Ubuntu
software-center package

Ubuntu 11.04 Software Center Not Working

Asked by Fernando Homero

Newbie Ubuntu user. Installed 11.04 and initially worked fine until recently. The Software Center doesn't work. When trying to search for anything, it just stuck on a blank screen. I've read some similar questions here and did some of the suggested solutions but the problem is still there. I tried to change the software download mirror and it didn't work. I saw some asking to see the output for the command: lsb_release -a; sudo apt-get update and the output is as follows:

fernando@Latitude-2100:~$ lsb_release -a; sudo apt-get update

No LSB modules are available.

Distributor ID: Ubuntu

Description: Ubuntu 11.04

Release: 11.04

Codename: natty

[sudo] password for fernando:

Ign http://archive.canonical.com natty InRelease

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty InRelease

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates InRelease

Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security InRelease

Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com natty InRelease

Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com natty InRelease

Hit http://archive.canonical.com natty Release.gpg

Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com natty Release.gpg

Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security Release.gpg

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty Release.gpg

Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com natty Release.gpg

Hit http://archive.canonical.com natty Release

Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com natty Release

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates Release.gpg

Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security Release

Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com natty Release

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty Release

Hit http://archive.canonical.com natty/partner Sources

Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com natty/main Sources

Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted Sources

Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main Sources

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates Release

Hit http://archive.canonical.com natty/partner i386 Packages

Ign http://archive.canonical.com natty/partner TranslationIndex

Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted Sources

Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main Sources

Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse Sources

Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe Sources

Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main i386 Packages

Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted i386 Packages

Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main i386 Packages

Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main TranslationIndex

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted Sources

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main Sources

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse Sources

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe Sources

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main i386 Packages

Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe i386 Packages

Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse i386 Packages

Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main TranslationIndex

Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse TranslationIndex

Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted TranslationIndex

Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe TranslationIndex

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted i386 Packages

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe i386 Packages

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse i386 Packages

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main TranslationIndex

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse TranslationIndex

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted TranslationIndex

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe TranslationIndex

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted Sources

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main Sources

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse Sources

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe Sources

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main i386 Packages

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted i386 Packages

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe i386 Packages

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse i386 Packages

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main TranslationIndex

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse TranslationIndex

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted TranslationIndex

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe TranslationIndex

Ign http://archive.canonical.com natty/partner Translation-en_US

Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main Translation-en_US

Ign http://archive.canonical.com natty/partner Translation-en

Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main Translation-en

Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main Translation-en_US

Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main Translation-en

Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse Translation-en_US

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main Translation-en_US

Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse Translation-en

Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted Translation-en_US

Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted Translation-en

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main Translation-en

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse Translation-en_US

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse Translation-en

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted Translation-en_US

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted Translation-en

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe Translation-en_US

Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe Translation-en_US

Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe Translation-en

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe Translation-en

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main Translation-en_US

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main Translation-en

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse Translation-en_US

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse Translation-en

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted Translation-en_US

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted Translation-en

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe Translation-en_US

Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe Translation-en

Reading package lists... Error!

E: Encountered a section with no Package: header

E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_binary-i386_Packages

E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Ubuntu software-center Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
marcobra (Marco Braida)
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Mark Rijckenberg (markrijckenberg) said : 		#1

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PackageManagerTroubleshootingProcedure

Please post Terminal output here:

https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/software-center/+question/166433

Revision history for this message
Fernando Homero (tuenama) said : 		#2

Sorry, I'm such a newbie on Ubuntu that I'm not sure what you are needing. I know how to open Terminal but what commands do I issue to get the information you need. Thanks for your kind help.

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

The commands are in step 4 in the link I already sent you:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PackageManagerTroubleshootingProcedure

Revision history for this message
Fernando Homero (tuenama) said : 		#4

Thanks for your response. I went to the link and couldn't get past Step 1. When I tried to go to System > Update Manager, it gave me this error message:

Could not initialize the package information

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:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.canonical.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_partner_i18n_Translation-en, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'

Revision history for this message
Best marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#5

Please open a terminal and type:

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 update
sudo dpkg --clear-avail
sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt-get install -f
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Revision history for this message
Fernando Homero (tuenama) said : 		#6

Awesome!!! It worked!! Thanks so much for your help.

Revision history for this message
Fernando Homero (tuenama) said : 		#7

Really appreciate all your help!

Revision history for this message
Fernando Homero (tuenama) said : 		#8

Thanks marcobra (Marco Braida), that solved my question.