[Bug 1658027] [NEW] pkgcache.bin.<random> files fill up drive

[Darren Conway]

Public bug reported:

Hello
This seems to be similar to bug 1050779.

This occurred on Ubuntu 12.04.5 LTS.  apt-get version 0.8.16 compiled 8
Oct 2014.

I have a headless remote webcam server connected via the mobile
telephone network. A new file pkgcache.bin.xxxyyy (where xxxyyy are
random letters/numbers) is generated each day with the same time stamp
(0625 am) and  gets added to the /var/cache/apt/ dir. This continues
until the entire root partition is full and the server locks up.

I understand that this should only happen if apt-get update is run but I
don't do that. No one has access to run that command. I do not install
any updates on the server once deployed. At present, the server has no
connection to the internet, so these files are generated by the software
on the server.

I receive a daily report emailed from the server.  apt-get is not listed
as a running process when the report is run at 0730.

What is worse is that this problem seems to have started itself. This
server has been running since 2014 without issue. It has started to fill
up the cache directory in the last 6 months for no obvious reasons.
This has caused the server to lock up twice.

I am clearing the files with a daily a crontab job to run apt-get clean.

I checked the "apt" logs. There are no new entries from when initial
installation was done.

I have asked for help here :
http://askubuntu.com/questions/873241/var-cache-apt-dir-filling-with-daily-pkgcache-bin-xxxyyy-files/873687#873687
without a response.

** Affects: apt (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1658027

Title:
  pkgcache.bin.<random> files fill up drive

Status in apt package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Hello
  This seems to be similar to bug 1050779.

  This occurred on Ubuntu 12.04.5 LTS.  apt-get version 0.8.16 compiled
  8 Oct 2014.

  I have a headless remote webcam server connected via the mobile
  telephone network. A new file pkgcache.bin.xxxyyy (where xxxyyy are
  random letters/numbers) is generated each day with the same time stamp
  (0625 am) and  gets added to the /var/cache/apt/ dir. This continues
  until the entire root partition is full and the server locks up.

  I understand that this should only happen if apt-get update is run but
  I don't do that. No one has access to run that command. I do not
  install any updates on the server once deployed. At present, the
  server has no connection to the internet, so these files are generated
  by the software on the server.

  I receive a daily report emailed from the server.  apt-get is not
  listed as a running process when the report is run at 0730.

  What is worse is that this problem seems to have started itself. This
  server has been running since 2014 without issue. It has started to
  fill up the cache directory in the last 6 months for no obvious
  reasons.  This has caused the server to lock up twice.

  I am clearing the files with a daily a crontab job to run apt-get
  clean.

  I checked the "apt" logs. There are no new entries from when initial
  installation was done.

  I have asked for help here :
  http://askubuntu.com/questions/873241/var-cache-apt-dir-filling-with-daily-pkgcache-bin-xxxyyy-files/873687#873687
  without a response.

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