E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList

... no ... this time more files are filled with HTML-login content:
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1541 lis 23 13:48 ppa.launchpad.net_savoirfairelinux_ppa_ubuntu_dists_precise_main_i18n_Translation-cs
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1541 lis 23 13:48 ppa.launchpad.net_savoirfairelinux_ppa_ubuntu_dists_precise_main_i18n_Translation-en
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1534 lis 23 13:48 security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise-security_multiverse_i18n_Translation-cs%5fCZ
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1529 lis 23 13:48 ppa.launchpad.net_linphone_release_ubuntu_dists_precise_main_i18n_Translation-en
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1521 lis 23 13:48 security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise-security_multiverse_i18n_Translation-cs
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1521 lis 23 13:48 security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise-security_multiverse_i18n_Translation-en
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1521 lis 23 13:48 security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise-security_restricted_i18n_Translation-cs
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1521 lis 23 13:48 security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise-security_restricted_i18n_Translation-en
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1515 lis 23 13:48 security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise-security_universe_i18n_Translation-cs
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1515 lis 23 13:48 security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise-security_universe_i18n_Translation-en

Thank you for taking the time to report this issue and helping to make Ubuntu better. Examining the information you have given us, this does not appear to be a bug report so we are closing it and converting it to a question in the support tracker. We understand the difficulties you are facing, but it is better to raise problems you are having in the support tracker at https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu if you are uncertain if they are bugs. You can also find help with your problem in the support forum of your local Ubuntu community http://loco.ubuntu.com/ or asking at http://askubuntu.com or http://ubuntuforums.org. For help on reporting bugs, see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs.

Best Regards
 NikTh

I'm sorry - but I do not agree.
If fails such esential function like update - and requires manual assistance, then it is a Bug.

That simply must not happen.

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Reviewing your bug report it seems that you are experiencing bug 346386. This issue happens when you have tried to update your package information when you are a network that didn't return the right files. This issue can be cleaned up by using the following commands in a terminal:

1.) sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/*
2.) sudo apt-get update

Thanks and good luck!

[This is an automated message. I apologize if it reached you inappropriately; please reopen the bug task if it was incorrect.]

This bug seems as a regression update of bug 346386.

This does not look like a regression to me. It looks like a corner case of bug #346386 that only occurs with translation files, which hasn't been noticed before because it's unlikely to get these portal errors for the translation files but *not* for the Packages files. Dropping the regression-update tag.

But the reason for this Bug seems to be the same:

apt get files with HTTP without check them in any kind - try to use them and fails - and stops working without manual assistance

The solution can be maybe simple:

- use https or
- check type of content or
- download not just the file but also file with e.g. hash to check integrity or
- ...

That would simply solve such situation like mine: redirected HTTP (e.g. in WiFi networks with some "login" process, ...).

BTW - I do not know for what these files are, but: could not this issue be also security problem ? If apt download and use them with blind trust ?

Note:
- firs time there was only one problem file
- next time (I had need longer for log in in ISPs network) there was more files

=> maybe If I would not log in even longer - also other (e.g. package) files would be downloaded wrong

YES - it as I have thing. After more time waiting before login into WiFi network also other then translation files was downloaded wrong.

Whole list of wrong files - all from 21.12.2013 - are in attachment (list.txt). Also one example of wrong content (cz.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise-backports_universe_binary-amd64_Packages.IndexDiff).

 root@zly-hugo:/var/lib/apt/lists# ll -rt >/tmp/list.txt

=> I set back again tag "regression-update"

regression-update