Chrome causes a ‘Failed To Fetch’ Apt Error

Google chrome is no longer made available for Linux 32bit. That causes an errror on 64bit systems that use the Google Chrome repository when updating the repository cache.

Here is a fix:

1. Open a new Terminal window and run the following command (assuming you’re on the Stable Channel):

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list

2. In the text file that opens edit the file so that the line reads:

deb [arch=amd64] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main

The only addition you need to make is entering the [arch=amd64] architecture after ‘deb’ but preceding the ‘http’.

3. Hit Save. Close the Gedit window.

Now return to the Terminal and refresh your package list by running:

sudo apt-get update

The ‘failed to fetch’ APT error should no longer appear.

In 2017 Google renewed their repository key:

Google signs its packages with GPG keys so that you (and your package manager) can “verify product updates”. When a GPG expires, changes, or is otherwise missing from your system your package manager will display an error, which is precisely what the monospaced gunk above is.

The good news is that it’s easy fix the missing Google GPG key error on Ubuntu: just pop open a new Terminal window and run:

wget -q -O - https://dl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add -

You’ll be prompted to enter your password (do) and then, well, that’s it. No more ‘failed to fetch’ error on Ubuntu when you run an apt update.