'E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'

[Monfort Florian]

Binary package hint: update-manager

When I launch the update Manager, I've got the following message :

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/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'

Whiwh means I can't launch any update.

I am using Natty.

An other thing that might help :

monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$ apt-cache policy update-manager
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$

[RedSingularity (redsingularity)]

First, lets try reinstalling:

sudo apt-get autoremove --purge update-manager

then

sudo apt-get install update-manager

See if it works properly after that.

[Monfort Florian (florian-monfort)]

On Sun, 2011-03-20 at 18:12 +0000, RedSingularity wrote:
> First, lets try reinstalling:
>
> sudo apt-get autoremove --purge update-manager
>
> then
>
> sudo apt-get install update-manager
>
> See if it works properly after that.
>
> ** Changed in: update-manager (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>

Here is the first result :

monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$ sudo apt-get autoremove --purge
update-manager
[sudo] password for monfort:
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with
MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$

[RedSingularity (redsingularity)]

Post the output of:

ls -l /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en

[Monfort Florian (florian-monfort)]

Here is the output requested :

monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$ ls -l /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 219 2011-03-18 09:19 /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en
monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$

[RedSingularity (redsingularity)]

Thanks. Now try:

sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en

and then:

sudo apt-get autoremove --purge update-manager

[Monfort Florian (florian-monfort)]

On Sun, 2011-03-20 at 19:40 +0000, RedSingularity wrote:
> Thanks. Now try:
>
> sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu
> .com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en
>
> and then:
>
> sudo apt-get autoremove --purge update-manager
>

Here is the result :

monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$ sudo
rm /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en
[sudo] password for monfort:
monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$ sudo apt-get autoremove --purge
update-manager
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with
MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en%5fUS
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$

[RedSingularity (redsingularity)]

Remove that one too:

sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en%5fUS

And try the uninstall again.

[Monfort Florian (florian-monfort)]

Result :

monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$ sudo rm
/var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en%5fUS
monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$ sudo apt-get autoremove --purge
update-manager
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList
/var/lib/apt/lists/archive.canonical.com_dists_natty_partner_i18n_Translation-en
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$

2011/3/21 RedSingularity <email address hidden>

> Remove that one too:
>
> sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu
> .com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en%5fUS
>
> And try the uninstall again.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/738677
>
> Title:
> 'E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with
> MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu
> .com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en, E:The package lists
> or status file could not be parsed or opened.'
>
> Status in “update-manager” package in Ubuntu:
> Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: update-manager
>
> When I launch the update Manager, I've got the following message :
>
> 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/extras.ubuntu
> .com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en, E:The package lists
> or status file could not be parsed or opened.'
>
> Whiwh means I can't launch any update.
>
> I am using Natty.
>
> An other thing that might help :
>
>
> monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$ apt-cache policy update-manager
> E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
> E: Problem with MergeList
> /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en
> E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
> monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+bug/738677/+subscribe
>

[RedSingularity (redsingularity)]

Ok, lets just take care of the whole directory:

sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/* -vf

then try updating:

sudo apt-get update

then try to use the update-manager

[Monfort Florian (florian-monfort)]

It worked ! Thanks :)

2011/3/21 RedSingularity <email address hidden>

> Ok, lets just take care of the whole directory:
>
> sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/* -vf
>
> then try updating:
>
> sudo apt-get update
>
> then try to use the update-manager
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/738677
>
> Title:
> 'E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with
> MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu
> .com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en, E:The package lists
> or status file could not be parsed or opened.'
>
> Status in “update-manager” package in Ubuntu:
> Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: update-manager
>
> When I launch the update Manager, I've got the following message :
>
> 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/extras.ubuntu
> .com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en, E:The package lists
> or status file could not be parsed or opened.'
>
> Whiwh means I can't launch any update.
>
> I am using Natty.
>
> An other thing that might help :
>
>
> monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$ apt-cache policy update-manager
> E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
> E: Problem with MergeList
> /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_i18n_Translation-en
> E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
> monfort@monfort-Aspire-5500:~$
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+bug/738677/+subscribe
>

[RedSingularity (redsingularity)]

Glad its working. Thanks for reporting this and feel free to do so again in the future! Closing.

[Suveer Arora (suveerarora1)]

same problem occured in my system too.. bt followed d procedure n see now its working !! thnx...

[irfan (irfan20uk)]

I too faced the same bug but thank you now, it fixed by the way you suggested.

[James Womack (james-c-womack)]

This fixed my problem with not being able to update in Natty.

What are we actually deleting in the /var/lib/apt/lists/ directory?

Thanks.

[RedSingularity (redsingularity)]

This is actually a duplicate of bug 346386.