[Bug 115087] Re: Update manager fails - the package lists or status file could not be parsed opened

[Sasa Vilic]

I can reproduce this bug, but it requires same specific set actions.
After that, I get message that update manager could not parse or open
/var/apt/list/sk....... (whatever).

I have a wireless network that requires web authentication. After you
open the browser you are directed to login page and after you type
correct login data, you get access to internet. My guess is that it
works by redirecting DNS.

Anyway, if I am connected to wireless, but have not completed web
authentication, and in the meantime my package managers start and
updates package information, the files in /var/apt/list/sk... would hold
HTML code from login page instead package information. After I close
update manager and open it again,  I get message that it could not parse
these files.

Quick solution was to delete all files under /var/apt/list and start
update manager again. It will then update package information and it
will be able to work. But I guess that average user would not be able to
do that.

There can be many solutions to that:
1. when doing update, check that you really have been connected to internet 
2. if /var/apt/list files are corrupted that delete them and update source list again (instead of just closing update manager)

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/115087

Title:
  Update manager fails - the package lists or status file could not be
  parsed opened

Status in “update-manager” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: update-manager

  new to Ubuntu, this is a very recently installed OS on fujitsu siemens
  laptop. quite impressed with ubuntu but when I tried to upgrade
  .................................

  Running 7.0.4

  Tried Administration > Update Manager got failure.

  Reports ' E:Read error - read (5 input / output error) E: the package
  lists or status file could not be parsed opened

  Also will not read package lists using sudo apt-get update from
  command prompt interminal.

  Also Applications > Add/ Remove  fails

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