Handle a broken cache better in the apt(daemon) clients having a local cache

[sanjay dey]

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_natty_main_binary-i386_Packages, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'
I am using ubuntu 11.04 which i installed via update manager

Now what happens is that when ever i try to open update manager or synaptic package manager i get the above mentioned error for which i cannot upgrade anymore

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Freddie Morales Torres (serrot-selarom-deactivatedaccount)]

Also affecting amd64 (Using 11.04 which I installed via CD image)
This came up as I was trying to install packages via Terminal

Command used -
sudo apt-get install <package.deb>

Error -
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/eg.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_binary-amd64_Packages

Also
Ubuntu Software Center "hangs" searching for software under each :Department" in "Get Software" and also "Installed Software"
- unsure if this relates

[Sebastian Heinlein (glatzor)]

Delete the file /var/lib/apt/lists/in.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_binary-i386_Packages and update the package cache.

"sudo apt-get update" or "aptdcon --refresh"

[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/*Packages
 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.]

[Ray Lance (ray-lances)]

The suggested solution, rm /var/lib/apt/lists/*Packages, did not work for me.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

You also need to remove *Release.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

The underlying problem here is with apt and is documented in bug 346386 which I will mark this a duplicate of.