empty not authenticated package list in synaptic

[Andis Grosšteins]

Binary package hint: synaptic

this is on Ubuntu 9.10 karmic
synaptic 0.62.7ubuntu6

To reproduce:
1. Select apt-file as package for installation after searching for it.
2. Click "Apply" and Summary dialogue comes up displaying warning about not authenticated package.
3. After expanding the NOT AUTHENTICATED tree item there are four empty entries .

list from details view in summary dialogue:
    apt-file (version 2.2.2) will be installed
    libapt-pkg-perl (version 0.1.23build1) will be installed
    libconfig-file-perl (version 1.50-2) will be installed
    liblist-moreutils-perl (version 0.22-1) will be installed

Tried to reload package data but got following error:
"The repository may no longer be available or could not be contacted because of network problems. If available an older version of the failed index will be used. Otherwise the repository will be ignored. Check your network connection and ensure the repository address in the preferences is correct."

and this one:
"E: I wasn't able to locate file for the libconfig-file-perl package. This might mean you need to manually fix this package.
E: Unable to lock the list directory"

Networking was up and no other apt tools were used at same time.
I suppose, there may have been temporal problem with local (http://ubuntu-arch.linux.edu.lv) repository server.

After that I changed my repository server to Main and reloaded successfully.
Now summary window does not complain about authentication.

Problem solved, but IMHO this is still a bug which should be solved.
Maybe this is just a glitch in GUI in cases?

Note: this may be similar to old bug #47207

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Sun Mar 21 05:58:39 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
ExecutablePath: /usr/sbin/synaptic
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: synaptic 0.62.7ubuntu6
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-20.58-generic
SourcePackage: synaptic
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-20-generic i686

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

I cannot reproduce on lucid but it's very close to bug 545336 too that I can reproduce only with LANG=es_ES. Was your environment variable LANG set to en_US or something else ?

[Andis Grosšteins (andis-grossteins)]

My locale was and is en_US.utf8.
I have not seen this bug since I reported it. I have been looking in log
files for more hints on what was going on, but could not find anything.

I wish I could provide more information on this bug but there's nothing I
can do until next time it shows up.
If it will I'll try to collect as much details as I can.

It may be possible to reproduce this bug by blocking access to network
repository in router of firewall after synaptic is started. I have not tried
that but that may reproduce same behaviour if it is caused by network or
repo problem.

Regarding bug #545336 - symptoms are similar, but cause may be different.

On Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 1:04 AM, Jean-Baptiste Lallement <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> I cannot reproduce on lucid but it's very close to bug 545336 too that I
> can reproduce only with LANG=es_ES. Was your environment variable LANG
> set to en_US or something else ?
>
> ** Changed in: synaptic (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> empty not authenticated package list in synaptic
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/543173
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “synaptic” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: synaptic
>
> this is on Ubuntu 9.10 karmic
> synaptic 0.62.7ubuntu6
>
> To reproduce:
> 1. Select apt-file as package for installation after searching for it.
> 2. Click "Apply" and Summary dialogue comes up displaying warning about not
> authenticated package.
> 3. After expanding the NOT AUTHENTICATED tree item there are four empty
> entries .
>
> list from details view in summary dialogue:
> apt-file (version 2.2.2) will be installed
> libapt-pkg-perl (version 0.1.23build1) will be installed
> libconfig-file-perl (version 1.50-2) will be installed
> liblist-moreutils-perl (version 0.22-1) will be installed
>
> Tried to reload package data but got following error:
> "The repository may no longer be available or could not be contacted
> because of network problems. If available an older version of the failed
> index will be used. Otherwise the repository will be ignored. Check your
> network connection and ensure the repository address in the preferences is
> correct."
>
> and this one:
> "E: I wasn't able to locate file for the libconfig-file-perl package. This
> might mean you need to manually fix this package.
> E: Unable to lock the list directory"
>
> Networking was up and no other apt tools were used at same time.
> I suppose, there may have been temporal problem with local (
> http://ubuntu-arch.linux.edu.lv) repository server.
>
> After that I changed my repository server to Main and reloaded
> successfully.
> Now summary window does not complain about authentication.
>
> Problem solved, but IMHO this is still a bug which should be solved.
> Maybe this is just a glitch in GUI in cases?
>
> Note: this may be similar to old bug #47207
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Sun Mar 21 05:58:39 2010
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
> ExecutablePath: /usr/sbin/synaptic
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
> No...

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

I investigated report 545336 and I think that it's the same kind of problem. An error occured during the scan of a package or translation file and since this error is not trapped it generates this failure (empty unauthenticated lines and file locking)
I'm marking as dup of the other report and will provide a fix for it. If after the release of the fix you're experiencing this strange behavior again, don't hesitate to add a comment. Thanks.

[abueesp (abueesp)]

I continue experiencing this bug.