os fail

[John R. Sowden]

Recently when I get an auto update pop up and I say 'install' it starts 
downloading then before it executes, the window closes, no msg.  I tried 
sudo apt-get -update  it downloaded lots of files, then stopped.  I 
'restarted' and after booting, I got a message that there is a system 
problem, do i wish to report it.  I did.  Then I tried running the 
ubuntu software center.  When I tried to download the synaptic pkg mgr, 
I got 3 text boxes:
1 ?  I did a screenshot but I can find these 2-somthing about identity 
verification
2 ?  and freedesktop dot dot dot (...)
3 you do no have permission to run this program (similiar)

uname reports the following:

Linux sentry16 3.16.0-41-generic #57~14.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jun 18 
18:01:50 UTC 2015 i686 i686 i686 GNU/Linux



help?

John