Bug#867967: apt: The key(s) in the keyring are ignored. Not readable by user '_apt'.

[Adam Smith]

Package: apt
Version: 1.4.6
Severity: important

Dear Maintainer,

*** Reporter, please consider answering these questions, where appropriate ***

* What led up to the situation?
* What exactly did you do (or not do) that was effective (or
ineffective)?
* What was the outcome of this action?
* What outcome did you expect instead?

*** End of the template - remove these template lines ***

After adding contrib and non-free sources in synaptic and refreshing the
repositories I am presented with the following error message:

"http://debian.mirror.constant.com/debian/dists/stretch-updates/InRelease: The
key(s) in the keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg are ignored as the file is not
readable by user '_apt' executing apt-key.The repository
'http://debian.mirror.constant.com/debian stretch/updates Release' does not
have a Release file.Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and
is therefore disabled by default.See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository
creation and user configuration
details.http://debian.mirror.constant.com/debian/dists/stretch/Release.gpg: The
key(s) in the keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg are ignored as the file is not
readable by user '_apt' executing apt-key."

I have tried installing Stretch via both the netintsaller and live ISO and
encountered the same problem, also installing without root and also with. I am
a linux noob, first starting out on Jessie which I ran into no problems with
and served my basic desktop needs well. Therefore I can only try to find
solutions online and could not find anything that worked.



-- Package-specific info:

