installing packages from file: Synaptic APTonCD

[Jochen]

This is about :
Synaptic
APTonCD
"E: Cannot find filename or size tag"
“E:Failed to mount the cdrom"
“E: Malformed line 54 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)”

System: Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS
Release: 10.04
Lucid Lynx

There seems to be an unsolved problem with transferring .deb packages on removable media from one machine to another, although it has been declared as solved in several reports. The suggested solutions in #46846, bug #159721, bug #159721, bug #268673 do not work.

I have tried to copy from Internet downloaded packages from one well working machine (Lucid) to another one, which was just freshly installed with the Lucid installation DVD but has no internet connection.

As APTonCD is not part of the standard installation (why not?) the APTonCD packages had to be copied and installed by hand and GDebi to the second machine, including all dependencies. That has worked, but is for sure not a proper solution.

Than creating a CD with APTonCD and copy the packages to /var/cache/apt/archives. That has also worked.

Now I would expect Synaptic to show the copied programs (they were many, the entire content of the archives folder from the source machine) as “local origin” after Synaptic Reload. That has not worked, even not when unchecking the http sources from the package resources. How can I urge Synaptic to install packages from the /var/cache/apt/archives folder instead from Internet? I guess that is the basic idea from APTonCD.

The next try was to add the APT CD under “other software > ADD” in the software sources”. That also failed and ended up in “E:Failed to mount the cdrom”, although the CD was mounted and recognized by the file manager. I have the impression that the problem is the communication between CD and Synaptic.

The next try was to copy all the packages into a folder created in the home directory, using the command “dpkg-scanpackages” and a “Packages.gz” file was created successfully. However, adding that to the repository list by the “other software > ADD” option fails. The correct syntax to be used for files to be added is even very unclear, I found nothing in detail in the documentation, so I have tried several variants like this one: “deb file://home/path to the folder.... lucid” .It ends always in a series of messages:

E: Malformed line 55 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)
E: Unable to lock the list directory
E: Malformed line 55 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)
E: The list of sources could not be read.
Go to the repository dialogue to correct the problem.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report.

please report... that’s what I am doing right now!

Synaptic and APTonCD are very fine and perfectly working,... as long as you are connected to the Internet. Here, in the middle of the African bush we have - on good days - download rates of about 3 kB/s, so file transfer on removable media is the only way to set up a new computer.

Other problems around this:

The in transparent way how Synaptic is doing the “Reload”. I have experienced, when I deselect the “Ubuntu Software” options in the “Software Sources” in order to force installation from file and not from Internet, and I click “Reload”, it deletes obviously all the content of the “Ubuntu Software” but not showing the not installed content of the cache. I have to download it again what may take hours here. In what file is that “Reload” saved, that it may be copied before and pasted later, in order to avoid extra Reload.

Another issue is, what is going on in the /var/cache/apt/archives folder, I add this here as it may have to do with the problem. I have discovered, although “Preferences > Files > Temporary Files” is enabled, many packages have disappeared after some time. Cleaners like Computer Janitor have not been used, so what may be the reason? In particular I have discovered that after creating a CD with APTonCD, after the procedure many packages had disappeared.

The documentation of Synaptic, APTonCD, and Lucid manual are not so very detailed as I could find a solution there, an intensive launchpad research is difficult for me with the weak Internet, what I have found there did not help me. So, what to do?

related bugs:
Ubuntu> Questions> Question #46846
“E:Failed to mount the cdrom"

Bug #159721 reported by ivan on 2007-11-03 (Activity log)
“E: Cannot find filename or size tag”

Solved Solved Question #36719, asked on 2008-06-19
"Cannot find filename or size tag"

Bug #268673 reported by Bimal J Rekhadiya on 2008-09-10 (Activity log)
"E: Cannot find filename or size tag"

Ubuntu Forums HOWTO : Solve AptOnCD error - September 13th, 2008
"E: Cannot find filename or size tag"

Ubuntu>synapticp package>Questions>Question #117856
“E: Malformed line 54 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)”

#579110 is related, the difference is: I cannot mount any removable media at all !!!

[Walter Garcia-Fontes (walter-garcia)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This bug did not have a package associated with it, which is important for ensuring that it gets looked at by the proper developers. You can learn more about finding the right package at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage . I have classified this bug as a bug in APTonCD.

Please also execute the following command, as it will automatically gather debugging information, in a terminal:
apport-collect 841881

When reporting bugs in the future please use apport by using 'ubuntu-bug' and the name of the package affected. You can learn more about this functionality at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs.

[Laudeci Oliveira (laudeci)]

APTONCD just copy packages from your apt archives folder in
/var/cache/apt/archives and it does't remove any package from your system.
If you copy packages by hand from aptoncd to /var/cache/apt/archive you
will need to update apt database using apt-get update, this way it will
recognize newer packages and will not download existent packages from
internet.

I don't see any bug here related to APTonCD or synaptic.

