[MASTER] update-manager should deal with corrupted debs better

[Brian Murray]

Binary package hint: update-manager

In the event that update-manager runs into a corrupted package like so:

dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/xulrunner-1.9_1.9.0.5+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.8.10.1_i386.deb (--unpack):
 corrupted filesystem tarfile - corrupted package archive

or possibly

dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic_2.6.27-7.16_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess dpkg-deb --fsys-tarfile returned error exit status 2

or

dpkg-deb: `/var/cache/apt/archives/libswscale0_4%3a0.5+svn20090706-2ubuntu2_i386.deb' is not a debian format archive

I think it would be a better idea if update-manager were to delete the deb from the cache and try downloading it again.

== workaround ==
Please execute the following commands, as it will clear your package cache, in a terminal ( Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal ) :

sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get update

Then try performing the update again. This will likely resolve your issue.

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

Thanks for your bugreport.

A corrupted deb should never make it on the harddisk, when it gets download we check md5/sha256 sum and if that does not match we delete it. Now either this check is sometimes broken (I doubt that, but its possible) or its actually filesystem corruption that manifests itself in this error message

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Here' a list of open apport-package bugs containing the phrase "corrupted package archive" that might be worth investigating:

bug 297030
bug 297766
bug 305954
bug 306190
bug 310403
bug 311154
bug 312516
bug 312742
bug 315274
bug 315282
bug 317086
bug 318173
bug 318194
bug 320743
bug 322992
bug 323396
bug 323421
bug 325498
bug 325636
bug 326136
bug 328233

[Dave Gilbert (ubuntu-treblig)]

The fact there are so many reports of corrupt archives makes me think this request is sensible; I'm guessing most of them are bad hardware?

[Andres Mujica (andres.mujica)]

this is new round of bugs with the same issue

https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bugs?field.searchtext=dpkg-deb+--fsys-tarfile&orderby=-datecreated&search=Search&field.status%3Alist=NEW&field.status%3Alist=INCOMPLETE_WITH_RESPONSE&field.status%3Alist=INCOMPLETE_WITHOUT_RESPONSE&field.status%3Alist=CONFIRMED&field.status%3Alist=TRIAGED&field.status%3Alist=INPROGRESS&field.status%3Alist=FIXCOMMITTED&field.assignee=&field.bug_reporter=&field.omit_dupes=on&field.has_patch=&field.has_no_package=

should we move them as dupes from this bug? or is possible to make a bug pattern to filter them before they hit LP?

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

I'm adding an apt task because it could also be fixed at this level.

[Thomas Kiss (szbnwer)]

hello

 thanks for your answer, I made that you said, but it only reported fewer
errors after the cleaning and updating, so I deleted the whole .vdi file and
made a new only with a lubuntu...
however I think if anybody wants to put an xfce4 environment next to an lxde
than they won't work correctly like in my virtual machine(, where I only
wanted to test the systems for my girlfriend who have a not too 'strong'
machine with a xubuntu)

all the bests, Thomas

[Micah Gersten (micahg)]

Marking this triaged as there appears to be enough information here.