Error message: Could not initialize the package information:

[[e-mail]]

Message:
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:Could not open file /var/lib/synaptic/preferences - open (13: Permission denied)

Thank you,
François P. Rotzinger

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: update-manager 1:0.174.3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-17.28-generic 3.5.5
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-17-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu6
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Nov 8 08:13:06 2012
GsettingsChanges:
 b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'first-run' b'false'
 b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'launch-time' b'1352358728'
 b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'show-details' b'true'
 b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'window-height' b'262'
 b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'window-width' b'640'
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-11-07 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.5)
MarkForUpload: True
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: update-manager
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[[e-mail] (am843)]

This was a new installation of Ubuntu 12.10 x86_64 (desktop version) onto a Lenovo T410s Laptop (Intel graphics).