apt crashes during update, in /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7

[h2g2bob]

Binary package hint: apt

I get a segfault when doing a apt-get update (or update-manager -c, etc)

The segfault happens after this line is printed (stacktrace below)
Reading package lists... 0%

I tried clearing out my /var/lib/apt/lists/ files and fetching from scratch, this failed the first time, but succeeded later (perhaps it was a duff file on the server, but that shouldn't crash it).

Infuriatingly, doing a diff of /var/lib/apt/lists/ from when it was broken and when it was fixed shows no differences!

root@iffish:~# apt-get -v
apt 0.7.20.2ubuntu6 for i386 compiled on Apr 17 2009 04:25:29
Supported modules:
*Ver: Standard .deb
*Pkg: Debian dpkg interface (Priority 30)
 S.L: 'deb' Standard Debian binary tree
 S.L: 'deb-src' Standard Debian source tree
 Idx: Debian Source Index
 Idx: Debian Package Index
 Idx: Debian Translation Index
 Idx: Debian dpkg status file

root@iffish:~# gdb apt-get
GNU gdb 6.8-debian
Copyright (C) 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. Type "show copying"
and "show warranty" for details.
This GDB was configured as "i486-linux-gnu"...
(no debugging symbols found)
(gdb) r update
Starting program: /usr/bin/apt-get update
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security Release.gpg
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/restricted Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty Release.gpg
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/universe Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Hit http://wine.budgetdedicated.com jaunty Release.gpg
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates Release.gpg
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/restricted Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/universe Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security Release
Ign http://wine.budgetdedicated.com jaunty/main Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates Release
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Packages
Hit http://wine.budgetdedicated.com jaunty Release
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/restricted Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/restricted Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/universe Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/universe Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/multiverse Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/multiverse Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/multiverse Packages
Ign http://wine.budgetdedicated.com jaunty/main Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/multiverse Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/restricted Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/universe Packages
Hit http://wine.budgetdedicated.com jaunty/main Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/universe Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/multiverse Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/multiverse Sources
Reading package lists... 0%
Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
0xb7d1e5eb in strlen () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
(gdb) bt
#0 0xb7d1e5eb in strlen () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
#1 0xb7ed4b33 in std::string::compare () from /usr/lib/libstdc++.so.6
#2 0xb7fd31df in debPackagesIndex::FindInCache () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#3 0xb7f9a372 in ?? () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#4 0xb7f9aae0 in pkgMakeStatusCache () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#5 0xb7f910c9 in pkgCacheFile::BuildCaches () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#6 0x080538da in ?? ()
#7 0xb7f5accf in CommandLine::DispatchArg () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#8 0x0805bc38 in ?? ()
#9 0xb7cbd775 in __libc_start_main () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
#10 0x0804cdb1 in ?? ()
(gdb) q
The program is running. Exit anyway? (y or n) y

[Torsten Spindler (tspindler)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu. Ubuntu 9.04 reached EOL in October 2010.
Please see this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

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