Package managers cannot connect to repositories

[halfnoob]

I'm new on MX, used Ubuntu Studio before. I have two pcs (one AMD one intel, both duocore 2 Ghz with 4 GB RAM) both with freshly installed MX 23.6. Both of them have internet via LAN, can browse the web with Firefox and access email accounts with Thunderbird and FTP-accounts on servers with Filezilla. But one of them cannot connect to the repositories for updates and cannot install programs, neither with Discovery nor the package manager nor apt in the terminal. It always reports connection problems (meanwhile "the internet" still works on it).

I made pics:

connect1.jpg

connect2.jpg

My obvious questions:
what are the most likely reasons I should check first? Hardware probably?
The trouble PC's LAN box on the mainboard gave up the ghost a few years ago so I put in a cheap network card as a clutch. Could that be it? And why could I previously install systems (like Ubuntu Studio and AVL/MX 19) and programs via Synaptic and apt before (with that network card already inside)?
How can I find out?
What to check first?
Please help a noob.

[Eadwine Rose]

According to the forum rules (please read): Please provide full Quick System Info from the menu, use copy for forum button, no edits.

LiveUSB version is OK if needed.

[halfnoob]

Ok here the QSI of the pc that fails to connect to repositories, copy/pasted for forum:

[ removed after anticlimactic topic conclusion ]

Having now read the Guide for asking for help and forum rules, as I should have before starting to post, I can see how my first two posts must have been annoying - incomplete info, unneccessary images, old thread bumped... Sorry for all that. I will now avoid these habits from elsewhere and try to stick to this forum's rules. One of my two problems has already been solved by an older forum member so I'm glad I came here, and will strive to be respectful of this place and comunity and all the work put in.

[Eadwine Rose]

Thank you for the apologies. I appreciate it :)

[dolphin_oracle]

those repos are still up, but maybe they are slow. you can try switching to a different set of mirrors with mx-repo-manager. that won't help if there is something wrong with the connection, but should if its on the server end.

[halfnoob]

those repos are still up, but maybe they are slow. you can try switching to a different set of mirrors with mx-repo-manager. that won't help if there is something wrong with the connection, but should if its on the server end.

Thanks for the kind offer but I'm pretty sure it's not the server's fault, I had both pcs run parallel for days during both installations, one being able and one unable to reach the repositories was a constant. The failing one did sometimes even get as far as displaying updates in discovery, but upon clicking "update all" the connection broke and no bytes were downloaded. Less than a metre away, connected to the same router, the second pc connected fine and downloading & installed many programs without connection problems. And the truly weird thing: while the failing pc could not connect to repositories (that were evidently available, because the other pc reached them with ease) it could still connect to "the internet" (http/s servers, ftp servers, mail servers) via brower etc. I don't understand what could cause this.

[kmathern]

Ok here the QSI of the pc that fails to connect to repositories, copy/pasted for forum:

Network:
Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8211/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: TP-LINK TG-3468
driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: d000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200
IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8211/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: Micro-Star MSI
RTL8111/8168/8411 driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: c000
bus-ID: 04:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200
IF: eth1 state: down mac: <filter>

I don't see how you can connect to anything.

[halfnoob]

I don't see how you can connect to anything.

Hnng I had booted the fail pc for the QSI but hadn't noticed the LAN cable was out this time, rookie mistake. Sorry! I plugged it back in, rebooted the pc and opened QSI again, this is the output:

[ removed after anticlimactic topic conclusion ]

[kmathern]

Hnng I had booted the fail pc for the QSI but hadn't noticed the LAN cable was out this time, rookie mistake.

I have that happen every now and then too, the plastic tab/catch that helps keep the plug in the socket broke off on the ethernet cable I'm using.


Instead of Discovery, maybe run a apt update from the command line to see if any errors are reported.

Code: Select all

sudo apt update

[halfnoob]

Hnng I had booted the fail pc for the QSI but hadn't noticed the LAN cable was out this time, rookie mistake.

the plastic tab/catch that helps keep the plug in the socket broke off on the ethernet cable I'm using.

Haha exactly that, yes.

Instead of Discovery, maybe run a apt update from the command line to see if any errors are reported.

Code: Select all

sudo apt update

I had tried before and it hadn't worked, but today for some reason it does. I don't know why, and Discovery still can't download the upgrades, but apt just did for the first time without giving connection error returns, finally! The system is up to date now and I'm beginning to set up the programs I need on it, including that libavcodec.so fix I learned about on here.
Again, no idea why it hadn't worked before but I'm glad it does now. That concludes this thread, I guess, since I don't need Discovery or MXPI to work when apt does.