No release date (etc) error

[kendew]

Hi
I picked up a laptop that I hadn't touched in about half a year.  Sparky Stable (Buster based) had been installed.  Trying to do a simple update with

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sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade I got an error that

The repository 'https://sparkylinux.org/repo core Release' does not have a Release file

Then tried

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wget -O - https://repo.sparkylinux.org/sparky.gpg.key | sudo apt-key add -
and again tried upgrading as above, but same error.
Synaptic reported fuller detail:

The repository 'https://sparkylinux.org/repo core Release' does not have a Release file.Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.The repository 'https://sparkylinux.org/repo stable Release' does not have a Release file.Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.GPG error: http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable Release: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 78BD65473CB3BD13The repository 'http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable Release' is not signed.

In fact, the repository listings looked okay to me.  Also, it seems that with Sparky's System Upgrade tool I can upgrade a lot of the packages though the same error is eventually reported.  From the command line, apt just quits without installing anything.
I'd like to know how to get out of this.  Also, the dl.google.com error would seem to indicate some keys are missing or have changed and need replacing.

Just a suggestion here to make Sparky better for users would be to have all this key and repository name changing happen automatically on apt update.
Thanks for help.
Kendew

[pavroo]

Hi
Repository address changed and a new public key released, follow the wiki page:
https://wiki.sparkylinux.org/doku.php/repository_stable

[kendew]

Thank you for the link, Pavroo.  With the instructions on that page I was able to resolve the issues I was experiencing easily.  However, I am saddened that I will likely not be able to use this wonderful Sparky distro for the purpose I had in mind.  I am giving away Linux revitalized laptops to students so they do their schoolwork while schools are closed here, and they are not going to be able to perform the tasks mentioned on that page.
You did mention

Otherwise, install 'sparky-apt' and 'sparky5-apt' packages to do so.

.  In fact, I had these installed,  but how do I use them?
Basically what I would like is a method that is simpler that I could give those not savvy with administrator tasks.
Thanks

[pavroo]

If you followed the stable repository instruction, and changed Sparky repos to the newes, then run in a terminal emulator:

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sudo apt update
sudo apt install sparky5-apt
sudo apt update
And then you can do regular upgrade of the system.

[kendew]

Thank you for the reply.
I think I understand.  So no special sparky5-apt commands would need to be issued and that would save having to use wget as I did.  That could help.  My problem is I already released ten or twelve of these laptops with Sparky to students before this February change who will not have the ability to carry out these adjustments.  For those of us who have lived Linux awhile it's easy to forget that for many people it's not going to be easy to write documents at root level and are still too new at Linux to have a clue what keyrings and repositories are.  So I'm looking for a way to save face here, for myself and Sparky too. 
Just as a suggestion, and I have nothing but good intentions here to improve Sparky, I think it would add to the greatness of your distribution if you released something like sparky5-apt that could also just take care of the whole thing, writing the necessary files, and just have it be part of the upgrade process.  This would make a really great distribution usable in the non-geek world.