no progress beyond "Collecting package metadata (current_repodata.json)"

Actual Behavior

I had Anaconda3 with Python 3.8 running well on Ubuntu 16.04. I ran an update on Spyder. The next time I tried to run anaconda—navigator, system replied:

An unexpected error occurred on Navigator start-up
'bytes' object has no attribute 'get'
Traceback (most recent call last):

So I followed the uninstall instructions at https://docs.anaconda.com/anaconda/install/uninstall/ and ran

rm -rf ~/anaconda3

Then I tried to reinstall the latest Anaconda3. The install puts some files in a new Anaconda3 folder and then this appears

Collecting package metadata (current_repodata.json): /

That "/" at the end of the line rotates as if it is doing something. I let it run for over 20 hours and am assuming that something is wrong since it never finished. Tried this multiple times, same result.

I was only able to find posts that relate to:

"Collecting package metadata (current_repodata.json): done
Solving environment: failed with repodata from current_repodata.json, 
will retry with next repodata source.
Collecting package metadata (repodata.json): / Killed"

Expected Behavior

Anaconda3 should install

Steps to Reproduce

Not sure

Anaconda or Miniconda version:

Anaconda3 tried with: Anaconda3-2020.07-Linux-x86_64.sh Anaconda3-2020.02-Linux-x86_64.sh

Also Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh

Operating System: Ubuntu 16.04

`conda info`

conda: command not found

`conda list --show-channel-urls`

conda: command not found

ContinuumIO / anaconda-issues