2011/9/8 Walter Garcia-Fontes <email address hidden>

> Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make
> Ubuntu better. This bug did not have a package associated with it, which
> is important for ensuring that it gets looked at by the proper
> developers. You can learn more about finding the right package at
> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage . I have classified this
> bug as a bug in APTonCD.
>
> Please also execute the following command, as it will automatically gather
> debugging information, in a terminal:
> apport-collect 841881
>
> When reporting bugs in the future please use apport by using 'ubuntu-
> bug' and the name of the package affected. You can learn more about this
> functionality at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs.
>
> ** Package changed: ubuntu => aptoncd
>
> ** Changed in: aptoncd
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of APTonCD-
> Dev Team, which is subscribed to APTonCD.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/841881
>
> Title:
> installing packages from file: Synaptic APTonCD
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/aptoncd/+bug/841881/+subscriptions
>

[Jochen (hajoeg)]

Thank you Laudeci Oliveira and Walter Garcia-Fontes for the fast reply.
Laudeci Oliveira is surely right in so far as this is not a bug against APTonCD, but it may be related to Synaptic, at least the error messages

E:Failed to mount the cdrom
E: Malformed line 55 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)
E: Unable to lock the list directory
E: Malformed line 55 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)
E: The list of sources could not be read.
Go to the repository dialogue to correct the problem.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report.

appear in a “Synaptic or Software Sources” process so “Synaptic or Software Sources” is concerned. But I have the impression as it seems to be a communication problem between “Synaptic or Software Sources ” and the files either on CD or on the HD, the problem may be even outside of it, maybe in incorrect mounting of the CD drive (but shows up correctly in the file manager), or the kernel. It may also be, that it is depending on the hardware and does not appear an all machines.
This is the reason why I have not associated a package with it, just simply I did not know which one is the right one.

I have tried to used 'ubuntu-> bug' but, it got stuck in the slow internet, so I am happy when I can manage to send it at least “manually” (just only log in may cost me an hour of time). At least something came out, I post it as attachment.

Anyway, there is at least some development, concerning to add a CD/DVD to Synaptic. I have discovered a hint, posted by Kwok Ho Yin on 27.10.2010 in Bug #602945
He says to use the command

sudo synaptic --add-cdrom /media/APTonCD/

and that has really helped me, Synaptic has accepted the APTonCD. But this is surely only a hint and not a permanent solution of the problem, it should also work on the regular way. By the way, in Hardy Heron I had the same problem when trying to copy a CD/DVD to the cache folder, I got the message “E:Failed to mount the cdrom”. But the problem seems to be fixed in APTonCD, in Lucid it is not existing any more. It may be worth checking there first was has caused it.

Remaining is the problem that packages from the HD cannot be added to the Software Sources , there about some further experiences:

Trying to add packages in “/home/xy/Pakete/aktuell/” , the Software Sources have accepted that command line as shown in the screenshot (see attachment), but when pressing the Reload button these messages appear (in German, but you can guess what it is):

W: Fehlschlag beim Holen von file:/home/xy/Pakete/aktuell/dists/lucid/main/binary-i386/Packages.gz Datei nicht gefunden

W: Einige Indexdateien konnten nicht heruntergeladen werden, sie wurden ignoriert oder alte an ihrer Stelle benutzt.

Obviously the system is adding something to the path: “dists/lucid/main/binary-i386/Packages.gz”.
The file Packages.gz exists in “/aktuell”

In order to proceed I suggest this: I have shortened the text of the bug, deleting all what had to do with the cache folder and the deleted packages. I have learned meanwhile that the problem seems to be the update manager and not ATPonCD. Walter Garcia-Fontes should remove it from APTonCD to ...I do not know, may...

[Jochen (hajoeg)]

Additionallly to my last comment I want to report about this:

An APTonCD was added to the source manager in Synaptic, using the method as discribed in my last comment:

sudo synaptic --add-cdrom /media/APTonCD/

The source manager has accepted the CD, Synaptic was updated and the packages were shown in Synaptic as origin from APTonCD. Trying to install inkscape resulted in the error messages

"file not found"

see attachment inkscapeinstall.txt.

The CD is mounted in the system and the file manager shows the content correctly, the files are existing on the CD, but nevertheless Synaptic cannot access them. See attachment screenshot.png

Where is the problem?

[Jochen (hajoeg)]

I write this new comment in order to proceed finally with this bug. I still found it in the state of being incomplete, i.e. needs more information. On the other hand it was classified for APTonCD what may have been unsuitable, so I have now changed that to apt, although I am not sure if that can help. For an ordinary UBUNTU user without any special knowledge it is very difficult to make a proper assignment in this case. Concerned are at least Synaptic, APT, APTonCD, apt-get, software-properties-gtk. The Problem occurs in all those situations when packages should be copied or installed from a APTonCD disk.

Since my recent reports (Lucid) from 2011-09-05 and 2011-09-16 I have a fresh install of Precise and unfortunately the problem principaly persits. Different is only the way it shows up. For instance I try to add a APTonCD disk in the source manager and it is accepted (the message “E:Failed to mount the cdrom” does not appear anymore). Reload in Synaptic is also sucessful, I can hear the disk moving, and the packages are listed correctly. However, when selecting some and trying to install them a message pops up asking to insert the APTonCD disk into the drive /media/cdrom . Well, the disk is already in the drive, but the drive is mounted as /media/APT. Interestingly, Synaptic has read the content file of the disk from that media/APT mount point, but it refused to read the packages from there, the message appears again and again.

Now, in order to escape from that problem I have created with root rights a folder "cdrom" in "/media", which was not existing before. Than mounted the APTonCD with the command "sudo mount --bind /media/APTonCD /media/cdrom". Surprisingly that has worked once, though on another computer which has the same symptoms as described but I could install some packages. When I tried the same on mine, it did not work, I got only the message "insert the APTonCD disk into the drive /media/cdrom....."

The problem is obviously that apt-get expects the APTonCD disk in "/media/cdrom" but it is actually mounted in "/media/APT". I have added also a copy of my fstab file, there is nothing to see about an CD entry, I do not know if there should be one. The fstab is unchanged since the system has been installed from the UBUNTU CD.
When the bug is still in status incomplete, I have given as information as much as I could. All UBUNTU machines on which I have worked until now have shown the same symptoms, but in case it cannot be reproduced elsewhere, I do not know what... at least I need some hints and advices from the development team where to start some more detailed research on the problem.