"Reload package information" in Synaptic Package Manager causes a GPG error

[Yekutiel]

I solved the problem ("Reload package information" in Synaptic Package Manager causes a GPG error) by running this..

sudo rm -i /etc/apt/sources.list.d/appgrid-stable.list

but I think this should be resolved generally so other people don't run into it.

I tried to update the Synaptic Package Manager by going to...

Edit –> Reload package information and received the following error message...

GPG error: http://ppa.launchpad.net/appgrid/stable/ubuntu bionic InRelease: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 241FE6973B765FAEThe repository 'http://ppa.launchpad.net/appgrid/stable/ubuntu bionic InRelease' is not signed.

I read this...

Reddit thread... Appgrip repository is not signed on GalliumOS 3.0a7 for Hp Chromebook 11 G5 (Setzer) Braswell

No need to install alpha7 -- just remove the PPA from your APT config, and run galliumos-update for the same end result. But reinstalling will also work. :)

[reynhout]

Unfortunately, the bug you link to has persisted (in a slightly different form) in 3.0final as well.

We will fix that, but thank you for this workaround info. I do not use Synaptic regularly, and was unaware that it was affected.

[Yekutiel]

Thanks for responding quickly to me.

I don't have any strong preferences one way or another about installing packages except that, presumably like most people, I want to install packages quickly and easily. I remember having some problem years ago with some other pretty looking package manager that had a nice GUI, therefore I switched to the Synaptic Package Manger.

In your opinion...

Is the App Grid Software Center better than the Synaptic Package Manger? Functionally they seem identical to me. The App Grid Software Center does automatically update packages, assuming, of course, that one has not removed the appgrid-stable.list PPA from the APT config as I did. Also, to my eyes the App Grid Software Center is a little nicer to look at. But for me, those are trivial differences.

Should I use... sudo apt-get install instead of a package manger?

I'm not a techie rather I'm merely a normal user. Therefore I don't enjoy all of the technical rigmarole associated with configuring Linux OSes (even user-friendly one's like GalliumOS). I've learned to tweak all sorts of arcane Linux settings to make my machine look and act sort of like a Mac (which I haven't actively used in a perhaps twenty years, but which remember as being easy to use).

Be that as it may, I can easily copy and paste sudo apt-get install into a terminal to install packages.

[reynhout]

Synaptic is an OK Package Manager (install, remove, handle dependencies), but isn't very useful as a Software Center (app discovery, comparison). AppGrid does both, reasonably well.

Personally, I use web search for software discovery, and sudo apt install for package management. Sometimes finding the package name on Ubuntu/GalliumOS requires an extra lookup, e.g. https://packages.ubuntu.com/gimp which will do a search for gimp in Ubuntu package names...you can expand the search to package descriptions from the results page if necessary.

Most people prefer a GUI though, and AppGrid is the most useful we've found. I don't like the paged display and navigation, and I really don't like that it repeatedly tries to modify your system in unexpected ways (adding its own PPA).

[Yekutiel]

Thanks for your advice and your quick response.

Like you, I too use web search for software discovery. I think I'll start using sudo apt install instead of the Synaptic Package Manager. While I'm at it, I think I'll probably make a list as follows...

sudo apt install A && sudo apt install B && sudo apt install C

to quickly install packages I normally install after a fresh installation of GalliumOS.

I really don't like that it repeatedly tries to modify your system in unexpected ways (adding its own PPA).

When I indicated, "I remember having some problem years ago with some other pretty looking package manager that had a nice GUI, therefore I switched to the Synaptic Package Manger." I think that nefarious practice might have been why I stopped using the package manager that had a nice GUI.

[reynhout]

You can shorten that command line a bit: sudo apt install A B C.

Also (I don't do this, but), there's a way to use dpkg commands to make a list of all installed packages, and then reload that list on a new system. If you ever find yourself doing it frequently, that's a path to consider.

[Yekutiel]

Again, thanks for your quick and helpful response.

Thanks for the suggestion. I plan to use: sudo apt install A B C

If you ever find yourself doing it frequently, that's a path to consider.

Thanks. Frankly, I rarely reinstall my OS therefore I probably won't need it. But you never know.