[Bug 1063097] Re: Deal with low level apt error messages

[Matthew Paul Thomas]

** Description changed:

  There can be an exception from apt  at several times. Unfortunately APT
  only shows a translated error message and no codes. Often it is unclear
  what the user should do.
  
  Furthermore there can be a broken system, e.g. delted
- /var/lib/dpkg/updates #791715 or failing to open TagSection
+ /var/lib/dpkg/updates (bug 791715) or failing to open TagSection
  
  E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with
  MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/br.archive.ubuntu
  .com_ubuntu_dists_maverick_universe_binary-i386_Packages, E:The package
  lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
  
+     <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwarePackageOperations#general>: "If a
+ file needed by apt is missing or unparseable, the alert should have
+ primary text “Software can’t be installed or removed because an
+ essential file is unreadable.”, and secondary text “No changes were
+ made. To fix the problem, restore the file from backup, or reinstall
+ Ubuntu.”"
+ 
  E:Write error - write (28: No space left on device), E:Can't mmap an
  empty file, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or
  opened.
+ 
+     <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwarePackageOperations#general>: "If
+ there is not enough disk space, the primary text should be “Software
+ can’t be installed or removed because there is not enough disk space.”,
+ and secondary text “No changes were made. Deleting other unwanted files
+ may free up enough disk space.”"
  
  E: The package google-chrome-stable needs to be reinstalled, but I can't
  find an archive for it.
  
  E:Type 'http://ppa.launchpad.net/pdfmod-team/ppa/ubuntu' is not known on
  line 2 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pdfmod-team-ppa-
  maverick.list
  
+     <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwarePackageOperations#general>: "For
+ any other error, the primary text should be “Software can’t be installed
+ or removed because of an unknown error. Sorry about that.” and secondary
+ text “No changes were made.”."
+ 
  SystemError: E:The package index files are corrupted. No Filename: field
  for package ubufox.
+ 
+     <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwarePackageOperations#general>: "If a
+ file needed by apt is missing or unparseable, the alert should have
+ primary text “Software can’t be installed or removed because an
+ essential file is unreadable.”, and secondary text “No changes were
+ made. To fix the problem, restore the file from backup, or reinstall
+ Ubuntu.”"

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1063097

Title:
  Deal with low level apt error messages

Status in aptdaemon package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged

Bug description:
  There can be an exception from apt  at several times. Unfortunately
  APT only shows a translated error message and no codes. Often it is
  unclear what the user should do.

  Furthermore there can be a broken system, e.g. delted
  /var/lib/dpkg/updates (bug 791715) or failing to open TagSection

  E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with
  MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/br.archive.ubuntu
  .com_ubuntu_dists_maverick_universe_binary-i386_Packages, E:The
  package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

      <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwarePackageOperations#general>: "If a
  file needed by apt is missing or unparseable, the alert should have
  primary text “Software can’t be installed or removed because an
  essential file is unreadable.”, and secondary text “No changes were
  made. To fix the problem, restore the file from backup, or reinstall
  Ubuntu.”"

  E:Write error - write (28: No space left on device), E:Can't mmap an
  empty file, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or
  opened.

      <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwarePackageOperations#general>: "If
  there is not enough disk space, the primary text should be “Software
  can’t be installed or removed because there is not enough disk
  space.”, and secondary text “No changes were made. Deleting other
  unwanted files may free up enough disk space.”"

  E: The package google-chrome-stable needs to be reinstalled, but I
  can't find an archive for it.

  E:Type 'http://ppa.launchpad.net/pdfmod-team/ppa/ubuntu' is not known
  on line 2 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pdfmod-team-ppa-
  maverick.list

      <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwarePackageOperations#general>: "For
  any other error, the primary text should be “Software can’t be
  installed or removed because of an unknown error. Sorry about that.”
  and secondary text “No changes were made.”."

  SystemError: E:The package index files are corrupted. No Filename:
  field for package ubufox.

      <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwarePackageOperations#general>: "If a
  file needed by apt is missing or unparseable, the alert should have
  primary text “Software can’t be installed or removed because an
  essential file is unreadable.”, and secondary text “No changes were
  made. To fix the problem, restore the file from backup, or reinstall
  Ubuntu.”"

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