apt-get update reporting "not acceptable"

Failed to download repository information

Check your Internet connection.

W:Failed to fetch http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/universe/binary-i386/Packages 406 Not Acceptable [IP: 141.30.13.30 80]
, W:Failed to fetch http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/multiverse/binary-i386/Packages 406 Not Acceptable [IP: 141.30.13.30 80]
, W:Failed to fetch http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/dists/precise/contrib/binary-i386/Packages 404 Not found
, W:Failed to fetch http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/dists/precise/non-free/binary-i386/Packages 404 Not found
, E:Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

This is not a bug in apt, but rather a setup error on the de.archive.ubuntu.com mirror. But due to lack of contact info it's really hard to find out where I should report this to.

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

This is really bothering me. I don't know if it is because I'm running a 32 bit piece of 12.04 software with a PAE on a 64 bit machine(processor).

Here is a detailed error listing from my terminal.

sudo apt-get update

Ign http://archive.canonical.com precise InRelease
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com precise InRelease
Ign http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise InRelease
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security InRelease
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com precise InRelease
Ign http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates InRelease
Ign http://dl.google.com stable InRelease
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg
Hit http://archive.canonical.com precise Release.gpg
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security Release.gpg
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com precise Release
Ign http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise-proposed InRelease
Hit http://archive.canonical.com precise Release
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security Release
Get:1 http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg [198 B]
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com precise Release
Ign http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports InRelease
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com precise/main i386 Packages
Hit http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/restricted Sources
Hit http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com precise/universe Sources
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com precise/main TranslationIndex
Get:2 http://dl.google.com stable Release [1,347 B]
Hit http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates Release.gpg
Ign http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/main Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/multiverse Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/universe Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/main i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/restricted i386 Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com precise/universe i386 Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com precise/universe TranslationIndex
Hit http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise-proposed Release.gpg
Get:3 http://dl.google.com stable/main i386 Packages [759 B]
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/universe i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/multiverse i386 Packages ...

* Ananth Srisailapathy <email address hidden>:
> This is really bothering me. I don't know if it is because I'm running a
> 32 bit piece of 12.04 software with a PAE on a 64 bit
> machine(processor).
>
> Here is a detailed error listing from my terminal.

That's just because one of the Ubuntu mirror servers at tu-dresden.de is out
of whack:

> Err http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise/universe i386 Packages
> 406 Not Acceptable [IP: 141.30.13.20 80]
> Err http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise/multiverse i386 Packages
> 406 Not Acceptable [IP: 141.30.13.20 80]

de.archive.ubuntu.com is made up of three servers, one of which is
broken.

I'd like to retract my last statement, since apt-get update yields:

W: Failed to fetch http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/universe/binary-i386/Packages 406 Not Acceptable [IP: 141.30.13.10 80]

then trying to fetch the same file from the same machine (again contacting 141.30.13.10) wget yields:

$ wget -nd http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/universe/binary-i386/Packages

--2012-03-02 18:46:54-- http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/universe/binary-i386/Packages
Resolving de.archive.ubuntu.com (de.archive.ubuntu.com)... 141.30.13.10, 141.30.13.30, 141.30.13.20
Connecting to de.archive.ubuntu.com (de.archive.ubuntu.com)|141.30.13.10|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 4822737 (4,6M) [application/x-bzip2]
Saving to: `Packages'

100%[============================================================================>] 4.822.737 1,64M/s in 2,8s

2012-03-02 18:46:57 (1,64 MB/s) - `Packages' saved [4822737/4822737]

So it must be something within apt-get...

Just had the same problem on the German mirror . I simply switched to the Main Server (Tab Einstellung > Software-Paketquellen Tab "Software from Ubuntu" and "Herunterladen von ...." and the problem "verschwand".

No big deal, the German mirror is screwed

Though the same thing happens to me as well even though I choose different servers:

eagle@...:~$ sudo apt-get update
[sudo] password for eagle:
Ign http://mirrors.sohu.com precise InRelease
Ign http://mirrors.sohu.com precise-updates InRelease
Ign http://mirrors.sohu.com precise-backports InRelease
Ign http://mirrors.sohu.com precise-security InRelease
Ign http://mirrors.sohu.com precise-proposed InRelease
Ign http://archive.canonical.com precise InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net precise InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net precise InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net precise InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net precise InRelease
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net precise Release.gpg
Get:1 http://ppa.launchpad.net precise Release.gpg [316 B]
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise Release.gpg
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net precise Release.gpg
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise-updates Release.gpg
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise-backports Release.gpg
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise-security Release.gpg
Hit http://archive.canonical.com precise Release.gpg
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise-proposed Release.gpg
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com precise InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net precise Release.gpg
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net precise Release
Hit http://archive.canonical.com precise Release
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise Release
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise-updates Release
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise-backports Release
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg
Get:2 http://ppa.launchpad.net precise Release [11.9 kB]
Hit http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner Sources
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise-security Release
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise-proposed Release
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise/main Sources
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise/restricted Sources
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise/universe Sources
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise/multiverse Sources
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise/main i386 Packages
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise/restricted i386 Packages
Hit http://mirrors.sohu.com precise/universe i386 Packages
Hit http://mir...

