Binary package hint: adept-updater
Pertinent data printed when attempting to run Updater as follows:
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/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_intrepid_universe_binary-amd64_Packages, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'
WORKAROUND:
Remove problematic files from /var/lib/apt/lists/ and rerun apt-get update.
In the event that one is connected to a network with a proxy server that returns html pages (like a web page requesting you to login) and not package list files. Those html files will get downloaded to /var/lib/apt/lists/ and prevent someone from using a package manager until the problem html pages are removed.
TEST CASE:
1) download the dummy-proxy attachment from this bug report
2) run dummy-proxy (python dummy-proxy) on a precise system (this simulates a proxy that is not allowing access to archive.ubuntu.com and gives you garbage html instead)
2.5) Execute 'sudo -i' in a terminal
3) Execute 'http_proxy=http://localhost:8080 apt-get update' in same terminal
4) Observe the following error messages in your terminal:
W: GPG error: http://archive.ubuntu.com precise InRelease: File /var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_InRelease doesn't start with a clearsigned message
W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/multiverse/i18n/Index No Hash entry in Release file /var/lib/apt/lists/partial/ archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_multiverse_i18n_Index
W: Failed to fetch gzip:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_multiverse_source_Sources Encountered a section with no Package: header
5) Stop dummy-proxy
6) Execute 'sudo apt-get update' in a terminal
7) Observe the following error message:
Reading package lists... Done
W: GPG error: http://archive.ubuntu.com precise Release: The following signatures were invalid: BADSIG 40976EAF437D05B5 Ubuntu Archive Automatic Signing Key <email address hidden>
8) Remove the problematic files in /var/lib/apt/lists (sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/*)
Install apt from -proposed
1) run dummy-proxy (python dummy-proxy) on a precise system (this simulates a proxy that is not allowing access to archive.ubuntu.com and gives you garbarge html instead)
1.5) Execute 'sudo -i' in a terminal
2) Execute 'http_proxy=http://localhost:8080 apt-get update' in same terminal
3) Observe the following error messages in your terminal:
W: A error occurred during the signature verification. The repository is not updated and the previous index files will be used. GPG error: http:// archive.ubuntu.com precise Release: The following signatures were invalid: NODATA 1 NODATA 2
W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/Release
W: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.
4) Stop dummy-proxy
5) Execute 'sudo apt-get update' in a terminal
6) Observe the update succeed
I confirm this bug. It started today.
2.6.28-11-generic #42-Ubuntu SMP Fri Apr 17 01:57:59 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux
All updates done. Proposed NOT enabled.
It prevents Synaptic and Update-Manager GUIs to run. They shut down upon encountering the error.
From terminal it looks like this:
$ sudo aptitude update apt/lists/ ftp.heanet. ie_pub_ ubuntu_ dists_jaunty- updates_ main_binary- i386_Packages apt/lists/ ftp.heanet. ie_pub_ ubuntu_ dists_jaunty- updates_ main_binary- i386_Packages
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
apt-get returns the same
Update Manager returns more or less the same in the GUI:
'E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList /var/lib/ apt/lists/ ftp.heanet. ie_pub_ ubuntu_ dists_jaunty- updates_ main_binary- i386_Packages, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'
It is a duplicate of https:/ /bugs.launchpad .net/bugs/ 358012 reported in Synaptic. And it is not repository specific as suggested in some places.
It is an old bug it seems, fixed in 2003, that has come back: bugs.debian. org/cgi- bin/bugreport. cgi?bug= 195301 - where it says:
http://
"This bug was fixed in 0.8.5 with the help of Matt Zimmermann."
Following these instructions works for some (from http:// oclug.on. ca/archives/ linux/2007- February/ 001056. html):
cd /var/lib/dpkg
sudo mv status status-bad
sudo cp status-old status
sudo apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
For others this was also needed:
sudo rm -f /var/lib/dpkg/lock
While for the rest of us nothing seems to work so far!
In other words: CONFIRMED