Gitpod: Cannot run apt-get from dockerfile after Ubuntu 19.04 EOL

[lechien73]

Describe the bug

Our custom dockerfile installs tools and runs apt-get update -y. Since the update to Ubuntu 19.04, this now causes an error. The text is below and a screenshot is attached:

Reading package lists...
E: The repository 'http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu disco Release' does not have a Release file.
E: The repository 'http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu disco-updates Release' does not have a Release file.
E: The repository 'http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu disco-backports Release' does not have a Release file.
E: The repository 'http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu disco-security Release' does not have a Release file.
build failed: cannot build base image: The command '/bin/sh -c apt-get update -y' returned a non-zero code: 100
Error: build failed: cannot build base image: The command '/bin/sh -c apt-get update -y' returned a non-zero code: 100

Steps to reproduce

Create a new repository using this template: https://github.com/Code-Institute-Org/gitpod-full-template
Attempt to open the resulting repo in Gitpod.

Expected behavior

A new workspace is created containing the tools we were able to install using Ubuntu 18.04

[jankeromnes]

Hi @lechien73!

Sorry for the disruption. As mentioned via email, we actually upgraded to 19.04 almost a year ago: https://github.com/gitpod-io/workspace-images/pull/94

However, what probably caused the recent breakage is that 19.04 reached end-of-life on 23 January 2020: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases so I think many Apt repositories are now pulling their packages for Disco (I know at least ppa:ondrej/php did).

In hindsight, it was a mistake to upgrade to a non-LTS version of Ubuntu. We're now in the process of upgrading to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS: https://github.com/gitpod-io/workspace-images/issues/196 However, it's officially released toward the end of this month, so there may still be a few rough edges to smooth out.

[jankeromnes]

See also https://github.com/gitpod-io/workspace-images/pull/203 where I'm planning to run a few experiments and see if we can quickly fix your build.

[jankeromnes]

@lechien73 Oh, one more thing: I notice in your Dockerfile that you're running apt-get update and apt-get install in different RUN instructions:

https://github.com/Code-Institute-Org/gitpod-full-template/blob/master/.gitpod.dockerfile#L7-L14

That's problematic, and could be the root cause of the apt-get problems you're seeing.

When you do:

RUN sudo apt-get update
RUN sudo apt-get install -y something

Both instructions can be cached at different points in time, which means that the result from apt-get update may get severely out-dated when you try the apt-get install again later.

Instead, it's important to do:

RUN sudo apt-get update && \
    sudo apt-get install -y something

whenever you want to apt-get install something (it's fine to repeat it multiple times in a Dockerfile, but a apt-get install RUN instruction should always also include a apt-get update first).

And while we're here, if you add sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* at the end, you save a ton of space in the final image, leading to faster workspace starts.

To summarize, you'll want something like this:

Dockerfile
RUN sudo apt-get update && \
    sudo apt-get install -y something && \
    sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

[lechien73]

Thanks Jan, unfortunately the same problem happens even with a standard apt-get update -y and nothing else. I guess it is due to 19.04's EOL status, as you said.

[lechien73]

Yes, the actual issue is that Disco has been removed from the Ubuntu repos: http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/

[jankeromnes]

Indeed. 🤦 I confirm that all Gitpod image builds are now broken:

The errors are the same as yours:

E: The repository 'http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu disco-security Release' no longer has a Release file.
E: The repository 'https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu disco/mongodb-org/4.0 Release' does not have a Release file.
E: The repository 'http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu disco Release' no longer has a Release file.
E: The repository 'http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu disco-updates Release' no longer has a Release file.
E: The repository 'http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu disco-backports Release' no longer has a Release file.

This means that workspaces with a custom .gitpod.Dockerfile that's using apt-get are now broken.

However, workspaces that don't have a custom Dockerfile, or that have a custom Dockerfile which doesn't use apt-get, will still work.

We'll try to fix this as soon as possible.

[Kreyren]

@kreyren would just use debian stable assuming ubuntu being maintained by incompetent developers and is being pita to manage in production system

[jankeromnes]

Update: We've merged the Ubuntu Focal 20.04 upgrade. A new gitpod/workspace-full is being built, and should be pushed to Docker Hub in < 60 minutes.

Other images like gitpod/workspace-mysql and gitpod/workspace-mongodb will follow shortly after.

EDIT: If you don't want to wait, these images are already available:

• gitpod/workspace-full:branch-jx-ubuntu-focal
• gitpod/workspace-mongodb:branch-jx-ubuntu-focal
• gitpod/workspace-mysql:branch-jx-ubuntu-focal
• gitpod/workspace-postgres:branch-jx-ubuntu-focal
• gitpod/workspace-full-vnc:branch-jx-ubuntu-focal
• gitpod/workspace-flutter:branch-jx-ubuntu-focal

[jankeromnes]

Re-update: These images are now based on Ubuntu 20.04:

• gitpod/workspace-full (i.e. gitpod/workspace-full:latest)
• gitpod/workspace-postgres (i.e. gitpod/workspace-postgres:latest)
• gitpod/workspace-flutter (i.e. gitpod/workspace-flutter:latest)
• gitpod/workspace-mysql (i.e. gitpod/workspace-mysql:latest)
• gitpod/workspace-mongodb (i.e. gitpod/workspace-mongodb:latest)
• gitpod/workspace-full-vnc (i.e. gitpod/workspace-full-vnc:latest)

[jankeromnes]

Ok, all major Gitpod images online are now based on Ubuntu 20.04, which fixes this issue. Thanks for your patience!