update manager could not initialize package information

[Carla Sella]

After a fresh install of Precise Pangolin with live usb key, I installed updates, rebooted and now when checking for updates I get this error message in a window with this title: "Could not initialize the package information":

E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_main_i18n_Translation-en, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'

[Carla Sella (carla-sella)]

When I tried to add info to this bug report got this output:

root@carla-K52F:/home/carla# ubuntu-bug -u 989528
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/apport/apport-gtk", line 512, in <module>
    app.run_argv()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apport/ui.py", line 545, in run_argv
    return self.run_update_report()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apport/ui.py", line 433, in run_update_report
    apport.packaging.get_version(p)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apport/packaging_impl.py", line 92, in get_version
    pkg = self._apt_pkg(package)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apport/packaging_impl.py", line 85, in _apt_pkg
    return self._cache()[package]
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apport/packaging_impl.py", line 53, in _cache
    self._apt_cache = apt.Cache(progress, rootdir='/')
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apt/cache.py", line 102, in __init__
    self.open(progress)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apt/cache.py", line 145, in open
    self._cache = apt_pkg.Cache(progress)
SystemError: E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_main_i18n_Translation-en, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

This is the hardware I'm having the prolem on:
carla-k52f
    description: Notebook
    product: K52F ()
    vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
    version: 1.0
    serial: A7N0AS40976830
    width: 64 bits
    capabilities: smbios-2.6 dmi-2.6 vsyscall32
    configuration: boot=normal chassis=notebook uuid=80E82299-2395-DF81-3B3B-20CF3022B72D
  *-core
       description: Motherboard
       product: K52F
       vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
       physical id: 0
       version: 1.0
       serial: BSN12345678901234567
       slot: MIDDLE
     *-firmware
          description: BIOS
          vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
          physical id: 0
          version: K52F.208
          date: 05/06/2010
          size: 64KiB
          capacity: 1984KiB
          capabilities: pci upgrade shadowing cdboot bootselect edd int13floppy1200 int13floppy720 int13floppy2880 int5printscreen int9keyboard int14serial int17printer acpi usb smartbattery biosbootspecification
     *-cpu
          description: CPU
          product: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 350 @ 2.27GHz
          vendor: Intel Corp.
          physical id: 4
          bus info: cpu@0
          version: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 350 @ 2.27GH
          serial: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
          slot: Socket 989
          size: 933MHz
          capacity: 4GHz
          width: 64 bits
          clock: 533MHz
          capabilities: x86-64 fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx rdtscp constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm sse4_1 sse4_2 popcnt lahf_lm arat tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid cpufreq
          configuration: cores=2 enabledcores=1 threads=2
        *-cache:0
   ...

[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/*
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.]

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[annalisa cangemi (nali901)]

ciao! premettendo che non conosco linux perché lo uso solo da pochi mesi. Non riesco ad aprire il software center e nella scrivania in alto mi appare un simbolo di divieto con questa dicitura:

E: Problem with MergeList / var / lib /apt / lists /extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_main_binary-386_packages, E:

come posso rimediare da sola?
grazie

[Ningning Li (seefahrt-2009)]

Thank you, I have the same problem.