Ubuntu 20.04: sudo apt-get update command error

Question

I ran the sudo apt-get update command and I keep getting this output:

Hit:1 http://za.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
Ign:2 http://ppa.launchpad.net/gnome3-team/gnome3/ubuntu focal InRelease
Hit:3 https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable InRelease

Get:4 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease [114 kB]
Hit:5 http://ppa.launchpad.net/linuxuprising/java/ubuntu focal InRelease
Hit:6 https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/ms-teams stable InRelease
Err:7 http://ppa.launchpad.net/gnome3-team/gnome3/ubuntu focal Release
404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.95.85 80] Reading package lists... Done


E: The repository 'http://ppa.launchpad.net/gnome3-team/gnome3/ubuntu focal Release' does not 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.

Can someone explain to me, in layman's terms, what it means and how to resolve it?

Answer 1

The error indicates that the repository isn't supplying information to verify that it's packages have been properly signed (though it could simply be that there is no repo at the uri). Verify that the uri is correct, but if you do need that repo, there isn't a lot more you can do on your end.

This is not generally an error you can correct, but it may be a temporary issue with the repository that will resolve itself over time.

Of course, if you don't need the repo, feel free to remove it from your sources.list file.

The 404 error indicates that the Release file could not be found to download.

The rest of the error indicates that without the release file, your system cannot determine whether the package was uploaded by a valid maintainer and was not been modified or corrupted in-transit as it crosses the network. As such, apt chooses not to interact with the repository.

see more details here: https://manpages.debian.org/jessie/apt/apt-secure.8.en.html