Ubuntu
software-center package

Software Center activity indicator spins constantly, never shows results. Apparently hung.

Asked by Ronald Garrett

Software center shows no results for anything. Indicator spins for hours.

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Ubuntu software-center Edit question
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marcobra (Marco Braida)
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Ian Ace (iaculallad) said : 		#1

Are you using a 32-bit or a 64-bit Ubuntu?

From the Terminal, can you do:

sudo apt-get update

Then check for any changes in your Software Center.

HTH.

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Ronald Garrett (captronnyg) said : 		#2

32 bit. entering sudo apt-get update returns the final few lines as follows:

Fetched 198 kB in 53s (3,715 B/s)
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/do.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_binary-i386_Packages
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
ron@ron-Compaq-Presario-CQ50-Notebook-PC:~$

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Best marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#3

Open a terminal by pressing ctrl + alt + t and type or better copy and paste the rows below a row a time then press enter, the system will ask you for a password please type your user password (you don't get any screen chars feedback when you type the password, so type then press enter):

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

Hope this helps

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Ronald Garrett (captronnyg) said : 		#4

Looks much better. How'd you get so smart. THANKS!!!!!!!