Ubuntu

update manager could not initialise the package information

Asked by Chernor

I was trying to update as usual when i got the error message it is showing me is as follows, i don't know if coz my broadband was not working for a couple of days, the broadband is working now but the update is not

E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/gb.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_main_binary-i386_Packages, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

and i am using Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope

Question information

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Solved
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Solved by:
Mark Rijckenberg
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This question was originally filed as bug #423218.

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

Can you please provide the output of:

sudo mv /var/lib/apt/lists/gb.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_main_binary-i386_Packages ~/; sudo apt-get clean; sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get -f install; sudo apt-get upgrade

Thanks

Revision history for this message
Chernor (cheromi91) said : 		#2

i got this:

maatra@maatra-laptop:~$ sudo mv /var/lib/apt/lists/gb.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_main_binary-i386_Packages ~/; sudo apt-get clean; sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get -f install; sudo apt-get upgrade
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty Release.gpg
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates Release.gpg
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/restricted Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/universe Translation-en_GB
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security Release.gpg
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed Release.gpg
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed/restricted Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/restricted Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/universe Translation-en_GB
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security Release
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed/universe Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed Release
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Packages
Get: 1 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages [1253kB]
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/restricted Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/multiverse Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/universe Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/restricted Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/multiverse Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/universe Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/multiverse Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/multiverse Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/restricted Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/multiverse Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/universe Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/multiverse Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/universe Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed/restricted Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed/main Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed/multiverse Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed/universe Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed/multiverse Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-proposed/universe Sources
Fetched 1253kB in 3s (411kB/s)
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/gb.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_restricted_binary-i386_Packages
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/gb.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_restricted_binary-i386_Packages
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/gb.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_restricted_binary-i386_Packages
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

Revision history for this message
Best Mark Rijckenberg (markrijckenberg) said : 		#3

Hi,

First please make sure to close all open programs, including all package managers like Synaptic, Add/remove programs, etc ...

Then please try this procedure:

Step 1: Open Terminal from "Applications->Accessories->
Terminal"

Step 2: Please COPY-PASTE each line below into the Terminal then hit <enter> after each line)

sudo cp -arf /var/lib/dpkg /var/lib/dpkg.backup
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/*
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/dpkg/updates/*
sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/*
sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists/partial
sudo aptitude clean
sudo aptitude autoclean
sudo apt-get update
sudo dpkg --clear-avail
sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo aptitude install -f
sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude dist-upgrade

Step 3: Please post results (copy/paste terminal output from each command) on this thread

Hope it helps,

Regards,

Mark

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#4

That stuff seems to fix a lot. I bet that works

Revision history for this message
Chernor (cheromi91) said : 		#5

Thanks Mark Rijckenberg, that solved my question.