Forgot to include that I use Ubuntu 12.

It should try the Packages.gz and Packages.bz2 files first, and those should succeed. Somehow they don't seem to work or APT is configured to ignore them. APT then asks for the uncompressed file, which the server does not have. The server then wants to be clever and offer you Packages.bz2 instead, but APT told it that it wants an uncompressed file at that point, so the server answers "I cannot send this file to you uncompressed".

* Julian Andres Klode <email address hidden>:
> It should try the Packages.gz and Packages.bz2 files first, and those
> should succeed. Somehow they don't seem to work or APT is configured to
> ignore them.

How would one check for that?

> APT then asks for the uncompressed file, which the server does not
> have. The server then wants to be clever and offer you Packages.bz2
> instead, but APT told it that it wants an uncompressed file at that
> point, so the server answers "I cannot send this file to you
> uncompressed".

here are some contact information for the server
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+mirror/ubuntu.mirror.tudos.de-archive

I just dropped a line to the owner.
hopefully this problem will be solved.

Similar problem here:

Ign http://archive.canonical.com precise InRelease
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security InRelease
Ign http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise InRelease
Ign http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates InRelease
Ign http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports InRelease
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com precise InRelease
Treffer http://archive.canonical.com precise Release.gpg
Holen: 1 http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security Release.gpg [198 B]
Holen: 2 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg [198 B]
Treffer http://extras.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg
Treffer http://archive.canonical.com precise Release
Holen: 3 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates Release.gpg [198 B]
Holen: 4 http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security Release [49,6 kB]
Treffer http://extras.ubuntu.com precise Release
Holen: 5 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports Release.gpg [198 B]
Holen: 6 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise Release [49,6 kB]
Treffer http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner Sources
Treffer http://extras.ubuntu.com precise/main amd64 Packages
Treffer http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner amd64 Packages
Treffer http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner i386 Packages
Ign http://archive.canonical.com precise/partner TranslationIndex
Treffer http://extras.ubuntu.com precise/main i386 Packages
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com precise/main TranslationIndex
Holen: 7 http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/main Sources [6.603 B]
Holen: 8 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates Release [49,6 kB]
Treffer http://download.virtualbox.org precise InRelease
Holen: 9 http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/restricted Sources [14 B]
Holen: 10 http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/universe Sources [3.146 B]
Holen: 11 http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security/multiverse Sources [696 B]
Holen: 12 http://security.ubu...

as a temporary workaround one can switch from the german mirror to the main server

e.g. via "software centre, main menu, edit, software sources, download from"

Just got the same error (12.04 from German mirror, main mirror is working fine):

W: Fehlschlag beim Holen von http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/main/binary-i386/Packages 406 Not Acceptable [IP: 141.30.13.30 80]
W: Fehlschlag beim Holen von http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/restricted/binary-i386/Packages 406 Not Acceptable [IP: 141.30.13.30 80]
W: Fehlschlag beim Holen von http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/universe/binary-i386/Packages 406 Not Acceptable [IP: 141.30.13.30 80]
W: Fehlschlag beim Holen von http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/multiverse/binary-i386/Packages 406 Not Acceptable [IP: 141.30.13.30 80]

Currently getting same issue for AU (Australian) mirror, but only affecting (for me) Ubunut 'server'.

Error:

W: Failed to fetch http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/universe/source/Sources 406 Not Acceptable

I can confirm the AU problem, getting the same thing:

W: Failed to fetch http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-security/universe/binary-amd64/Packages 406 Not Acceptable

I also had 406 errors using the aarnet AU mirror. Problem resolved after the following:

Changed to the main Ubuntu repo, then ran 'apt-get update'
Changed back to aarnet, again ran 'apt-get update'

No more Error 406 (for me)

This problem seems to appear when a file has been partially downloaded to /var/lib/apt/lists/partial and the server does not support request ranges. Here is the error I got when running "aptitude update" and the corresponding HTTP requests / responses:

[...]
Err http://de.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/universe i386 Packages
  406 Not Acceptable [IP: 141.30.13.20 80]
[...]
W: Failed to fetch http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/universe/binary-i386/Packages 406 Not Acceptable [IP: 141.30.13.20 80]

