The “Plesk error: apt cache fetch failed” message typically occurs when the Plesk control panel faces issues while trying to update packages on a Linux server using the APT package manager. Read our latest blog to learn more. As part of our Plesk Hosting Support, we assist our customers with several Windows queries.

Overview

1. Plesk error: apt cache fetch failed
2. Causes of the Error
3. Fixes for the Error

“Plesk error: apt cache fetch failed”

The error message means that there was a problem with Plesk, when it tried to upgrade the server’s software packages. The apt package manager is necessary for this update method, and the error notice shows that apt was unable to obtain the most recent package details from the repositories.

Causes of the Error

1. Temporary internet connectivity problems may prevent APT from using package repositories to get updates.

2. Plesk may be using outdated cache data for package lists. Running apt update manually can refresh the cache and potentially resolve the issue.

3. There may be a mistake in the config of the software repositories used by Plesk, such as typos in the repository URL or missing authentication details.

4. Package repositories may be experiencing temporary downtime, causing APT to fail while fetching updates.

5. Incorrectly setup proxy settings can block APT from accessing repositories.

6. The repository servers may be temporarily down or experiencing high load.

Fixes for the Error

1. Verify the server has internet access by pinging a known address, like Google:

ping google.com

2. Ensure the repository URLs in /etc/apt/sources.list are correct:

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

3. If using a proxy, confirm it’s configured correctly in /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/.

4. Clear the cache to fix potential issues:

sudo apt-get clean
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
sudo apt-get update

5. The repository servers may be temporarily down. Try updating later.

6. If default mirrors are down, update /etc/apt/sources.list with alternative mirror URLs.

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Conclusion

To sum up, our Tech team went over the Plesk error details. We can quickly fix the issues with the above mentioned steps.