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

[Brian Murray]

Attached you'll find dummy-proxy referred to in the test case and from
Colin Watson in bug 24061.

** Description changed:

  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.
+ 1) download the dummy-proxy attachment from this bug report
+ 2) run dummy-proxy (python dummy-proxy) on a precise system (this simulates a proxy that is not allowing access to archive.ubuntu.com and gives you   garbage html instead)
+ 3) Execute 'http://localhost:8080 sudo apt-get update' in a terminal
+ 4) Observe the following error messages in your terminal:
+ W: GPG error: http://archive.ubuntu.com precise InRelease: File /var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_InRelease doesn't  start with a clearsigned message
+ W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/multiverse/i18n/Index  No Hash entry in Release file /var/lib/apt/lists/partial/    archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_multiverse_i18n_Index
+ W: Failed to fetch gzip:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_multiverse_source_Sources Encountered a section with no    Package: header
+ 5) Stop dummy-proxy
+ 6) Execute 'sudo apt-get update' in a terminal
+ 7) Observe the following error message:
+ Reading package lists... Done
+ W: GPG error: http://archive.ubuntu.com precise Release: The following signatures were invalid: BADSIG 40976EAF437D05B5 Ubuntu Archive Automatic      Signing Key <ftpmaster at ubuntu.com>
+ 8) Remove the problematic files in /var/lib/apt/lists (sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/*)
  
- 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
+ Install apt from -proposed
+ 1) run dummy-proxy (python dummy-proxy) on a precise system (this simulates a proxy that is not allowing access to archive.ubuntu.com and gives you   garbarge html instead)
+ 2) Execute 'http://localhost:8080 sudo apt-get update' in a terminal
+ 3) Observe the following error messages in your terminal:
+ W: A error occurred during the signature verification. The repository is not updated and the previous index files will be used. GPG error: http://    archive.ubuntu.com precise Release: The following signatures were invalid: NODATA 1 NODATA 2
+ W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/Release
+ W: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.
+ 4) Stop dummy-proxy
+ 5) Execute 'sudo apt-get update' in a terminal
+ 6) Observe the update succeed

** Attachment added: "dummy-proxy"
   https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/346386/+attachment/3393829/+files/dummy-proxy

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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:
  Fix Released
Status in “apt” source package in Natty:
  Fix Released
Status in “apt” source package in Precise:
  Fix Committed
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) download the dummy-proxy attachment from this bug report
  2) run dummy-proxy (python dummy-proxy) on a precise system (this simulates a proxy that is not allowing access to archive.ubuntu.com and gives you   garbage html instead)
  3) Execute 'http://localhost:8080 sudo apt-get update' in a terminal
  4) Observe the following error messages in your terminal:
  W: GPG error: http://archive.ubuntu.com precise InRelease: File /var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_InRelease doesn't  start with a clearsigned message
  W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/multiverse/i18n/Index  No Hash entry in Release file /var/lib/apt/lists/partial/    archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_multiverse_i18n_Index
  W: Failed to fetch gzip:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_multiverse_source_Sources Encountered a section with no    Package: header
  5) Stop dummy-proxy
  6) Execute 'sudo apt-get update' in a terminal
  7) Observe the following error message:
  Reading package lists... Done
  W: GPG error: http://archive.ubuntu.com precise Release: The following signatures were invalid: BADSIG 40976EAF437D05B5 Ubuntu Archive Automatic      Signing Key <ftpmaster at ubuntu.com>
  8) Remove the problematic files in /var/lib/apt/lists (sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/*)

  Install apt from -proposed
  1) run dummy-proxy (python dummy-proxy) on a precise system (this simulates a proxy that is not allowing access to archive.ubuntu.com and gives you   garbarge html instead)
  2) Execute 'http://localhost:8080 sudo apt-get update' in a terminal
  3) Observe the following error messages in your terminal:
  W: A error occurred during the signature verification. The repository is not updated and the previous index files will be used. GPG error: http://    archive.ubuntu.com precise Release: The following signatures were invalid: NODATA 1 NODATA 2
  W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/Release
  W: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.
  4) Stop dummy-proxy
  5) Execute 'sudo apt-get update' in a terminal
  6) Observe the update succeed

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