E: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

The HTTP requests and responses for this file are:

GET /ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/universe/binary-i386/Packages.bz2 HTTP/1.1
Host: de.archive.ubuntu.com
Connection: keep-alive
Cache-Control: max-age=0
Range: bytes=15556-
If-Range: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 23:35:00 GMT
User-Agent: Debian APT-HTTP/1.3 (0.8.16~exp12ubuntu10.12)

HTTP/1.1 416 Requested Range Not Satisfiable
Date: Sat, 07 Sep 2013 17:51:48 GMT
Connection: keep-alive
Server: ATS/3.0.5
Content-Length: 0

GET /ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/universe/binary-i386/Packages.gz HTTP/1.1
Host: de.archive.ubuntu.com
Connection: keep-alive
Cache-Control: max-age=0
Range: bytes=15556-
If-Range: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 23:35:00 GMT
User-Agent: Debian APT-HTTP/1.3 (0.8.16~exp12ubuntu10.12)

HTTP/1.1 416 Requested Range Not Satisfiable
Date: Sat, 07 Sep 2013 17:51:48 GMT
Connection: keep-alive
Server: ATS/3.0.5
Content-Length: 0

GET /ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/universe/binary-i386/Packages HTTP/1.1
Host: de.archive.ubuntu.com
Connection: keep-alive
Cache-Control: max-age=0
Accept: text/*
Range: bytes=15556-
If-Range: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 23:35:00 GMT
User-Agent: Debian APT-HTTP/1.3 (0.8.16~exp12ubuntu10.12)

HTTP/1.1 406 Not Acceptable
Date: Sat, 07 Sep 2013 17:51:48 GMT
Server: ATS/3.0.5
Alternates: {"Packages.bz2" 1 {type application/x-bzip2} {length 219035}}, {"Packages.gz" 1 {type application/x-gzip} {length 279396}}
Vary: negotiate,accept,Accept-Encoding
TCN: list
Content-Length: 576
Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
Age: 0
Connection: keep-alive

[... response body omitted ...]

In this case the file /var/lib/apt/lists/partial/de.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise-updates_universe_binary-i386_Packages had a size of 15557 bytes.

So I think the following thing happens: Apt finds a partially downloaded file, so it tries to continue downloading this file by sending a request with the "Range" header set. The server cannot serve this request (either because it does not support ranges or because the specified range is invalid). Thus it sends a 416 response. Now Apt makes a mistake: Instead of sending the request again without the "Range" header, it proceeds to the next file (Packages.gz after Packages.bz2 failed and finally Packages). Funnily it uses the same range there.

I think there are two bugs regarding the download of partially download files:

1) The start for the "Range" header is calculated from the file size on disk. However correct start depends on the type of the compression used. In my example, the file on disk was gzip compressed but the bzip2 version is requested fir...

Nice analysis.

I had the same issue now - simple workaround was to empty the /var/lib/apt/lists/partial/ folder. :)

This is obviously not ideal (many end-users might not be able to figure out what to do here) and this is technically a bug in apt or Ubuntu's apt configuration.

The analysis of #20 is slightly different than what is in the bug description - should this bug be edited / a new one opened?
I can confirm that the Ranges bug still exists in 14.04.

I think that the originally described problem is in fact caused by the bug described in #20. Unless we expect every archive mirror to support ranged requests (which IMHO is a bit much to ask), the 406 error needs to be handled properly. Even if a mirror supports ranges, the implementation in the client is still buggy because of the incorrect handling of ranges for compressed files.

Therefore, I will change the description of this bug if I do not hear any other opinion within the next two days.

Well, expect that 406 and Range have nothing to do with each other. 416 is an out-of-range request, while 406 tells us that we requested a file in a specific encoding which the server did not have.

The 416 Range thing should be handled for a while now, we at least have a testcase covering it so I would be interested in how to reproduce it still in apt versions >= 0.9.12 (disclaimer: I wrote both, the patch and the test).
[well, expect that as mentioned in #20 we would try to range a bz2 with an incomplete xz, but that could change with other reorganisations soon and more importantly, is pretty unlikely to have practical effect as compression formats do not appear and disappear at random from mirrors…]. A proper server shouldn't sent us a 416 here anyway, as we sent an If-Range btw as detailed in the HTTP RFC, but if we get it anyhow, we drop the partial file we have and do the request again without a range.

Regarding 406: We send an Accept header only if we request an uncompressed file (to prevent servers from content negotiating us a compressed file we do not support…), which is the last one we would try and usually doesn't exist (expect on your own localnet mirrors), so a failure is expected and the problem is more that your mirror doesn't have the compressed files we asked for before…