Ubuntu
update-manager package

Failure of software management system

Asked by Sandeep

When i run the add remove programs application... i get the following error

Failed to check for installed and available applications

This is a major failure of your software management system. Please check for broken packages with synaptic, check the file permissions and correctness of the file '/etc/apt/sources.list' and reload the software information with: 'sudo apt-get update' and 'sudo apt-get install -f'.

The sources.list file is intact

on running
sudo apt-get update
 i get the following output

sandeep@Tornado:~$ sudo apt-get update
Hit http://packages.medibuntu.org intrepid Release.gpg
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid Release.gpg
Ign http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid/main Translation-en_IN
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com intrepid-security Release.gpg
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com intrepid-security/main Translation-en_IN
Hit http://archive.canonical.com intrepid Release.gpg
Ign http://archive.canonical.com intrepid/partner Translation-en_IN
Ign http://packages.medibuntu.org intrepid/free Translation-en_IN
Ign http://packages.medibuntu.org intrepid/non-free Translation-en_IN
Hit http://packages.medibuntu.org intrepid Release
Ign http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid/restricted Translation-en_IN
Ign http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid/universe Translation-en_IN
Ign http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid/multiverse Translation-en_IN
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-updates Release.gpg
Ign http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-updates/main Translation-en_IN
Ign http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-updates/restricted Translation-en_IN
Ign http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-updates/universe Translation-en_IN
Ign http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-updates/multiverse Translation-en_IN
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-backports Release.gpg
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com intrepid-security/restricted Translation-en_IN
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com intrepid-security/multiverse Translation-en_IN
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com intrepid-security Release
Hit http://archive.canonical.com intrepid Release
Ign http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-backports/main Translation-en_IN
Hit http://packages.medibuntu.org intrepid/free Packages
Ign http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-backports/restricted Translation-en_IN
Ign http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-backports/universe Translation-en_IN
Ign http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-backports/multiverse Translation-en_IN
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid Release
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-updates Release
Hit http://packages.medibuntu.org intrepid/non-free Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com intrepid-security/main Packages
Hit http://archive.canonical.com intrepid/partner Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com intrepid-security/restricted Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com intrepid-security/multiverse Packages
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-backports Release
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid/main Packages
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid/restricted Packages
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid/universe Packages
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid/multiverse Packages
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-updates/main Packages
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-updates/restricted Packages
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-updates/universe Packages
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-updates/multiverse Packages
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-backports/main Packages
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-backports/restricted Packages
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-backports/universe Packages
Hit http://in.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid-backports/multiverse Packages
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/in.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_intrepid_universe_binary-i386_Packages
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

on running sudo apt-get install -f

i get this output
sandeep@Tornado:~$ sudo apt-get install -f
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/in.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_intrepid_universe_binary-i386_Packages
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

I'm new to linux so please help me figure out if i'm missing any hints in the above outputs

What do i do next..... my system is running but i can't install or update any software

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Ubuntu update-manager Edit question
Assignee:
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Solved by:
marcobra (Marco Braida)
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Koen (koen-beek) said : 		#1

can you try

sudo apt-get update

??

Revision history for this message
Best marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#2

Try to use "Main server" under System→Administration→Software sources

Open a Terminal from the menu Applications → Accessories → Terminal and type:
(if the system ask you a password give your user password, you will not see nothing when you type it, then press enter)

sudo dpkg --clear-avail

sudo dpkg --configure --pending
sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoremove

Hope this helps

Revision history for this message
Sandeep (sandeep-rao) said : 		#3

Hey thanx, that solved my problem. infact just deselecting other options except the main server in the software sources section did the trick...

Thanx for the help. Could u tell me why this error might have occured so i may prevent it from occuring again...

Revision history for this message
Sandeep (sandeep-rao) said : 		#4

Thanks marcobra, that solved my question.