[Bug 1258702] [NEW] apt error parsing package information

[Jim Bosch]

Public bug reported:

Following an attempt to automatically update package information while I
was on a generally poor network connection, the apt package information
somehow got into an apparently unrecoverable state, in which even
attempts to use apport to report the bug failed due to the inability to
look up package information.  I first saw the error as a red flag from
the update manager in the notification area, but I see the same error
when running "apt-get update" from the command line.  The full error
message in both cases is:

E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise-security_main_i18n_Translation-en
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

This is Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS.

I haven't attempted to clean up the package state myself at all, except
to run "apt-get clean", which didn't work.

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

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1258702

Title:
  apt error parsing package information

Status in “apt” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Following an attempt to automatically update package information while
  I was on a generally poor network connection, the apt package
  information somehow got into an apparently unrecoverable state, in
  which even attempts to use apport to report the bug failed due to the
  inability to look up package information.  I first saw the error as a
  red flag from the update manager in the notification area, but I see
  the same error when running "apt-get update" from the command line.
  The full error message in both cases is:

  E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
  E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise-security_main_i18n_Translation-en
  E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

  This is Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS.

  I haven't attempted to clean up the package state myself at all,
  except to run "apt-get clean", which didn't work.

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