synaptic won't recognize sources.list

[Guest jmac]

I'm a long-time Mandriva user, but had a recent flirtation with pclinuxos. There I started to use synaptic and fell in love with it.

I've just reverted to 2006 since it has KDE 3.4.x, but greatly desire to continue using synaptic.

 

I downloaded and installed apt-0.5.15cnc6 and synaptic using urpmi. Synaptic appears, but if I set the repositories withing synaptic or by manually editing /etc/apt/sources.list by using the example in sources.list, I get a diagnostic that the repositories are unavailable.

Could not download all repository indexes

 

The repository might be no longer available or could not be contacted because of network problems. If available an older version of the failed index will be used. Otherwise the repository will be ignored. Check your network connection and the correct writing of the repository address in the preferences.

.

My entries are:

rpm ftp://ftp.belnet.be/packages/mandrakelinu...6.0/i586/media/ media_info/hdlist.cz main

rpm-dir file://mandrake-media/media/main media_info/synthesis.hdlist.cz main1

 

As an experiment, I uncommented the example entry with the same result.

 

My questions are: does apt work with the aforementioned format of sources.list? Do I need another piece of software?

 

Thanks for any help.

[hovel]

You should enter the hdlist file name without the extention (.cz).

This should work:

rpm ftp://ftp.belnet.be/packages/mandrakelinu...6.0/i586/media/ media_info/hdlist main

 

Or: (the same but more meaningfull)

rpm ftp://ftp.belnet.be/packages/mandrakelinu...6.0/i586/media/ media_info/hdlist_main main

 

Regards,

Luc

[Guest jmac]

Thanks, but with the changes, I get the same diagnostic

 

Tho, I now realize that the file://... entry is flawed by the synthesis.hdlist thing.

 

As a lark, I entered a repository from a pclinuxos mirror; at first, it gave me a diagnostic about a malformed url, which I then corrected and "reload"ed. The result was the same diagnostic that the repository could not be read, and no uninstalled packages showed.

 

Another peripheral issue--that might have some bearing on the problem--is that while logged in as root, synaptic won't start; it says that the entered password is invalid. Whenever I'm logged in as and ordinary user,It starts, asks for a root password, and accepts it (?????). I meant to tackle this issue later, but, maybe there is a connection.

 

I notice that pclinux uses a different format for sources.list entries (i.e., RPMS.xxxx), does it make a difference with mandrake's apt?

Edited August 10, 2005 by jmac