E: Package 'python-virtualenv' has no installation candidate while using Certbot to renew certificates

Rohan

1/24/23, 8:24 AM

We had an old Ubuntu 14 server, on which we install certbot and let's encrypt certificates for SSL. Then we upgraded the server to ubuntu 20.

Since then, whenever I try to renew or generate new certificates using sudo certbot --apache or the renew command, I get this error:

Bootstrapping dependencies for Debian-based OSes... (you can skip this with --no-bootstrap)
Hit:1 http://us-west-2.ec2.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
Hit:2 http://us-west-2.ec2.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates InRelease                                
Hit:3 http://us-west-2.ec2.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports InRelease                              
Hit:4 https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu focal InRelease                                                                             
Hit:5 http://ppa.launchpad.net/deadsnakes/ppa/ubuntu focal InRelease                                                                       
Hit:6 http://ppa.launchpad.net/ondrej/php/ubuntu focal InRelease                       
Get:7 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease [114 kB]
Fetched 114 kB in 2s (72.8 kB/s)   
Reading package lists... Done
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Note, selecting 'python-is-python2' instead of 'python'
Note, selecting 'python-dev-is-python2' instead of 'python-dev'
Package python-virtualenv is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source

E: Package 'python-virtualenv' has no installation candidate

I have tried endless forums and tricks including this top google hit -> https://stackoverflow.com/questions/62314556/how-to-install-virtualenv-on-ubuntu-20-04-gcp-instance, but no luck yet :( Any ideas?

368

0 + 0

python

lets-encrypt

certbot

Michael Hampton

1/24/23, 3:51 PM

Do not use certbot from the apt repos on Ubuntu. It is always either out of date or broken. Always use the snap.

Rohan

1/29/23, 9:39 AM

I tried uninstalling it, but coudn't. Tried removing it using apt purge command, and snap remove too. But I can still run `certbot` command. how to remove it completely so I can install it back fresh?

Michael Hampton

1/29/23, 9:43 AM

Try `which certbot` to find out where in the filesystem it is located.

Rohan

2/5/23, 12:40 PM

good idea -> returned this /usr/local/bin/certbot can I remove this file? or is that a bad idea?

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: E: Package 'python-virtualenv' has no installation candidate while using Certbot to renew certificates

TH: E: แพ็คเกจ 'python-virtualenv' ไม่มีตัวเลือกการติดตั้งในขณะที่ใช้ Certbot เพื่อต่ออายุใบรับรอง

RO: E: Pachetul „python-virtualenv” nu are niciun candidat pentru instalare în timp ce folosește Certbot pentru a reînnoi certificatele

RU: E: Пакет «python-virtualenv» не имеет кандидата на установку при использовании Certbot для обновления сертификатов.

VI: E: Gói 'python-virtualenv' không có ứng cử viên cài đặt nào trong khi sử dụng Certbot để gia hạn chứng chỉ

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