[Bug 476135] Re: apt becomes wedged, requiring shell script intervention, after using free cafe wifi connection

[Julian Andres Klode]

*** This bug is a duplicate of bug 346386 ***
    https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/346386

** This bug has been marked a duplicate of bug 346386
   [MASTER] Update fails with invalid package files with "Encountered a section with no Package: header"

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/476135

Title:
  apt becomes wedged, requiring shell script intervention, after using
  free cafe wifi connection

Status in One Hundred Paper Cuts:
  New
Status in “apt” package in Ubuntu:
  Opinion

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: apt

  As you know, many "hot spot" providers -- in this case a tea shop with
  free wifi -- have an obnoxious practice where when you first connect,
  all http requests are redirected to some pointless "click this button
  to connect to the internet!" page.

  Apparently, update-manager or something decided to run an apt-get
  update while my wife's computer was connected to such a wifi network.

  Now, there is an error pop up in her status bar saying:

  E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
  E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_restricted_binary-amd64_Packages
  E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
  E: _cache->open() failed, please report.

  and most apt-get/apt-cache commands error out as well. Examination of
  the above file in /var/lib/apt/lists/... reveals that instead of a
  Packages file, it contains the HTML text of one of the relevant "click
  this button to connect to the internet!" page.

  That in itself is sort of fine... or at least there's nothing to be
  done, except beat up whoever designed these stupid routers. My
  objection is to the following:

  njs at temeraire:~$ sudo apt-get update
  [...]
  Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Packages
  [...]
  Reading package lists... Error!
  E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
  E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_restricted_binary-amd64_Packages
  E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

  Expected result: running 'apt-get update' should re-download the
  offending file, allowing the system to heal by itself.

  Actual result: 'apt-get update' has no effect; unwedging the system
  requires deleting the offending file by hand, and then running 'apt-
  get update' again.

  This is on jaunty, with apt version 0.7.20.2ubuntu6