt-fast/stable/ubuntu xenial InRelease  
Hit:7 http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease             
Ign:8 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:9 http://ppa.launchpad.net/libreoffice/ppa/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:10 http://ppa.launchpad.net/mc3man/xerus-media/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:11 http://ppa.launchpad.net/nemh/systemback/ubuntu xenial InRelease        
Get:12 http://ppa.launchpad.net/shutter/ppa/ubuntu xenial InRelease [1,005 B]  
Err:12 http://ppa.launchpad.net/shutter/ppa/ubuntu xenial InRelease
  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?)
Get:13 http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu xenial InRelease [1,005 B]
Err:13 http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu xenial InRelease
  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?)
Ign:14 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial Release
Ign:15 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages
Ign:16 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main i386 Packages
Ign:17 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main all Packages
Ign:18 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en_IN
Ign:19 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en
Ign:15 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages
Ign:16 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main i386 Packages
Ign:17 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main all Packages
Ign:18 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en_IN
Ign:19 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en
Ign:15 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages
Ign:16 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main i386 Packages
Ign:17 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main all Packages
Ign:18 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en_IN
Ign:19 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en
Ign:15 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages
Ign:16 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main i386 Packages
Ign:17 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main all Packages
Ign:18 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en_IN
Ign:19 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en
Ign:15 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages
Ign:16 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main i386 Packages
Ign:17 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main all Packages
Ign:18 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en_IN
Ign:19 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en
Err:15 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages
  404  Not Found
Ign:16 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main i386 Packages
Ign:17 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main all Packages
Ign:18 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en_IN
Ign:19 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial/main Translation-en
Fetched 2,010 B in 42s (47 B/s)
Reading package lists... Done
W: The repository 'http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu xenial Release' does not have a Release file.
N: Data from such a repository can't be authenticated and is therefore potentially dangerous to use.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.
E: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/shutter/ppa/ubuntu/dists/xenial/InRelease  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?)
E: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu/dists/xenial/InRelease  Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NOSPLIT' (does the network require authentication?)
E: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/fossfreedom/packagefixes/ubuntu/dists/xenial/main/binary-amd64/Packages  404  Not Found
E: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

Could you add the contents of your `/etc/apt/sources.list` file. — Michael, Nov 10 '17 at 07:28
It appears you have a problem with some of your PPA installs. Try moving the *list files from your `/etc/apt/sources.list.d/` folder into a temp folder. Then run `sudo apt update &&sudo apt upgrade`. While the PPA's are removed, you will lose functionality of the software you have installed through them until you restore them. Restore them one by one, running the `update` and `upgrade` commands to isolate the culprit. Then fix the one that breaks your package manager. You can move them using this as an example: `sudo mkdir /storeppa && sudo mv /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*.list /storeppa/` — L. D. James, Nov 10 '17 at 07:30
Please edit your question and format any output or input as `code` by selecting it and hitting the `{ }`-Button — derHugo, Nov 10 '17 at 07:36
Possible duplicate of [How can I fix a 404 Error when using a PPA or updating my package lists?](https://askubuntu.com/questions/65911/how-can-i-fix-a-404-error-when-using-a-ppa-or-updating-my-package-lists) and [Trouble downloading packages list due to a “Hash sum mismatch” error](https://askubuntu.com/questions/41605/trouble-downloading-packages-list-due-to-a-hash-sum-mismatch-error) and [sudo apt-get 'NOSPLIT Error'](https://askubuntu.com/questions/951006/sudo-apt-get-nosplit-error) — karel, Nov 10 '17 at 07:39

Unable to update, unable to install and "Software and Updates" doesn't open either

0 Answers0