help: apt stuck at 0% [Waiting for headers]

[Michael Morgan]

Dear friends,

I need some help here. I worked in a university and have a linux (debian 9) machine with DHCP. For some reason I needed a static IP and two weeks ago the university sent someone who helped me set up the static IP. From what I saw the file they modified is the "/etc/network/interfaces".

However, I found that now I cannot update/install packages. "apt update" stuck at "0% [Waiting for headers]" for a long time and then give the following message:

Ign:1 http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates InRelease
Ign:2 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stretch InRelease
Err:3 http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates Release
  Connection failed [IP: 151.101.50.132 80]
Ign:4 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stretch-updates InRelease
Err:5 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stretch Release
  Connection failed [IP: 128.61.240.89 80]
Err:6 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stretch-updates Release
  Connection failed [IP: 128.61.240.89 80]
Reading package lists... Done
E: The repository 'http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates Release' does no longer have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.
E: The repository 'http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stretch Release' does no longer have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.
E: The repository 'http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stretch-updates Release' does no longer have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.

"apt list package_name" still gives information about the package, but "apt install package_name" is stuck at "0% [Waiting for headers]".

The internet connection has no problem. DNS seems fine as well. I can ping for example security.debian.org or 8.8.8.8. 

My "/etc/apt/sources.list" file is:

deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stretch main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stretch main contrib non-free

deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates main contrib non-free

# stretch-updates, previously known as 'volatile'
deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main contrib non-free

My other debian 9 machines with same sources.list file have no problems so I guess it must be related to the change of static IP. But I cannot figure out what is wrong. I have tried "apt clean" but it did help.

Thank you very much!
Michael

[Greg Wooledge]

On Wed, Jul 21, 2021 at 03:48:08PM -0500, Michael Morgan wrote:
> I need some help here. I worked in a university and have a linux (debian 9)
> machine with DHCP. For some reason I needed a static IP and two weeks ago
> the university sent someone who helped me set up the static IP. From what I
> saw the file they modified is the "/etc/network/interfaces".

Let's assume that the university is like a workplace, and has who-knows-what
kind of crazy broken firewalls or proxies in place.

> Ign:1 http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates InRelease
> Ign:2 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stretch InRelease
> Err:3 http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates Release
> Connection failed [IP: 151.101.50.132 80]
> Ign:4 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stretch-updates InRelease
> Err:5 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stretch Release
> Connection failed [IP: 128.61.240.89 80]
> Err:6 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stretch-updates Release
> Connection failed [IP: 128.61.240.89 80]

> The internet connection has no problem. DNS seems fine as well. I can ping
> for example security.debian.org or 8.8.8.8.

But can you get to them in a web browser? Or anything else that talks
to port 80 using the HTTP protocol?

Try visiting
<http://security.debian.org/debian-security/dists/stretch/updates>
in a web browser on the machine that's having problems. See if it can
retrieve the "Index of ..." page. Maybe you'll get something else
instead.

If you get a failure that looks like a workplace proxy or firewall
interfering, you might try switching from http to https sources.
Sometimes that works.

Otherwise, you'll have to talk to the networking folks at this university,
tell them the problem you're having, and ask them what you can do.