update-apt-xapian-index crashes with IndexError: list index out of range

[Nick B.]

Running sudo update-apt-xapian-index --force --update ends up crashing

sudo update-apt-xapian-index --force --update
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/ppa.launchpad.net_byobu_ppa_ubuntu_dists_yakkety_main_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety-security_multiverse_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety_universe_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.canonical.com_ubuntu_dists_yakkety_partner_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/ppa.launchpad.net_rvm_smplayer_ubuntu_dists_yakkety_main_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety-updates_multiverse_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety-updates_universe_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety-updates_restricted_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety-security_main_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety-security_restricted_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety_multiverse_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety-security_universe_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/ppa.launchpad.net_mkusb_ppa_ubuntu_dists_yakkety_main_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety-backports_main_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety-backports_universe_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/ppa.launchpad.net_psi-plus_ppa_ubuntu_dists_yakkety_main_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety_restricted_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety_main_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading en translations from /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.us.leaseweb.net_ubuntu_dists_yakkety-updates_main_i18n_Translation-en: done.
Reading Xapian index: done.
Updating Xapian index... 70%Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/sbin/update-apt-xapian-index", line 109, in <module>
    indexer.incrementalUpdate()
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/axi/indexer.py", line 706, in incrementalUpdate
    self.updateIndex(dbpath)
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/axi/indexer.py", line 685, in updateIndex
    db.replace_document(outdated[pkg.name], self.get_document_from_apt(pkg))
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/axi/indexer.py", line 543, in get_document_from_apt
    addon.obj.index(document, pkg)
  File "/usr/share/apt-xapian-index/plugins/relations.py", line 130, in index
    self._index_rel(pfx, val, document)
  File "/usr/share/apt-xapian-index/plugins/relations.py", line 114, in _index_rel
    doc.add_term(pfx + name.split(None, 1)[0])
IndexError: list index out of range

Description: Ubuntu 16.10
Release: 16.10

Expected result: update-apt-xapian-index should not crash
Actual result: update-apt-xxapian-index crashes every time.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.10
Package: apt-xapian-index 0.47ubuntu11
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.8.0-39.42-generic 4.8.17
Uname: Linux 4.8.0-39-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.3-0ubuntu8.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Thu Mar 2 21:52:29 2017
InstallationDate: Installed on 2011-10-22 (1958 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: apt-xapian-index
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to yakkety on 2016-10-14 (140 days ago)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[dino99 (9d9)]

This is an unsupported release now. Please think to install the next LTS 'Bionic 18.04'

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-next/daily-live/current/
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2018/02/ubuntu-18-04-minimal-install-option

[Simon Quigley (tsimonq2)]

Marking as Invalid because the release is EOL is not correct. Marking as Incomplete. Also, 18.04 is (at the time of writing) still in development, and you should expect some breakage.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Responses#Release_has_reached_End_of_Life_.28EOL.29

Reporter, is this still present on 17.10 or 16.04?

[Nick B. (futurepilot)]

It is still an issue on 17.10 but I discovered it seemed to have been triggered by a specific package in a local LAN repo I am using. Once I removed the package from the repo it stopped crashing. However, I have been unable to determine what exactly about the package was causing it to crash which I would still think is a bug as apt-xapian-index should probably handle bad packages more gracefully.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for apt-xapian-index (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]