Public key not available error

General Help
1

Hello.
I'm not actually using Zorin anymore, but I am still using an ubuntu-based OS: kubuntu. The kubuntu forums are not helpful, and I remembered how amazing the people on these forums were, so I'm hoping someone could help me with this issue.
As it currently stands, I get this error message in KDE Discover (GUI package manager) every time I open it:

E: The repository 'https://repo.steampowered.com/apt stable Release' does not have a Release file.
W: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
W: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.
W: An error occurred during the signature verification. The repository is not updated and the previous index files will be used. GPG error: https://repo.steampowered.com/steam stable InRelease: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY F24AEA9FB05498B7
E: https://repo.steampowered.com/steam stable InRelease is not (yet) available (The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY F24AEA9FB05498B7)

which is slightly different than where I started, but all stems from the same core issue.
You can see the original post here: Steam Signature Verification Error (Conflicting Packages?) - Kubuntu Forums
The short version is I was linked to this forum post, which in turn is a link to this stackoverflow post which contains instructions that did not work for me.
So, 5 more days since I last posted to that thread, I decided to try these forums, and I searched for my issue, and found this post; and in my excitement to have found an answer, I didn't fully register that the final command there uses apt-key, the deprecated program the askubuntu answer says not to use anymore. And the output for that command was:

Warning: apt-key is deprecated. Manage keyring files in trusted.gpg.d instead (see apt-key(8)).
OK

The "OK" and the fact that the error message I'm getting in discover has now changed again makes me think the apt-key command did do something. So now I also need advice on how to undo that.
Sorry for the extremely long post, and also for posting to the Zorin forums when I'm not using Zorin. I am strongly considering switching back to Zorin.

2

The Steam Repository you are using is no good for your distribution. I am not sure if it is newer or older, but either way, it does not match your distro. Is your Kubuntu 22.04?
You also do not need a steam repository since it is in the Ubuntu Main Universe Repository.

You can remove the steam repository and apt key entirely, then in terminal, update your sources.

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/steam.list

If Steam was added to your sources.list:

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

and remove the line for Steam or hashtag (comment) it out.
It most likely is a steam.list in the sources.list.d directory, however.
For the key:

apt-key list

Look for Valve or Steam and grab its key I.D.
Copy it, then use it in

sudo apt-key del <KEY-I.D.>

For example, let's say the I.D. is ABCDEFG123456789:

sudo apt-key del ABCDEFG1F23456789

Once all is done and you have updated your sources:

sudo apt install --reinstall steam

EDIT: as per this post; if you are using a system in which apt-key is removed entirely, you can elevate to root:

sudo -i

Then launch your file manager

dolphin

(note to other readers: This instructs Dolphin, rather than nautilus because the user is on Kubuntu, not Zorin OS. Zorin OS users will enter nautilus for Core or Pro or thunar for Lite or Pro Lite).
Navigate to /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/ and search for the Valve or Steam pubkey there and right click to select the option to delete the file.

1 Like
3

Hello! Thank you for the quick reply. I'm on kubuntu 24.04.
After removing the repository, the associated user data, the steam.list file (as you expected, it wasn't in sources.list) and the key (confirmed the key was removed by using apt-key list again), I ran sudo apt update and got:

Get:1 https://repo.steampowered.com/steam stable InRelease [2,861 B]
Err:1 https://repo.steampowered.com/steam stable InRelease                                                                                  
  The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY F24AEA9FB05498B7
Hit:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble InRelease                                                
Hit:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-updates InRelease                                        
Hit:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-backports InRelease
Hit:5 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-security InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
2 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
W: An error occurred during the signature verification. The repository is not updated and the previous index files will be used. GPG error: https://repo.steampowered.com/steam stable InRelease: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY F24AEA9FB05498B7
W: Failed to fetch https://repo.steampowered.com/steam/dists/stable/InRelease  The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY F24AEA9FB05498B7
W: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

those last three lines also appear when I launch discover
as a final check, I went to /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/ and there is no Valve or Steam file there.

4

ls /etc/apt/sources.list.d

It appears you have more than one repository added for Steam...

5

steam-beta.list steam-stable.list ubuntu.sources

ah. yea seems like this has to do with snap version of steam not uninstalling properly? thanks snap
should I just delete these then or do I need to do something else first?

6

Snap packages will not appear as sourced in APT, nor in sources.list.d since those are under /etc/apt/

Yes, remove the steam-beta.list and steam-stable.list

I would recommend not using the Snap version of Steam. Instead, use the stable supplied default from the APT repository (In your case, noble).
You can remove it with

sudo snap remove steam

If you prefer to keep the snap, then I recommend removing any other installed formats of Steam since you really want to stick with One Format to prevent mislaunches or conflicts.

7

Yea the snap version of steam sucks, that's why I removed it right after I installed it. sudo snap remove steam does nothing now, because it was already uninstalled, or it was supposed to be anyway. manually deleting those two files worked, the warning messages no longer appear anywhere.
after rerunning sudo apt update I tried sudo apt install --reinstall steam per your suggestion, and got:

Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 steam-installer : Depends: steam-libs-i386 (= 1:1.0.0.79~ds-2)
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

So that doesn't seem great.
I gotta sleep, thanks again for your help so far.

8

No problem. When you check in later, try

sudo apt remove --purge steam

sudo dpkg --configure -a

sudo apt --fix-broken install

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y steam

9

this is what I get

solia@solinux:~$ sudo apt remove --purge steam
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
Package 'steam:i386' is not installed, so not removed
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 5 not upgraded.
solia@solinux:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
solia@solinux:~$ sudo apt --fix-broken install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 5 not upgraded.
solia@solinux:~$ sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y steam
Hit:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble InRelease
Hit:2 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-security InRelease
Hit:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-updates InRelesolia@solinux:~$ sudo apt remove --purge steam
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
Package 'steam:i386' is not installed, so not removed
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 5 not upgraded.
solia@solinux:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
solia@solinux:~$ sudo apt --fix-broken install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 5 not upgraded.
solia@solinux:~$ sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y steam
Hit:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble InRelease
Hit:2 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-security InRelease
Hit:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-updates InRelease
Hit:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-backports InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
5 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 steam-installer : Depends: steam-libs-i386 (= 1:1.0.0.79~ds-2)
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
ase
Hit:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-backports InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
5 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 steam-installer : Depends: steam-libs-i386 (= 1:1.0.0.79~ds-2)
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

those "5 not upgraded" by the way are

The following upgrades have been deferred due to phasing:
  python3-distupgrade ubuntu-pro-client ubuntu-pro-client-l10n ubuntu-release-upgrader-core ubuntu-release-upgrader-qt
10

That is strange... what does

sudo apt install steam-libs-i386

yield?

11

Prepare for it to get stranger...

steam-libs-i386:i386 is already the newest version (1:1.0.0.79).

Yea I think I'm gonna wipe this partition and install something else. Probably Zorin, but I'm still deciding. Thanks for your help.

12

You may have needed to clean the apt cache

sudo apt clean && sudo apt autoremove

I have never seen that above happen but I also kind of tend to autorun certain commands without thinking about it...

1 Like
13

we'll never know now, that OS is gone. thanks for all your help!

1 Like