How to fix E: The method driver /usr/lib/apt/methods/https could not be found in APT

APTBEGINNERMEDIUMUpdated Dec 29, 2025· 206 views

This error occurs when apt tries to access HTTPS repositories but the necessary https transport method is not installed. Install the apt-transport-https package to resolve it.

Quick fix

Fixes E: The method driver /usr/lib/apt/methods/https could not be found

sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https
sudo apt-get update
  1. Install apt-transport-https
  2. If installation fails, remove HTTPS sources temporarily
  3. Update apt and install the package
  4. Re-enable HTTPS sources
apt — error
sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https
sudo apt-get update
E: The method driver /usr/lib/apt/methods/https could not be found

What this error means

When you run apt-get update or apt-get install, apt needs to fetch packages from repositories using various protocol methods (HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, etc.). By default, apt only has the HTTP method available. When your sources.list or sources.list.d files contain HTTPS URLs, apt cannot find the corresponding driver to handle them, causing this error. The error is your system telling you that apt attempted to use the HTTPS protocol handler but it doesn't exist.

Typical symptoms

  • apt-get update fails with "E: The method driver /usr/lib/apt/methods/https could not be found"
  • apt-get install commands fail when repositories use HTTPS URLs
  • You see a helpful hint: "N: Is the package apt-transport-https installed?"
  • The error occurs even though you have no HTTPS sources if a mirror redirects to HTTPS

Common causes

  1. apt-transport-https package is not installed on the system
  2. A repository mirror is broken and redirects HTTP requests to HTTPS
  3. HTTPS sources were added to sources.list or sources.list.d without installing the required package
  4. Fresh system installation or container image without the https transport module

How to fix "E: The method driver /usr/lib/apt/methods/https could not be found"

1Install apt-transport-https

The simplest solution is to install the missing package:

bash
sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https
sudo apt-get update

This installs the HTTPS method driver and should resolve the issue immediately.

2If installation fails, remove HTTPS sources temporarily

If you cannot install apt-transport-https because apt itself is broken, you need to remove the problematic HTTPS sources first:

bash
# Edit your main sources list
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Comment out any lines starting with https:// by adding # at the beginning. Then check your sources.list.d directory:

bash
ls /etc/apt/sources.list.d/

For any .list files containing HTTPS URLs, either comment them out or temporarily rename them:

bash
sudo mv /etc/apt/sources.list.d/example-https.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/example-https.list.bak
3Update apt and install the package

Once HTTPS sources are removed, update apt and install the required package:

bash
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https

Now you can re-enable the HTTPS sources and update again.

4Re-enable HTTPS sources

After apt-transport-https is installed, restore your HTTPS sources:

bash
# Uncomment lines in /etc/apt/sources.list
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

# Restore .list files in sources.list.d
sudo mv /etc/apt/sources.list.d/example-https.list.bak /etc/apt/sources.list.d/example-https.list

# Update apt with HTTPS sources now available
sudo apt-get update
5Manual installation as last resort (Raspberry Pi/ARM systems)

If automated installation still fails, manually download and install the package. First, identify your architecture:

bash
dpkg-architecture -qDEB_HOST_ARCH

Then download the .deb file for your system. For Raspbian/Debian ARM systems:

bash
wget http://mirrordirector.raspbian.org/raspbian/pool/main/a/apt/apt-transport-https_1.0.9.8.4_armhf.deb
sudo dpkg -i apt-transport-https_1.0.9.8.4_armhf.deb

For Ubuntu systems, find the correct URL from archive.ubuntu.com or a mirror site, matching your release and architecture.

Advanced notes

Modern apt versions (after 2016) typically include HTTPS support by default in fresh installations, but systems upgraded from older versions or minimal container images may lack it. Some environments like Docker containers or chroot jails may have stripped this package to reduce image size. The HTTPS transport method is essential for secure package management over HTTPS connections. If you encounter this in Docker, ensure your Dockerfile installs apt-transport-https early in the build process before adding HTTPS-based sources.

Frequently asked questions

What does "E: The method driver /usr/lib/apt/methods/https could not be found" mean?
). By default, apt only has the HTTP method available. d files contain HTTPS URLs, apt cannot find the corresponding driver to handle them, causing this error.
How do I fix "E: The method driver /usr/lib/apt/methods/https could not be found"?
This error occurs when apt tries to access HTTPS repositories but the necessary https transport method is not installed. Install the apt-transport-https package to resolve it.
What causes "E: The method driver /usr/lib/apt/methods/https could not be found"?
apt-transport-https package is not installed on the system A repository mirror is broken and redirects HTTP requests to HTTPS HTTPS sources were added to sources.list or sources.list.d without installing the required package
Is the "E: The method driver /usr/lib/apt/methods/https could not be found" error serious?
It is a medium-severity error — more of a blocker than a risk. The steps above resolve it.

Official resources & further reading