Install error for PC

[SparticasWolf]

I’m trying to install and I’ve gotten all the way to Path A, Native Docker in WSL2, and I’m stuck at step 6. The error I get is it cannot download the noble/InRelease and cannot handshake. Any idea on how to fix that?

[beenish-majeed]

This looks like a TLS/networking issue between Ubuntu in WSL2 and the Ubuntu package repositories, rather than a NOMAD installation error. Since Step 6 starts with apt-get update, let's isolate that first.

1. Identify the failing repository

Inside your Ubuntu WSL2 terminal, run:

sudo apt-get update

Note the exact repository URL and the complete handshake error.

If the failing URL is https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu, test HTTPS independently:

curl -Iv https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/InRelease

If curl fails too, investigate network connectivity, proxy configuration, or TLS certificate validation. If it succeeds while APT fails, focus on APT-specific configuration.

2. Check the system clock and proxy settings

date -u
env | grep -i proxy

An incorrect system clock, VPN, corporate proxy, or HTTPS-inspecting security software can interfere with TLS connections. If possible, temporarily test without the VPN/proxy or try another trusted network.

3. Check the CA certificates

If the error indicates certificate-validation problems, run:

dpkg -l ca-certificates
sudo update-ca-certificates

If the CA package is missing or damaged, reinstall it once package downloads are working. Reinstalling certificates alone won't fix a proxy or network-level TLS failure.

4. Retry the installation

Once this succeeds:

sudo apt-get update

continue with the remaining commands in Step 6.

I wouldn't reinstall WSL or Docker yet, and I wouldn't disable TLS verification or APT signature checks. Switching repository URLs to HTTP should not be the default fix; first establish why HTTPS is failing.

Could you share the complete output of sudo apt-get update, including the exact Could not handshake message and failing URL? That should help pinpoint the underlying cause rather than guessing.

[SparticasWolf]

root@DESKTOP-3C5A1JC:# sudo apt-get update
Hit:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-security InRelease
Ign:2 https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu noble InRelease
Hit:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble InRelease
Hit:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-updates InRelease
Hit:5 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-backports InRelease
Ign:2 https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu noble InRelease
Ign:2 https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu noble InRelease
Err:2 https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu noble InRelease
Certificate verification failed: The certificate is NOT trusted. The certificate issuer is unknown. Could not handshake: Error in the certificate verification. [IP: 3.171.117.98 443]
Reading package lists... Done
W: Failed to fetch https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/dists/noble/InRelease Certificate verification failed: The certificate is NOT trusted. The certificate issuer is unknown. Could not handshake: Error in the certificate verification. [IP: 3.171.117.98 443]
W: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.
root@DESKTOP-3C5A1JC:#

[beenish-majeed]

Thanks for sharing the error. Since Ubuntu’s repositories work but Docker’s doesn’t, this points to a TLS certificate trust issue, not a NOMAD installation problem.

First, refresh Ubuntu’s CA certificates:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall ca-certificates
sudo update-ca-certificates
sudo apt-get update

If it still fails, check whether your VPN, proxy, or antivirus is inspecting HTTPS traffic. Test with:

curl -Iv https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/dists/noble/InRelease
date -u

If the certificate issuer is unknown because of HTTPS inspection, you may need the trusted root certificate from your network administrator installed in WSL2. Don’t disable certificate verification or switch off APT security checks.

Once sudo apt-get update completes without the Docker certificate error, continue with the NOMAD installation. [Docker’s official Ubuntu installation guide](https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/ubuntu/)

[SparticasWolf]

this is the new errors I'm getting
root@DESKTOP-3C5A1JC:# sudo apt-get install --reinstall ca-certificates
sudo update-ca-certificates
sudo apt-get updateE: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'sudo dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.
root@DESKTOP-3C5A1JC:# sudo dpkg --configure -a
dpkg: error: parsing file '/var/lib/dpkg/updates/0005' near line 0:
newline in field name '#padding'

[beenish-majeed]

Thanks for sharing the new output. We've identified a problem that needs to be fixed before we can continue troubleshooting the Docker certificate.

The key error is:

dpkg: error: parsing file '/var/lib/dpkg/updates/0005' near line 0:
newline in field name '#padding'

This means dpkg cannot parse one of its pending package-database update files. An interrupted package operation or a failed write, potentially caused by insufficient disk space, can leave these files in a malformed state. We haven't confirmed the original cause yet.

Let's recover the package manager first, then return to the Docker TLS error.

1. Check available disk space

Run these commands inside Ubuntu in WSL2:

df -h /
df -i /

Check the available space (Avail) and usage (Use%). If the filesystem is full or has no available inodes, free up space before continuing.

You can safely clear APT's downloaded package cache:

sudo apt-get clean

Then check the available space again. Also ensure that the Windows drive containing your WSL2 virtual disk has enough free space.

2. Inspect the malformed update file

Run:

sudo grep -nEv '^#padding$|^$' /var/lib/dpkg/updates/0005

This checks for lines that contain something other than #padding or a blank line.

• If nothing is printed, the file contains only padding and/or blank lines, so it is a candidate for quarantine.
• If any content is printed, do not move the file yet. It may contain package information that needs to be preserved.

3. Back up and quarantine the malformed file

If Step 2 prints nothing, run:

sudo install -d -m 700 /var/tmp/dpkg-recovery
backup="/var/tmp/dpkg-recovery/0005.$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).bak"
sudo mv /var/lib/dpkg/updates/0005 "$backup"
echo "Backup saved to $backup"

This moves the specific file out of dpkg's update directory while retaining a backup for recovery or inspection.

Do not delete the entire /var/lib/dpkg/updates directory, remove package-manager lock files, or modify /var/lib/dpkg/status.

4. Repair the interrupted package configuration

Run:

sudo dpkg --configure -a

If that finishes successfully, run:

sudo apt-get --fix-broken install

Review any proposed package removals before confirming them.

If dpkg reports the same error for a different numbered file, inspect that specific file using Step 2. Only quarantine it if the inspection confirms that it contains nothing but padding and blank lines. Do not move files that contain package metadata.

Once both commands complete successfully, continue to the certificate repair.

5. Refresh the CA certificates

Run:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall ca-certificates
sudo update-ca-certificates

This refreshes Ubuntu's trusted certificate bundle. It may resolve the original Docker repository error if the local CA certificates were missing or damaged.

6. Test the Docker repository connection

First, check the system clock:

date -u

Then test the Docker repository directly:

curl -Iv https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/dists/noble/InRelease

If curl verifies the certificate successfully, run:

sudo apt-get update

If the update completes without the Docker repository certificate error, return to the NOMAD installation guide and continue with the remaining installation steps.

If the certificate remains untrusted, check whether a VPN, proxy, antivirus HTTPS inspection, or corporate network is intercepting the connection. If possible, test using another trusted network.

If the problem occurs only on a managed network, ask your network administrator whether HTTPS inspection is enabled and whether you need the appropriate trusted root CA certificate installed in Ubuntu's trust store.

If curl succeeds but APT still fails, investigate APT-specific proxy or HTTPS configuration.

Do not disable TLS verification, turn off APT security checks, or switch the Docker repository to HTTP as a workaround.

Why the order matters

The certificate reinstall failed because dpkg could not process its package database. Until that problem is repaired, repeating the certificate commands will not help.

First restore dpkg, then refresh the CA certificates, and finally verify the Docker repository connection. This addresses both errors in the correct order without reinstalling WSL or restarting the entire NOMAD installation.