apt-get: segmentation fault (jaunty)

[Edmundo]

I last upgraded this morning. Now, apt-get fails when I try to do one update/upgrade/whatever (clean does work).

Here's a backtrace:
Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
0xb7c4e5eb in strlen () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
(gdb) backtrace
#0 0xb7cac5eb in strlen () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
#1 0xb7e62b33 in std::string::compare () from /usr/lib/libstdc++.so.6
#2 0xb7f611df in debPackagesIndex::FindInCache () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#3 0xb7f28372 in ?? () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#4 0xb7f28ae0 in pkgMakeStatusCache () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#5 0xb7f1f0c9 in pkgCacheFile::BuildCaches () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#6 0x080538da in ?? ()
#7 0xb7ee8ccf in CommandLine::DispatchArg () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#8 0x0805bc38 in ?? ()
#9 0xb7c4b775 in __libc_start_main () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
#10 0x0804cdb1 in ?? ()

[Edmundo (eantoranz)]

I don't know if this will help you somehow.

I was using colombian repositories
http://co.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/
..... I switched to venezuelan repositories and then I was able to use apt again.
http://ve.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/

(thank god for sed)

[TJ (tj)]

From the debugging we were doing on #ubuntu+1 it looks like the archive mirror update process may have been responsible for a temporary glitch in some of the files apt was relying upon.

http://co.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/

Index of /ubuntu

[ICO] Name Last modified Size
[DIR] Parent Directory -
[ ] Archive-Update-in-Progress-drescher.canonical.com 12-Mar-2009 13:58 1
[ ] Archive-Update-in-Progress-syowa.canonical.com 12-Mar-2009 12:06 1
[DIR] dists/ 04-Dec-2008 22:08 -
[DIR] indices/ 12-Mar-2009 14:03 -
[ ] ls-lR.gz 12-Mar-2009 13:42 6.4M
[DIR] pool/ 14-Jan-2008 22:05 -
[DIR] project/ 13-Feb-2008 14:39 -

Apache/2.2.8 (Ubuntu) Server at co.archive.ubuntu.com Port 80

[Edmundo (eantoranz)]

I just hit the same problem again. Does anybody want me to do
something so I can get some info for you before I switch repos to see
if it solves the problem again?

[Edmundo (eantoranz)]

This is the backtrace from apt-get update

#0 0xb7cb35eb in strlen () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
#1 0xb7e69b33 in std::string::compare () from /usr/lib/libstdc++.so.6
#2 0xb7f681df in debPackagesIndex::FindInCache () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#3 0xb7f2f372 in ?? () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#4 0xb7f2fae0 in pkgMakeStatusCache () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#5 0xb7f260c9 in pkgCacheFile::BuildCaches () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#6 0x080538da in ?? ()
#7 0xb7eefccf in CommandLine::DispatchArg () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#8 0x0805bc38 in ?? ()
#9 0xb7c52775 in __libc_start_main () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
#10 0x0804cdb1 in ?? ()

And this is from apt-cache search mplayer
#0 0xb7d3f5eb in strlen () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
#1 0xb7ef6b33 in std::string::compare () from /usr/lib/libstdc++.so.6
#2 0xb7ff01df in debPackagesIndex::FindInCache () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#3 0xb7fb7372 in ?? () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#4 0xb7fb7ae0 in pkgMakeStatusCache () from /usr/lib/libapt-pkg-libc6.9-6.so.4.7
#5 0x0804e3ab in ?? ()
#6 0xb7cde775 in __libc_start_main () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
#7 0x0804aa11 in ?? ()

[Edmundo (eantoranz)]

Well.... I just switched the repos and I got a seg fault. What can I do then?

[Timo Jyrinki (timo-jyrinki)]

Try to get a tarball of /var/lib/apt (and possibly /var/lib/dpkg)

[Timo Jyrinki (timo-jyrinki)]

There was some discussion on IRC regarding the problem, and that was the instruction given back then. The issue is apparently somehow related to a server having it's Ubuntu contents updated. I don't know if someone would be interested in those tarballs, though also even the /var/lib/apt can be quite big I think (unless it compresses really well with gzip).

[Edmundo (eantoranz)]

I made bz2 files.

dpkg.bz2 is less than 6 MBs.... but apt.bz2 is like 21 MBs. And from
the last post I think they are not necessary anymore, right?

So.... let's suppose it's a repo synchronization issue.... why does
apt explode anyway? Shouldn't apt handle the problem (once detected)
gracefully?

[Edmundo (eantoranz)]

I was able to "bypass" the problem... but I had to delete both
pkgcache.bin and srcpkgcache.bin in order to be able to update (and
etc.) successfully.

[Pablo Marchant (pamarca)]

I also had this problem. The update manager kept complaining about a corrupted cache for over 2 weeks and finally today it started to segfault.Update-manager, apt-get, aptitude, all failed to work properly, so i went and removed apt cache like you did:

sudo rm -f /var/cache/apt/*.bin

and this fixed it...Though this solved it, I think there should be a more friendly way over this...

[Johan Sköld (johan-skold)]

I have the same problem. Running "apt-get update" fixed it. Not sure what causes it though.

[Johan Sköld (johan-skold)]

Update: It seems I spoke to soon, it did not fix it this time. However an "apt-get clean" followed by "dpkg --configure -a" did. I encounter this seg fault almost daily so if you need me to attach something, just let me know.

[Edmundo (eantoranz)]

I haven't seen it in a while, really. Why don't you try removing this
files from /var/cache/apt/

pkgcache.bin
srcpkgcache.bin

It worked for me when the error showed up.

[Tim Caswell (tim-creationix)]

I recently bought a 64 bit intel laptop and installed latest daily jaunty live. Every time I install it, I get this seg fault very soon after I start addind custom repositories. I've seen it with various PPAs (webkit, midori, chrimium), with medibuntu, and the virtualbox repository. Deleting the .bin files seems to fix it for me

[Tim Caswell (tim-creationix)]

Well, the fix is only temporary, after about five minutes of installing packages, it breaks again. Perhaps update manager is doing something funny. I also have to delete the lock files since they get left behind when the process dies.

[str0g (buskol-waw-pl)]

to fix update-manager you need to:
sudo apt-get install --reinstall update-manager update-manager-core

then do sudo touch /forcefsck
and to be sure sudo shutdown -F -r 0
then install lang packets and every thing else.

But your system will be still colapsing unluckly...
I had to reinstall rhytmbox compiz metacity sed, whole filesystem support,

My laptop is T9400, 4gb,wd320@7200,96gt-m,i4965agn and i can get stable 9.04 only on virtualbox :/
I am 100% sure that my laptop is not the issue smart is good no error , cpu/ram/gpu/vram is also stable. On 8.10 i have only problems with 180.11 drivers. W7 works great eh...

[str0g (buskol-waw-pl)]

reinstall also dpkg to have less problems

[str0g (buskol-waw-pl)]

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/346691/