How to fix N: Skipping acquire of configured file 'main/binary-i386/Packages' as repository doesn't have the component in APT

APTINTERMEDIATELOWUpdated Dec 29, 2025· 393 views

This warning appears when running apt update if a repository in your sources.list doesn't provide packages for the i386 (32-bit) architecture. It's usually harmless but indicates a mismatch between your configuration and what the repository offers.

Quick fix

Fixes N: Skipping acquire of configured file 'main/binary-i386/Packages' as repository doesn't have the component

dpkg --print-architectures
  1. Check which architectures are enabled on your system
  2. Identify which repository is causing the warning
  3. Specify architecture in the repository source file
  4. Update APT package lists again
apt — error
dpkg --print-architectures
N: Skipping acquire of configured file 'main/binary-i386/Packages' as repository doesn't have the component

What this error means

APT is warning you that it tried to download package lists for the i386 (32-bit) architecture from a repository, but that repository doesn't have those packages available. This happens because your system is configured to look for packages from multiple architectures, but some repositories only support 64-bit (amd64) packages. The 'N:' prefix indicates this is a notice, not an error—APT will continue working, but you'll see this message each time you run apt update.

Typical symptoms

  • apt update or apt-get update displays 'N: Skipping acquire' warnings
  • Multiple warnings appear mentioning 'binary-i386/Packages'
  • Warnings mention specific repositories (e.g., Spotify, VS Code, Chrome)
  • Update completes successfully despite the warnings

Common causes

  1. Your system has i386 architecture enabled (via dpkg --add-architecture i386) but a third-party repository doesn't provide 32-bit packages
  2. A PPA or third-party repository only supports 64-bit (amd64) architecture
  3. Your sources.list includes repositories from multiple sources with different architecture support
  4. You added multiarch support for legacy applications but some newer repositories don't include i386 builds

How to fix "N: Skipping acquire of configured file 'main/binary-i386/Packages' as repository doesn't have the component"

1Check which architectures are enabled on your system

Run this command to see all enabled architectures:

bash
dpkg --print-architectures

You should see 'amd64' (64-bit). If you see 'i386' listed separately or in foreign architectures, that's why APT is looking for 32-bit packages.

2Identify which repository is causing the warning

Look at the full apt update output to find the repository URL mentioned in the warning. For example:

bash
N: Skipping acquire of configured file 'main/binary-i386/Packages' as repository 'http://repository.spotify.com stable InRelease' doesn't have the component

This tells you the Spotify repository doesn't have i386 packages.

3Specify architecture in the repository source file

The recommended fix is to specify that the repository only supports amd64 architecture. Find the source file (usually in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/) and add [arch=amd64]:

Before:

bash
deb http://repository.spotify.com stable non-free

After:

bash
deb [arch=amd64] http://repository.spotify.com stable non-free

Edit the file with:

bash
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list

Save and exit (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X).

4Update APT package lists again

Run apt update to verify the warning is gone:

bash
sudo apt update

If you've fixed all repositories, you should no longer see the 'Skipping acquire' warnings.

5(Optional) Remove i386 architecture if not needed

If you don't need 32-bit package support, you can remove the i386 architecture entirely:

bash
sudo dpkg --remove-architecture i386
sudo apt update

Use this option only if you're certain no installed applications require 32-bit libraries. Check with:

bash
sudo apt list --installed | grep :i386

If nothing is listed, it's safe to remove.

Advanced notes

This warning is purely informational and doesn't affect system functionality. APT will skip downloading i386 packages from repositories that don't have them and continue with available packages. Some repositories intentionally dropped i386 support due to low adoption and maintenance burden. Multiarch allows mixing 32-bit and 64-bit libraries (useful for gaming, legacy software, or development), but modern repositories increasingly only support 64-bit packages. If you see this warning on a fresh Ubuntu install without multiarch enabled, check /etc/apt/sources.list for duplicate or misconfigured entries.

Frequently asked questions

What does "N: Skipping acquire of configured file 'main/binary-i386/Packages' as" mean?
APT is warning you that it tried to download package lists for the i386 (32-bit) architecture from a repository, but that repository doesn't have those packages available. This happens because your system is configured to look for packages from multiple architectures, but some repositories only support 64-bit (amd64) packages. The 'N:' prefix indicates this is a notice, not an error—APT will continue working, but you'll see this message each time you run apt update.
How do I fix "N: Skipping acquire of configured file 'main/binary-i386/Packages' as"?
This warning appears when running apt update if a repository in your sources.list doesn't provide packages for the i386 (32-bit) architecture. It's usually harmless but indicates a mismatch between your configuration and what the repository offers.
What causes "N: Skipping acquire of configured file 'main/binary-i386/Packages' as"?
Your system has i386 architecture enabled (via dpkg --add-architecture i386) but a third-party repository doesn't provide 32-bit packages A PPA or third-party repository only supports 64-bit (amd64) architecture Your sources.list includes repositories from multiple sources with different architecture support
Is the "N: Skipping acquire of configured file 'main/binary-i386/Packages' as" error serious?
It is a low-severity error — more of a blocker than a risk. The steps above resolve it.

Official resources & further reading