could not initiate package info

[Wan]

W:Encountered status field in a non-version description, E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList /var/lib/dpkg/status, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

[Chris Crisafulli (itnet7)]

Thanks for taking the time to report this bug in effort to help improve Ubuntu. Can you please give us a little more information to help us narrow down your issue?

What version of Ubuntu are you currently running?
Please attach the output of the following command: sudo aptitude show synaptic , (if you want you can cut and paste into gedit and attach it here as a .txt file.)

Can you also check to see if you have this file on your system: /var/lib/dpkg/lock, if it's present you can try to do the following: sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock && sudo apt-get update . If it isn't present then just reply with the other info and I will ask you try something else.

Please back up any important files that you might think you may need later.

Chris

[Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson)]

This sounds like a corrupt status file. Please attach your /var/lib/dpkg/status file to this bug report.

Thanks

[Chris Crisafulli (itnet7)]

Chris Coulson,

That is what I was thinking to, If Wan doesn't have the lock file I was going to ask Wan to rename the /var/lib/dpkg/status to /var/lib/dpkg/status-broken, then try and apt-get update again.

sudo mv /var/lib/dpkg/status /var/lib/dpkg/status-broken && sudo apt-get update

Thanks,

Chris C.

[Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson)]

No, don't move /var/lib/dpkg/status out of the way. dpkg needs it to work, and moving it out of the way might break the system even more than it already is. If the file is corrupt, then it needs to be repaired

[Chris Crisafulli (itnet7)]

I don't see an offending line to fix in what he has pasted, is there a utility that allows that type of repair then?

[Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson)]

Nope, but sometimes it is obvious where the corruption in the file is, and the file can be hand-edited accordingly to get it to a state where dpkg works again. I've done it successfully a couple of times before.

Definately don't move the file out of the way or delete it though. The status file tells dpkg what packages are installed on the system.