[Bug 346386] Re: [MASTER] Update fails with invalid package files with "Encountered a section with no Package: header"

[Hans Unland]

Hallo Gongqin,

Many thanks for your appreciated answer. This helped a lot. Problem has 
been solved.

Kind regards
Hans


On 07.06.2012 10:51, Gongqin Chen wrote:
> On Thursday, June 7, 2012, Brian Murray wrote:
>
>> The change that fixed this bug was modified in the following merge with
>> Debian:
>>
>> http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-
>> branches/ubuntu/precise/apt/precise/revision/1.5.24
>>
>> which states:
>>
>> * apt-pkg/acquire-item.{cc,h}:
>>   - do not check for a "Package" tag in optional index targets
>>     like the translations index
>>
>> and we can see the code change at:
>>
>> http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-
>> branches/ubuntu/precise/apt/precise/revision/1.5.24/apt-pkg/acquire-
>> item.cc#apt-pkg/acquire-item.cc
>>
>> However it is not clear to me how optional and non-optional targets are
>> defined and I wonder if these are not misdefined somehow.
>>
>> --
>> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to a
>> duplicate bug report (783015).
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/346386
>>
>> Title:
>>   [MASTER] Update fails with invalid package files with "Encountered a
>>   section with no Package: header"
>>
>> Status in “apt” package in Ubuntu:
>>   Triaged
>> Status in “apt” source package in Natty:
>>   Fix Released
>> Status in “apt” package in Debian:
>>   Fix Released
>>
>> Bug description:
>>   Binary package hint: adept-updater
>>
>>   Pertinent data printed when attempting to run Updater as follows:
>>
>>   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/us.archive.ubuntu
>>   .com_ubuntu_dists_intrepid_universe_binary-amd64_Packages, E:The
>>   package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'
>>
>>   WORKAROUND:
>>   Remove problematic files from /var/lib/apt/lists/ and rerun apt-get
>> update.
>>
>>   In the event that one is connected to a network with a proxy server
>>   that returns html pages (like a web page requesting you to login) and
>>   not package list files.   Those html files will get downloaded to
>>   /var/lib/apt/lists/ and prevent someone from using a package manager
>>   until the problem html pages are removed.
>>
>>   TEST CASE:
>>   1) Ensure /etc/apt/sources.list points to archive.ubuntu.com
>>   2) Setup proxy server to block access to archive.ubuntu.com and return
>> something like http://people.canonical.com/~brian/tmp/not-packages.html
>>   3) Execute 'sudo apt-get update' in a terminal
>>   4) Observe the following:
>>   'E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
>>    E: Problem with MergeList
>> /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_binary-amd64_Packages
>>    E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'
>>   5) Try 'apt-cache policy apt' and be sad that it doesn't work
>>   6) run 'sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/*Packages' to clear the error.
>>
>>   With the proposed package installed repeat steps 1 to 3.
>>   4) Observe the following:
>>   ''Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric InRelease [189 B]
>>   Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric InRelease
>>   E: GPG error: http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric InRelease: The following
>> signatures were invalid: NODATA 1 NODATA 2'
>>   5) Try 'apt-cache policy apt' and be happy that it works
>>
>> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/346386/+subscriptions
>>

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/346386

Title:
  [MASTER] Update fails with invalid package files with "Encountered a
  section with no Package: header"

Status in “apt” package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged
Status in “apt” source package in Natty:
  Fix Released
Status in “apt” package in Debian:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: adept-updater

  Pertinent data printed when attempting to run Updater as follows:

  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/us.archive.ubuntu
  .com_ubuntu_dists_intrepid_universe_binary-amd64_Packages, E:The
  package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'

  WORKAROUND:
  Remove problematic files from /var/lib/apt/lists/ and rerun apt-get update.

  In the event that one is connected to a network with a proxy server
  that returns html pages (like a web page requesting you to login) and
  not package list files.   Those html files will get downloaded to
  /var/lib/apt/lists/ and prevent someone from using a package manager
  until the problem html pages are removed.

  TEST CASE:
  1) Ensure /etc/apt/sources.list points to archive.ubuntu.com
  2) Setup proxy server to block access to archive.ubuntu.com and return something like http://people.canonical.com/~brian/tmp/not-packages.html
  3) Execute 'sudo apt-get update' in a terminal
  4) Observe the following:
  'E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
   E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_binary-amd64_Packages
   E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'
  5) Try 'apt-cache policy apt' and be sad that it doesn't work
  6) run 'sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/*Packages' to clear the error.

  With the proposed package installed repeat steps 1 to 3.
  4) Observe the following:
  ''Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric InRelease [189 B]
  Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric InRelease
  E: GPG error: http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric InRelease: The following signatures were invalid: NODATA 1 NODATA 2'
  5) Try 'apt-cache policy apt' and be happy that it works

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