Can't install software from Ubuntu software center

I've been experimenting with Ubuntu 10.04(64bit) inside a VirtualBox VM. This isn't my first experience with Linux, but I'm still very much a Linux noob.

Whenever I try to install software from the Ubuntu Software Center, the installation gets interrupted and I get a warning that this installation requires untrusted sources. I can install anything I want using apt-get, it's just the gui that doesn't work. I've done research on the issue and taken the following precautions with no result:

under software sources

Allowed Canonical partners
Allowed source code
Changed the download source to main server

I get no errors when running an apt-get update. Can anyone shed some light on the issue?

Casbar

Posted 2011-02-25T18:52:36.103

Reputation: 11

Answers

Ubuntu likes to forget some of the package signing keys it needs. To fix it, run the following commands on a terminal:

gpg --keyserver wwwkeys.eu.pgp.net --recv-keys 40976EAF437D05B5
apt-key add ~/.gnupg/pubring.gpg

Patches

Posted 2011-02-25T18:52:36.103

Reputation: 14 078

The first command times out, and thus the second line didn't work. Is there another key server? – Casbar – 2011-02-25T19:34:55.343

Try pgp.mit.edu – farfromhome – 2011-02-26T02:07:43.407

Sorry it took so long to reply. I've been neck deep in work. Anyway I tried the using the same command that Patches suggested, but with pgp.mit.edu substituted in for wwkeys.eu.pgp.net like farfromhome suggested, but no dice. The terminal reports back that the key is unchanged. I still can't use the software center. – Casbar – 2011-03-08T16:18:53.100

@Casbar: as a workaround for the moment you are still able to use the Synaptic Package Manager GUI, available in the Administration > System menu. It'll prompt you when you have a key problem rather than denying the operation. It's a little more advanced than the Software Center, but still probably a lot easier than using apt-get. – Patches – 2011-03-08T22:31:08.217

That's what I've been doing. I was just hoping that I get the Software Center to work. – Casbar – 2011-03-20T05:30:44.647

Are you trusting restricted extras/third party sources? Are canonical-partners and source code the only things you are trusting? On an install that i was using the 3rd party stuff, i was trusting like 4 different repositories.

fightermagethief

Posted 2011-02-25T18:52:36.103

Reputation: 843

I forgot to mention that. I also allowed using 3rd party stuff. – Casbar – 2011-02-25T19:21:21.187

@Casbar: in that case you probably missing your a key for one of your third-party APT repositories. If you post the contents of your /etc/apt/sources.list, the contents of all the files in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/, and the output from sudo apt-key list we might be able to identify what key is missing. – Patches – 2011-03-08T22:29:06.003