-- apt-config dump --

APT "";
APT::Architecture "amd64";
APT::Build-Essential "";
APT::Build-Essential:: "build-essential";
APT::Install-Recommends "true";
APT::Install-Suggests "0";
APT::Sandbox "";
APT::Sandbox::User "_apt";
APT::Authentication "";
APT::Authentication::TrustCDROM "true";
APT::NeverAutoRemove "";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^firmware-linux.*";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^linux-firmware$";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^linux-image-4\.9\.0-3-amd64$";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^linux-headers-4\.9\.0-3-amd64$";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^linux-image-extra-4\.9\.0-3-amd64$";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^linux-signed-image-4\.9\.0-3-amd64$";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^kfreebsd-image-4\.9\.0-3-amd64$";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^kfreebsd-headers-4\.9\.0-3-amd64$";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^gnumach-image-4\.9\.0-3-amd64$";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^.*-modules-4\.9\.0-3-amd64$";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^.*-kernel-4\.9\.0-3-amd64$";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^linux-backports-modules-.*-4\.9\.0-3-amd64$";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^linux-tools-4\.9\.0-3-amd64$";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages "";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: "linux-image";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: "linux-headers";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: "linux-image-extra";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: "linux-signed-image";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: "kfreebsd-image";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: "kfreebsd-headers";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: "gnumach-image";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: ".*-modules";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: ".*-kernel";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: "linux-backports-modules-.*";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: "linux-tools";
APT::Never-MarkAuto-Sections "";
APT::Never-MarkAuto-Sections:: "metapackages";
APT::Never-MarkAuto-Sections:: "contrib/metapackages";
APT::Never-MarkAuto-Sections:: "non-free/metapackages";
APT::Never-MarkAuto-Sections:: "restricted/metapackages";
APT::Never-MarkAuto-Sections:: "universe/metapackages";
APT::Never-MarkAuto-Sections:: "multiverse/metapackages";
APT::Move-Autobit-Sections "";
APT::Move-Autobit-Sections:: "oldlibs";
APT::Move-Autobit-Sections:: "contrib/oldlibs";
APT::Move-Autobit-Sections:: "non-free/oldlibs";
APT::Move-Autobit-Sections:: "restricted/oldlibs";
APT::Move-Autobit-Sections:: "universe/oldlibs";
APT::Move-Autobit-Sections:: "multiverse/oldlibs";
APT::Periodic "";
APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "1";
APT::Periodic::Unattended-Upgrade "1";
APT::Update "";
APT::Update::Post-Invoke-Success "";
APT::Update::Post-Invoke-Success:: "/usr/bin/test -e /usr/share/dbus-1/system-services/org.freedesktop.PackageKit.service && /usr/bin/test -S /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket && /usr/bin/gdbus call --system --dest org.freedesktop.PackageKit --object-path /org/freedesktop/PackageKit --timeout 4 --method org.freedesktop.PackageKit.StateHasChanged cache-update > /dev/null; /bin/echo > /dev/null";
APT::Update::Post-Invoke-Success:: "if /usr/bin/test -w /var/cache/app-info -a -e /usr/bin/appstreamcli; then appstreamcli refresh-cache > /dev/null; fi";
APT::Architectures "";
APT::Architectures:: "amd64";
APT::Compressor "";
APT::Compressor::. "";
APT::Compressor::.::Name ".";
APT::Compressor::.::Extension "";
APT::Compressor::.::Binary "";
APT::Compressor::.::Cost "0";
APT::Compressor::lz4 "";
APT::Compressor::lz4::Name "lz4";
APT::Compressor::lz4::Extension ".lz4";
APT::Compressor::lz4::Binary "false";
APT::Compressor::lz4::Cost "50";
APT::Compressor::gzip "";
APT::Compressor::gzip::Name "gzip";
APT::Compressor::gzip::Extension ".gz";
APT::Compressor::gzip::Binary "gzip";
APT::Compressor::gzip::Cost "100";
APT::Compressor::gzip::CompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::gzip::CompressArg:: "-6n";
APT::Compressor::gzip::UncompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::gzip::UncompressArg:: "-d";
APT::Compressor::xz "";
APT::Compressor::xz::Name "xz";
APT::Compressor::xz::Extension ".xz";
APT::Compressor::xz::Binary "xz";
APT::Compressor::xz::Cost "200";
APT::Compressor::xz::CompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::xz::CompressArg:: "-6";
APT::Compressor::xz::UncompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::xz::UncompressArg:: "-d";
APT::Compressor::bzip2 "";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::Name "bzip2";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::Extension ".bz2";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::Binary "bzip2";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::Cost "300";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::CompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::CompressArg:: "-6";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::UncompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::UncompressArg:: "-d";
APT::Compressor::lzma "";
APT::Compressor::lzma::Name "lzma";
APT::Compressor::lzma::Extension ".lzma";
APT::Compressor::lzma::Binary "xz";
APT::Compressor::lzma::Cost "400";
APT::Compressor::lzma::CompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::lzma::CompressArg:: "--format=lzma";
APT::Compressor::lzma::CompressArg:: "-6";
APT::Compressor::lzma::UncompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::lzma::UncompressArg:: "--format=lzma";
APT::Compressor::lzma::UncompressArg:: "-d";
Dir "/";
Dir::State "var/lib/apt";
Dir::State::lists "lists/";
Dir::State::cdroms "cdroms.list";
Dir::State::mirrors "mirrors/";
Dir::State::extended_states "extended_states";
Dir::State::status "/var/lib/dpkg/status";
Dir::Cache "var/cache/apt";
Dir::Cache::archives "archives/";
Dir::Cache::srcpkgcache "srcpkgcache.bin";
Dir::Cache::pkgcache "pkgcache.bin";
Dir::Etc "etc/apt";
Dir::Etc::sourcelist "sources.list";
Dir::Etc::sourceparts "sources.list.d";
Dir::Etc::main "apt.conf";
Dir::Etc::netrc "auth.conf";
Dir::Etc::parts "apt.conf.d";
Dir::Etc::preferences "preferences";
Dir::Etc::preferencesparts "preferences.d";
Dir::Etc::trusted "trusted.gpg";
Dir::Etc::trustedparts "trusted.gpg.d";
Dir::Bin "";
Dir::Bin::methods "/usr/lib/apt/methods";
Dir::Bin::solvers "";
Dir::Bin::solvers:: "/usr/lib/apt/solvers";
Dir::Bin::planners "";
Dir::Bin::planners:: "/usr/lib/apt/planners";
Dir::Bin::dpkg "/usr/bin/dpkg";
Dir::Bin::gzip "/bin/gzip";
Dir::Bin::bzip2 "/bin/bzip2";
Dir::Bin::xz "/usr/bin/xz";
Dir::Bin::lz4 "/usr/bin/lz4";
Dir::Bin::lzma "/usr/bin/xz";
Dir::Media "";
Dir::Media::MountPath "/media/apt";
Dir::Log "var/log/apt";
Dir::Log::Terminal "term.log";
Dir::Log::History "history.log";
