Solved Mint/Ubuntu dual-boot with Ubuntu broken

[Brian Alex]

Hi Folks. I use Mint as primary and Ubuntu 25.04 as a backup. I booted Ubuntu to make sure it was up to date and it wouldn't let me update because there was a newer release. I tried to upgrade but was met with " A problem occurred during the update. This is usually some sort of network problem., please check your network connection," Well, this is rubbish because the connection is wired and is excellent on Mint and on many other devices. Then it says " W: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely and is therefore disabled by default. W: See Apt -Secure(8) manpage for repository creation ............................bla bla bla" I think this was after I tried Sudo do-release-upgrade.
Now for some reason I can't even boot Ubuntu. It freezes on the second screen. I tried recovery options but nothing helped and I am too much of a newb to use the root options. I tried to mount the ubuntu partition from mint but got scared after I mounted it and it didn't acknowledge this happening and I wasn't sure if I was going to ruin my Mint.
I don't have too much invested in the Ubuntu installation, maybe I could just make a live usb and fix it from that? Is that the best option? Or just re-install the latest version. Thanks for following this, -BA

 

[wizardfromoz]

No to the below, @Brian Alex

I don't have too much invested in the Ubuntu installation, maybe I could just make a live usb and fix it from that? Is that the best option? Or just re-install the latest version. Thanks for following this, -BA

Ubuntu work on an LTS (long term support) model, with point releases in between every 6 months.

But the point releases have a shelf life of 9 months.

So 24.04 was the last LTS and has a life of 5 years, but releases in between (24.10, 25.04, and 25.10) only 9 months each, hence your problem.

So your 25.04, released last April, was always going to go the way of the dodo by end of January.

Having the Mint is a good standby, it works differently.

With the 'buntu, you could do either of

1. Replace it with 24.04, lasts until 2029, or
2. Install 25.10, it will last until end of July

The first will mean a lot of upgrades if you just put on the original, You could mitigate that a bit by putting on 24.04.5, but that is up to you.

Meanwhile, their next LTS is due maybe 20 April, that will be 26.04 'Resolute Raccoon', and last until 2031.

In any event, safeguard your Ubuntu data first, whether changing version of Ubuntu, or using Linux Mint.

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

 

[Brickwizard]

try using your F key to open the short boot menu and boot in from there, then copy and paste the following to your terminal and try it
so in order [copy and paste if possible]

sudo dpkg configure -a

sudo apt update && apt full-upgrade

 

[Brian Alex]

Thank you for your input sir.

I tried the "sudo dpkg configure -a" and it returned "error: need an action option" with a lengthy explanation and choices. Way over my level. The good news is that I was able to get Ubuntu booted up finally using one of the alternate boot options. So I'm back to square one, just needing to upgrade. I think maybe I'll just keep 25.04 as it is just a back-up that is rarely if ever used. Thanks again. -BA

 

[Brickwizard]

Have you tried the second command I gave you

 

[Brian Alex]

Yes sir, no good result. "The repository 'file:cdrom plucky Release' no longer has a release file'

"Notice: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely and is therefore disabled by default"

It went on about OpenPGP signature verification failed. Also something about my AMD Radeon driver not being signed.

"see apt-secure(8) manpage"

Also "Apt modernize-sources" which I ran and it could not do so. Thanks, Brian

 

[KGIII]

Yes sir, no good result. "The repository 'file:cdrom plucky Release' no longer has a release file'

Oh, start by removing the CDROM from your repository list.

How do remove the CD / DVD install as a source for apt-get packages when installing new features?

I'm running a Ubuntu server (9.0.4 'Jaunty') as a VMware image. It's a real pain on the odd occasion I need to install a new package to have to fish out the install CD-ROM, and make it available t...

askubuntu.com

 

[Brian Alex]

Thank you sir. I will make a note of this and save the PDF in case I decide to attempt this. A few terms need to be clarified and studied beforehand. For now I think I am done working on this for a while. Thanks again.

 

[Brian Alex]

I tried to "comment out" the listing by placing a # at the beginning however pressing Ctrl/x does nothing and trying to save with "y" does nothing.

On the positive side of things, Mint is running fine with TS back-ups going to a USB (and local). Ubuntu is just a fail safe in case Mint ever stops booting up but I would rather have an updated system.

 

[KGIII]

I tried to "comment out" the listing by placing a # at the beginning however pressing Ctrl/x does nothing and trying to save with "y" does nothing.

You're using Ubuntu. You should be able to do this with a GUI. Open your application menu and find/search for 'Software Sources'. Root around in there, and there should be a list of active repositories. Remove the tick mark and then it should ask you to update your sources list.

That's all you should need to do -- I'm pretty sure. I haven't used plain Ubuntu for a long time, but that should still be accurate.

 

[Brian Alex]

Yes. thanks KGill. I saw this when searching and looked around and found Software and Updates but nothing regarding cdrom. However apparently the previous action of commenting out the line worked after reboot. Maybe there just wasn't a confirmation coded into that utility or whatever. Anyway the upgrade all downloaded and installed (25.10) but I got warnings that it couldn't write to GRUB and that it might not boot. Well, for a while I was on cloud 9 thinking about what I was going to say here about the new version. But alas, "Kernel Panic! Fatal exception in Interrupt". I tried booting to recovery and tried all the options, but no change. Now I really don't know what to do. Research how to remove Ubuntu completely, revert to 25.04, just ignore it and continue using Mint (which is still fine TG). <--- Probably the latter. Thanks, BA

You're using Ubuntu. You should be able to do this with a GUI. Open your application menu and find/search for 'Software Sources'. Root around in there, and there should be a list of active repositories. Remove the tick mark and then it should ask you to update your sources list.

That's all you should need to do -- I'm pretty sure. I haven't used plain Ubuntu for a long time, but that should still be accurate.

 

[KGIII]

However apparently the previous action of commenting out the line worked after reboot.

Ah, you probably forgot to run sudo apt update after making the change.