Ubuntu Support Template
Ubuntu Version:
Example: 25.04
Desktop Environment (if applicable):
Example: KDE Plasma
Problem Description:
Running sudo do-release-upgrade results in an immediate error message and fails to upgrade
Relevant System Information:
Include any details that might help (e.g., hardware, drivers, or special configurations).
Screenshots or Error Messages.
Get:1 Upgrade tool signature [833 B]
Get:2 Upgrade tool [944 kB]
Fetched 945 kB in 0s (0 B/s)
/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/DistUpgrade/DistUpgradeFetcherCore.py:180: Warning: W:Download is performed unsandboxed as root as file 'questing.tar.gz.gpg' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
result = fetcher.run()
authenticate 'questing.tar.gz' against 'questing.tar.gz.gpg'
Authentication failed
Authenticating the upgrade failed. There may be a problem with the network or with the server.
What Iāve Tried:
Iām gonna be honest, iāve been trying to find a solution for months and iām completely lost. Please help.
2 Likes
Ubuntu 25.04 was not a LTS (Long Term Support) release. As such, its 9 months support ended last January. You missed the window for an online release upgrade (to 25.10).
https://askubuntu.com/questions/91815/how-to-install-software-or-upgrade-from-an-old-unsupported-release
4 Likes
My advice would be:-
Backup your personal data
Download your preferred flavour of Ubuntu 26.04
Create a USB disk to run a āTry Ubuntuā session
Test your sound, graphics, wifi etc.
If satisfactory, install in UEFI mode with GPT
Restore your data
Two scoops are better than one 
2 Likes
Step 1: Check system time (most common cause)
timedatectl
sudo timedatectl set-ntp true
sudo apt install ntpdate -y
sudo ntpdate time.ubuntu.com
Step 2: Fix GPG keyring
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --reinstall ubuntu-keyring ca-certificates -y
sudo apt install gnupg -y
sudo apt-key update
Step 3: Clean and retry
sudo apt clean
sudo apt update --fix-missing
sudo do-release-upgrade
If none of the above works:
Thereās a āwild pathā that Iāve successfully used on PRoot containers to brute-force this exact upgrade. Itās extremely risky ā ignores all GPG checks and forces the upgrade ā but it works when everything else fails.
Iāve done it myself, so I know the steps.
Try the official fixes first. If youāre still stuck after that, reply here. Iāll walk you through the wild path.
But warning: itās use-at-your-own-risk territory. Youāll need a full backup before we go there ā if it breaks, youāre reinstalling.
2 Likes
Youāve left it rather late; Ubuntu 25.10 is only days away from EOL when the release-upgrade process will be gone anyway. Iād not expect youād need to use the unsupported upgrade instructions in the docs (EOLUpgrades - Community Help Wiki) but they maybe required because of your tardiness!
What I see is
- Your paste does not provide command, thus your command maybe in error (eg. no
sudo was used to elevate privileges); you do mention sudo earlier; but not in pasted detail where it matters
- I see network issues; Canonical/Ubuntu infrastructure has had some issues of late & thus āproblem with the networkā may only be a temporary issue which will work better at other times
- for sure Iād check system time as @qwedsaz already mentioned
- I note a python3 error!!; so Iād be checking youāve not modified your system
python in anyway; as that is a sure way to have problems like you describeā¦ return your system python3 back to defaults if you have
- given Ubuntu 25.10 has only days remaining, Iād likely want to skip direct to 26.04, which if it was my own system, particularly if I was in a hurry, Iād achieve via non-destructive re-install, which still works with
calamares used by Kubuntu. I talk about it in my answer here I was asked to write; sure itās an old question (it fitted the answer I was going to write) but I actually used it to upgrade a Lubuntu 25.04 system to 26.04 here as I already had a 25.10 install for support purposes on that box. It handles Ubuntu repository (esp. deb) packages well; third party packages are different depending on how theyāre packaged (decisions made by 3rd party packager can mean ānuke & paveā or destructive re-installs are easiest as thatās what theyāve assumed), but it is an option Iād consider
Youāve made it harder on yourself leaving it this late though; knowledge of 25.04 is somewhat āstaleā now (esp. that upgrade path).
I can no longer look up details on what is correct for python or python3 for a plucky (25.04) release as that detail has been purged; so youāre really limited to those who still have a fully-upgraded system available they can use; but python is where Iād start checking personally.
4 Likes
Maybe a bad package download? Try using a different repository mirror. I used the main U.S. repository.
I have an Ubuntu 25.04 vm, ran āsudo do-release-upgradeā. I got all the same terminal output, except that authentication mentioned did not fail and abort the process.
The process continued to calculate the upgrade, and I stopped at the ok to download the packages point.
encouraging output:
ā10 packages are going to be removed. 106 new packages are going to be installed. 1242 packages are going to be upgraded. You have to download a total of 1,941 M. This download will take
about 6 minutes with a 40Mbit connection and about 51 minutes with a 5Mbit connection.ā
Looks like it would go. At that point, I declined to continue, as I didnāt want to upgrade to 25.10
1 Like
Ubuntu 25.04 is EOL now, so the normal upgrade path wonāt work. The easiest and safest fix is to back up your files and install a supported release ideally the latest LTS. Using old repositories can work, but it often causes package and dependency problems.
1 Like