Update manager Could not initialize the package information

[mfr1003]

I got an error message reading the following:

'E:Type '--2009-03-26' is not known on line 1 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/winehq.list, E:The list of sources could not be read.'

I think I made a mistake with a source list. is this common? update manager said to report this bug, so here I am. Be happy to answer any questions, but thats about all the info I have.

[Daniel Ejsing-Duun (zilvador)]

I don't know wether to make a new one or continue on this, since it's old and no one answered, but the same error just happened to me.

Error message (In Spanish. Translation below if necessary):

"'E:leídos, todavía debía leer 6701508 pero no queda nada, E:No se pudieron analizar o abrir las listas de paquetes o el archivo de estado.'"

"E: read, 6701508 should still be read, bu there is nothing left. E: It wasn't possible to analyse or open the package lists or the status archive."

I hope someone sees this.

[A.K.Karthikeyan (mindaslab)]

Think this bug has affected me too.

OS Ubuntu 10.04, 32 bit, here is what it says

Could not initialize the package information

An unresolvable problem occurred while initializing 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/in.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_lucid-updates_multiverse_binary-i386_Packages, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'

I am stuck. Some one help please.

[resonator (resonator)]

I get a similar problem as A.K.Karthikeyan on Ubuntu 10.10:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Could not initialize the package information

An unresolvable problem occurred while initializing the package information.

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

'E:Unable to parse package file /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_maverick-updates_main_binary-amd64_Packages (1), E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

update-manager worked fine a few weeks ago.

[resonator (resonator)]

I found a solution at:

https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+question/65788

What I did:
In a terminal, enter:
sudo gksu --desktop /usr/share/applications/software-properties.desktop /usr/bin/software-properties-gtk

Then I switched software sources from US to main

Then, in the terminal:
sudo apt-get install -f

update manager now seems to work.

Would anyone mind explaining what happened?

Thanks.

[Erick Aqua (diggmee)]

I have faced the same problem earlier today and the solution that fixed it for me was posted at:

http://www.linux2aix.com/linux/ubuntu/ubuntu-1104-update-manager-could-not-initialize-the-package-information.html

I hope this help some one.

Enjoy,
Erick