Synaptic stuck in loop (lenny)

Rexx Magnus · 08-05-2008, 03:02 AM

I hadn't booted my machine for a couple of weeks (or at least not ran synaptic) - I wanted to install some software and needed to add repositories, so it told me to update the package information. This was before the repository list came up.

I reloaded the information, and it still came up with the same message, seemingly being stuck in a loop. Apt-get update doesn't fix it, neither does apt-get clear all.

I ticked the box in synaptic that suppressed the error message when it came up the second time, so unfortunately I can't get it to display what it said before, and I've found no information as to where config files are stored so I can fix it.

I don't know why it's suddenly broken in this way, as I simply haven't installed any software for a while and have changed no config files at all.
Normally, I use an ISO image of the testing distro that I have installed (just the first CD) and it automounts when it needs the files.

Sources.list:

Code:

deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux testing _Lenny_ - Official Snapshot i386 CD Binary-$

deb http://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/ lenny main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/ lenny main contrib non-free

deb http://security.debian.org/ lenny/updates main
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ lenny/updates main

Apt.conf:

Code:

Acquire::cdrom::mount "/mnt/iso";
APT::CDROM::NoMount;

fstab line for iso:

Code:

/home/testing.iso /mnt/iso              iso9660 user,loop       0       0

I get no errors from the iso usage - as I had to use this when I built the nvidia drivers for the system, so that seems to work.
Output from atp-get update gives this:

Code:

Ign cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux testing _Lenny_ - Official Snapshot i386 CD Binary-1 20080721-11:45] lenny Release.gpg
Ign cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux testing _Lenny_ - Official Snapshot i386 CD Binary-1 20080721-11:45] lenny/main Translation-en_GB
Ign cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux testing _Lenny_ - Official Snapshot i386 CD Binary-1 20080721-11:45] lenny Release
Ign cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux testing _Lenny_ - Official Snapshot i386 CD Binary-1 20080721-11:45] lenny/main Packages/DiffIndex
Get: 1 http://ftp.uk.debian.org lenny Release.gpg [189B]                 
Ign http://ftp.uk.debian.org lenny/main Translation-en_GB                
Ign http://ftp.uk.debian.org lenny/contrib Translation-en_GB 
Ign http://ftp.uk.debian.org lenny/non-free Translation-en_GB
Get: 2 http://ftp.uk.debian.org lenny Release [74.4kB]       
Hit http://security.debian.org lenny/updates Release.gpg                       
Ign http://security.debian.org lenny/updates/main Translation-en_GB
Hit http://ftp.uk.debian.org lenny/main Packages/DiffIndex
Hit http://security.debian.org lenny/updates Release
Hit http://ftp.uk.debian.org lenny/contrib Packages/DiffIndex
Hit http://ftp.uk.debian.org lenny/non-free Packages/DiffIndex
Hit http://ftp.uk.debian.org lenny/main Sources/DiffIndex
Hit http://ftp.uk.debian.org lenny/contrib Sources/DiffIndex
Hit http://ftp.uk.debian.org lenny/non-free Sources/DiffIndex
Ign http://security.debian.org lenny/updates/main Packages/DiffIndex
Ign http://security.debian.org lenny/updates/main Sources/DiffIndex
Hit http://security.debian.org lenny/updates/main Packages
Hit http://security.debian.org lenny/updates/main Sources
Fetched 74.6kB in 2s (30.4kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done

So, any ideas?

farslayer · 08-05-2008, 09:26 AM

Typically when you use internet repositories for updates you comment out the CDROM or DVD as a source..

What was the message you initially received ? a notification that it was loading 'outdated package information' ?

on the general tab under properties there is a setting for "reloading outdated package information" which is set to "Always ask" is that what your's is set to ? or is yours set to "ignore" ?

Rexx Magnus · 08-05-2008, 10:52 AM

Mine's set to always ask, and the other option in distributions is set to prefer highest version if that's any help.

I don't get the message anymore since I turned it off and can't get it back, but whenever I go to the repositories settings nothing comes up (it was the error about having to update the package information before).

I'll try turning off the CD in the sources.list manually, though I don't see that it'll have any effect.

Nope, blocking out the CD line doesn't make any difference. The repositories dialog still doesn't come up at all.

Edit: Just looking at this in more detail (running from my mac via X11) I see some error messages coming up when I try to open the repositories dialog:

Code:

 File "/usr/bin/software-properties-gtk", line 100, in <module>
    app = SoftwarePropertiesGtk(datadir=data_dir, options=options, file=file)
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.5/softwareproperties/gtk/SoftwarePropert
iesGtk.py", line 75, in __init__
    SoftwareProperties.__init__(self, options=options, datadir=datadir)
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.5/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.
py", line 55, in __init__
    self.reload_sourceslist()
  File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.5/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.
py", line 450, in reload_sourceslist
    self.distro.get_sources(self.sourceslist)    
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/aptsources/distro.py", line 85, in get_
sources
    "Error: could not find a distribution template"

Does this shine a light on what's going on?

David the H. · 08-05-2008, 11:23 AM

The config file should be /root/.synaptic/synaptic.conf (most programs running with root privileges should have their config files in /root). If you can't find the right option to fix it, try renaming it/removing it completely.

Rexx Magnus · 08-05-2008, 11:42 AM

Thanks, I deleted the config file as I couldn't see which option I needed to change. This allowed the error message to come up.

It basically says 'repositories changed' with a message to reload the package information.
Unfortunately, deleting the file didn't fix the issue (not that I expected it to).

farslayer · 08-05-2008, 07:20 PM

purging and re-installing synaptic might be worth a shot then...

aptitude update
aptitude keep-all
aptitude purge synaptic
aptitude install synaptic

Purging will remove all the configuration files for synaptic as well as the program.. re-installing it should put clean default config files back. Not sure what else to suggest. I don't think it should affect your package status though since synaptic is a front end for apt.

I looked in /root/.synaptic/ and I do not have the synaptic.conf file at all...Intersting. It must write that file once you make any change from default settings.

{url=http://packages.debian.org/lenny/i386/synaptic/filelist]List of files installed by package synaptic[/url]

Rexx Magnus · 08-06-2008, 03:14 AM

I thought it was going to kill my system at first, as it wanted to remove lots of stuff. As I have a backup I thought, I've got nothing to lose really - most of it was related to Gnome, which I don't use.

Anyway, removed it entirely, reinstalled it and it seems to be working properly now, thanks very much!

farslayer · 08-06-2008, 09:52 PM

Glad that worked for you.. although I should have put 'caveat emptor' in my previous post.. : )