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

[Launchpad Bug Tracker]

This bug was fixed in the package apt - 0.9.7.5ubuntu2

---------------
apt (0.9.7.5ubuntu2) quantal; urgency=low

  Merged from lp:~donkult/apt/experimental:

  [ David Kalnischkies ]
  * apt-pkg/contrib/strutl.cc:
    - support \n and \r\n line endings in ReadMessages

  [ Michael Vogt ]
  * lp:~mvo/apt/webserver-simulate-broken-with-fix346386:
    - merge fix for LP: #346386


  Merged from http://bzr.debian.org/bzr/apt/apt/debian-sid:

  [ David Kalnischkies ]
  * apt-pkg/cdrom.cc:
    - copy only configured translation files from a CD-ROM and not all
      available translation files preventing new installs with d-i from
      being initialized with all translations (Closes: #678227)
    - handle Components in the reduction for the source.list as multi-arch CDs
      otherwise create duplicated source entries (e.g. "wheezy main main")
  * apt-pkg/packagemanager.cc:
    - unpack versions only in case a different version from the package
      is currently in unpack state to recover from broken system states
      (like different file in M-A:same package and other dpkg errors)
      and avoid re-unpack otherwise (Closes: #670900)
  * debian/control:
    - let libapt-pkg break apt < 0.9.4 to ensure that the installed http-
      method supports the new redirection-style, thanks to Raphael Geissert
      for reporting & testing (Closes: #685192)
  * doc/apt_preferences.5.xml:
    - use the correct interval (x <= P < y) for pin value documentation as
      these are the intervals used by the code (Closes: #685989)
  * apt-pkg/indexcopy.cc:
    - do not create duplicated flat-archive CD-ROM sources for foreign
      architectures on multi-arch CD-ROMs
    - do not warn about files which have a record in the Release file, but
      are not present on the CD to mirror the behavior of the other methods
      and to allow uncompressed indexes to be dropped without scaring users
 -- Michael Vogt <michael.vogt at ubuntu.com>   Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:42:09 +0200

** Changed in: apt (Ubuntu)
       Status: Triaged => Fix Released

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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” 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) 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.

  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

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