Dir::Log::Planner "eipp.log.xz";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently "";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "~$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.disabled$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.bak$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.dpkg-[a-z]+$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.ucf-[a-z]+$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.save$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.orig$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.distUpgrade$";
Acquire "";
Acquire::AllowInsecureRepositories "0";
Acquire::AllowWeakRepositories "0";
Acquire::AllowDowngradeToInsecureRepositories "0";
Acquire::cdrom "";
Acquire::cdrom::mount "/media/cdrom/";
Acquire::IndexTargets "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages::MetaKey "$(COMPONENT)/binary-$(ARCHITECTURE)/Packages";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages::flatMetaKey "Packages";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages::ShortDescription "Packages";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages::Description "$(RELEASE)/$(COMPONENT) $(ARCHITECTURE) Packages";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages::flatDescription "$(RELEASE) Packages";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages::Optional "0";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Translations "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Translations::MetaKey "$(COMPONENT)/i18n/Translation-$(LANGUAGE)";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Translations::flatMetaKey "$(LANGUAGE)";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Translations::ShortDescription "Translation-$(LANGUAGE)";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Translations::Description "$(RELEASE)/$(COMPONENT) Translation-$(LANGUAGE)";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Translations::flatDescription "$(RELEASE) Translation-$(LANGUAGE)";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11 "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11::MetaKey "$(COMPONENT)/dep11/Components-$(NATIVE_ARCHITECTURE).yml";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11::ShortDescription "Components-$(NATIVE_ARCHITECTURE)";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11::Description "$(RELEASE)/$(COMPONENT) $(NATIVE_ARCHITECTURE) DEP-11 Metadata";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11::KeepCompressed "true";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11::KeepCompressedAs "gz";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons::MetaKey "$(COMPONENT)/dep11/icons-64x64.tar";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons::ShortDescription "icons-64x64";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons::Description "$(RELEASE)/$(COMPONENT) DEP-11 64x64 Icons";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons::KeepCompressed "true";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons::KeepCompressedAs "gz";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons::DefaultEnabled "true";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons-hidpi "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons-hidpi::MetaKey "$(COMPONENT)/dep11/icons-128x128.tar";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons-hidpi::ShortDescription "icons-128x128";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons-hidpi::Description "$(RELEASE)/$(COMPONENT) DEP-11 128x128 Icons";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons-hidpi::KeepCompressed "true";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons-hidpi::KeepCompressedAs "gz";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::DEP-11-icons-hidpi::DefaultEnabled "false";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources::MetaKey "$(COMPONENT)/source/Sources";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources::flatMetaKey "Sources";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources::ShortDescription "Sources";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources::Description "$(RELEASE)/$(COMPONENT) Sources";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources::flatDescription "$(RELEASE) Sources";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources::Optional "0";
Acquire::Changelogs "";
Acquire::Changelogs::URI "";
Acquire::Changelogs::URI::Origin "";
Acquire::Changelogs::URI::Origin::Debian "http://metadata.ftp-master.debian.org/changelogs/@***@_changelog";
Acquire::Changelogs::URI::Origin::Tanglu "http://metadata.tanglu.org/changelogs/@***@_changelog";
Acquire::Changelogs::URI::Origin::Ubuntu "http://changelogs.ubuntu.com/changelogs/pool/@CHANGEPATH@/changelog";
Acquire::Changelogs::URI::Origin::Ultimedia "http://packages.ultimediaos.com/changelogs/pool/@CHANGEPATH@/changelog.txt";
Acquire::Changelogs::AlwaysOnline "";
Acquire::Changelogs::AlwaysOnline::Origin "";
Acquire::Changelogs::AlwaysOnline::Origin::Ubuntu "1";
Acquire::Languages "";
Acquire::Languages:: "en";
Acquire::Languages:: "none";
Acquire::CompressionTypes "";
Acquire::CompressionTypes::xz "xz";
Acquire::CompressionTypes::bz2 "bzip2";
Acquire::CompressionTypes::lzma "lzma";
Acquire::CompressionTypes::gz "gzip";
Acquire::CompressionTypes::lz4 "lz4";
Aptitude "";
Aptitude::Get-Root-Command "sudo:/usr/bin/sudo";
DPkg "";
DPkg::Post-Invoke "";
DPkg::Post-Invoke:: "/usr/bin/test -e /usr/share/dbus-1/system-services/org.freedesktop.PackageKit.service && /usr/bin/test -S /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket && /usr/bin/gdbus call --system --dest org.freedesktop.PackageKit --object-path /org/freedesktop/PackageKit --timeout 4 --method org.freedesktop.PackageKit.StateHasChanged cache-update > /dev/null; /bin/echo > /dev/null";
DPkg::Pre-Install-Pkgs "";
DPkg::Pre-Install-Pkgs:: "/usr/sbin/dpkg-preconfigure --apt || true";
Unattended-Upgrade "";
Unattended-Upgrade::Origins-Pattern "";
Unattended-Upgrade::Origins-Pattern:: "origin=Debian,codename=${distro_codename},label=Debian-Security";
Binary "apt-config";
Binary::apt "";
Binary::apt::APT "";
Binary::apt::APT::Color "1";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache "";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::Show "";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::Show::Version "2";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::AllVersions "0";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::ShowVirtuals "1";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::Search "";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::Search::Version "2";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::ShowDependencyType "1";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::ShowVersion "1";
Binary::apt::APT::Get "";
Binary::apt::APT::Get::Upgrade-Allow-New "1";
Binary::apt::APT::Cmd "";
Binary::apt::APT::Cmd::Show-Update-Stats "1";
Binary::apt::APT::Keep-Downloaded-Packages "0";
Binary::apt::DPkg "";
Binary::apt::DPkg::Progress-Fancy "1";
Binary::apt-get "";
Binary::apt-get::Acquire "";
Binary::apt-get::Acquire::AllowInsecureRepositories "1";
CommandLine "";
CommandLine::AsString "apt-config dump";

