Update manager "Could not initialize the package information"

[rob baskerville]

Hi, my Xubuntu asked me to submit this bug.

I am running Xubuntu 12.04. I recently re-installed over an existing installation of the same version to fix a wi-fi issue. It is running ok now except for the update-manager (and also Synaptic and Software centre won't work).

The error I get when running update-manager is shown below:

Could not initialize the package information

An unresolvable problem occurred while initialising the package information.

Please report this bug against the 'update-manager' package and include the following error message:

'E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/backports.debian.org_debian-backports_dists_precise-backports_main_binary-amd64_Packages, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'

I tried getting more information using ubuntu-bug, but got this error:

(apport-gtk:2882): Gtk-CRITICAL **: gtk_main_quit: assertion `main_loops != NULL' failed

I have tried changing the repository source server, but this did not help.

Please ask for any information you need on my hardware or software.

Cheers,

Rob

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Reviewing your bug report it seems that you are experiencing bug 346386. This issue happens when you have tried to update your package information when you are a network that didn't return the right files. This issue can be cleaned up by using the following commands in a terminal:

1.) sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/*
2.) sudo apt-get update

Thanks and good luck!

[This is an automated message. I apologize if it reached you inappropriately; please reopen the bug task if it was incorrect.]