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

Please start Synaptic from System>Administration and click on the Reload button in the toolbar.

If this does not work, open a Terminal and type the following command:

sudo apt-get update

Sebastian

Tried
sudo apt-get update
and it fails 'Reading packing lists (0%) and goes no further.

Tried synaptic and same occurs but a bit more info is given
Synaptic error report

E: Read error - read (5 Input/output error)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report.

Any further thoughts?

Regards

NAB

Thanks for your bugreport.

Can you please open a terminal window and run:
$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
$ sudo apt-get install -f
$ sudo apt-get update

and attach the result of those commands to this bugreport?

Thanks,
 Michael

I've marked all your bugs as a duplicate of this bug, because all the problems are basically the same. You're problems should be fixed by the new update-manager.
Please be sure that you are using the latest package manager.
If you still have a problem you might try to run the following commands in a terminal:
$ sudo rm /var/cache/apt/*.bin
$ sudo apt-get update
or:
$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
$ sudo apt-get install -f
$ sudo apt-get update

If you are able to reproduce this bug please attach your file /var/lib/dpkg/status to this report. (see bug 138146)

(Thanks to Michael Vogt for the commands)

edit: Please be sure that you are using the latest update-manager.

OK, it worked for me with the last update-manager.

[Expired for update-manager (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

I'm also having problems with this. Tried all of the above but I keep getting this error:

Reading package lists... Error!
W: Duplicate sources.list entry http://us.archive.ubuntu.com dapper/universe Packages (/var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_dapper_universe_binary-i386_Packages)
E: Dynamic MMap ran out of room
E: Error occurred while processing qt3-linguist (NewVersion1)
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_dapper-security_universe_binary-i386_Packages
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

That's after running this:
steve@Bigrock:~$ sudo do-release-upgrade --devel-release
Checking for a new ubuntu release
Done Upgrade tool signature
Done Upgrade tool
Done downloading
extracting '/tmp/tmpnS8BeD/gutsy.tar.gz'
authenticate '/tmp/tmpnS8BeD/gutsy.tar.gz' against '/tmp/tmpnS8BeD/gutsy.tar.gz. gpg'

Reading cache

Checking package manager
cdrom://Ubuntu 7.10 _Gutsy Gibbon_ - Release i386 (20071016) gutsy/main Packages cdrom://Ubuntu 7.10 _Gutsy Gibbon_ - Release i386 (20071016) gutsy/restricted Pa cdrom://Ubuntu 7.04 _Feisty Fawn_ - Release i386 (20070415) feisty/main Packages cdrom://Ubuntu 7.04 _Feisty Fawn_ - Release i386 (20070415) feisty/restricted Pa Reading package lists: Donedapper-security/universe Packages: 75

Preparing the upgrade failed
Preparing the system for the upgrade failed. Please report this as a bug against the 'update-manager' package and include the files in /var/log/dist-upgrade/ in the bugreport.

I'm having the a similar issue - hope someone can help

neur0m4ncer@neur0m4ncer-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get update
Get: 1 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security Release.gpg [191B]
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Translation-en_GB
Get: 2 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy Release.gpg [191B]
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Get: 3 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates Release.gpg [191B]
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted Translation-en_GB
Get: 4 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-backports Release.gpg [191B]
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-backports/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-backports/restricted Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-backports/universe Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-backports/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-backports Release
Get: 5 http://archive.canonical.com gutsy Release.gpg [191B]
Ign http://archive.canonical.com gutsy/partner Translation-en_GB
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Packages
Hit http://archive.canonical.com gutsy Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-backports/main Packages
Hit ht...

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)