-- (no /etc/apt/preferences present) --


-- (no /etc/apt/preferences.d/* present) --


-- /etc/apt/sources.list --

# deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stretch main

deb http://debian.mirror.constant.com/debian/ stretch main contrib non-free
deb-src http://debian.mirror.constant.com/debian/ stretch main contrib non-free

deb http://debian.mirror.constant.com/debian/ stretch/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://debian.mirror.constant.com/debian/ stretch/updates main contrib non-free

# stretch-updates, previously known as 'volatile'
deb http://debian.mirror.constant.com/debian/ stretch-updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://debian.mirror.constant.com/debian/ stretch-updates main contrib non-free

-- /etc/apt/sources.list.d/base.list --

# deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ stretch main

-- /etc/apt/sources.list.d/base.list.save --

deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ stretch main
# deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ stretch main

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 9.0
APT prefers stable
APT policy: (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 4.9.0-3-amd64 (SMP w/4 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8), LANGUAGE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)

Versions of packages apt depends on:
ii adduser 3.115
ii debian-archive-keyring 2017.5
ii gpgv 2.1.18-6
ii init-system-helpers 1.48
ii libapt-pkg5.0 1.4.6
ii libc6 2.24-11
ii libgcc1 1:6.3.0-18
ii libstdc++6 6.3.0-18

Versions of packages apt recommends:
ii gnupg 2.1.18-6

Versions of packages apt suggests:
pn apt-doc <none>
pn dpkg-dev <none>
pn powermgmt-base <none>
pn python-apt <none>
ii synaptic 0.84.2

-- no debconf information

[Debian Bug Tracking System]

Your message dated Mon, 10 Jul 2017 21:44:06 +0200
with message-id <***@debian.org>
and subject line Re: Bug#867967: apt: The key(s) in the keyring are ignored. Not readable by user '_apt'.
has caused the Debian Bug report #867967,
regarding apt: The key(s) in the keyring are ignored. Not readable by user '_apt'.
to be marked as done.

This means that you claim that the problem has been dealt with.
If this is not the case it is now your responsibility to reopen the
Bug report if necessary, and/or fix the problem forthwith.

(NB: If you are a system administrator and have no idea what this
message is talking about, this may indicate a serious mail system
misconfiguration somewhere. Please contact ***@bugs.debian.org
immediately.)

[Ulrike Uhlig]

Hi Julian,

while you argue that the error message is clear, and that this is not a
bug, but a support request, I actually disagree with your assessment.

I think this _is_ a bug (and actually it has been filed here: #864640),
because this behavior is not caused by a user having modified something
themselves. It seems that this file might have been created by Synaptic,
and later the user switching back to using apt on the command line gets
this error, while apt itself does not require the existence of this file
(please correct me if I'm wrong.) So this would actually be a bug in
Synaptic or leftover code in apt that tries to access that file. (I am
just guessing the part about the leftover code, so if you know more
about that, let me know.)

It seems to me that Debian currently lacks a way to install packages
easily using a GUI. This means that people who are not super power users
have no easy way to handle their packages. Older manuals will tell them
to use Synaptic but then Synaptic is old and broken. This is why users
will fall back to using apt on the command line. I find this overall
situation a bit sad and I hope we could be a bit more helpful and
empathic whenever such things happen and, if we have the time, try to
refer the user to the information they are looking for.

Cheers & thanks for your work on apt :)
Ulrike