Software index is broken
 

whenever i opened the add/remove programs from applications the following message is displaying.

Software index is broken

This is a major failure of your software management system. Please check for broken packages with synaptic, check the file permissions and correctness of the file '/etc/apt/sources.list' and reload the software information with: 'sudo apt-get update' and 'sudo apt-get install -f'.

could anyone tell me how to solve this problem.

It looks to me as though you have already been given the solution:
Did you try this?

If so, what happened?

will u explain me clearly, i am new to linux.

You'll need to open a command shell to execute the commands. I don't know which distro you're using, but with Fedora, from the desktop you go to 'Applications -> System Tools -> Terminal'. It's similar, if not exact, with most systems. From there, run the commands as indicated in the posts above. They should rebuild the software index.

BTW, running the command 'uname -a' will tell us a lot about your system.

-Mats

no it doesn't work. "Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock "

Go to your upper task bar to Applications > Accessories > Terminal press Terminal this will start a terminal. Now at the prompt type the commands the error message told you to.

type sudo apt-get update you will be asked for a password give the password you log in with.
After the first command finishes type the second command sudo apt-get install -f

Note: Linux is case sensitive, so dog, Dog, DOG are seen as three separate words.

This usually means that another application (like synaptic) is using the database.

Close synaptic, then give the commands in a terminal.

Hello,

I found this thread doing a search for a very similar problem. I have tried the above steps also with no results.

When I enter "sudo apt-get install -f" I get "E: The package symphony needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an archive for it." This is probably from a failed attempt to load IBM Lotus Symphony, but now the system will not let me install or uninstall anything. I tried to re-install from a new Symphony .deb file, but I get an error dialog saying the file is corrupted.

Is there a way to remove the corrupted Symphony package that has apparently only partially installed?

FYI - My system is a Compaq Presario 2100 laptop running Ubuntu 8.04.

Thank you.

Did you try "sudo apt-get clean" yet?

To what end?

Evo2.

Did you try redownloading the file?

Yes, please try:
If that fails, try:
Evo2.

UncleCyrus -

Please try the "sudo apt-get clean": it's good advice.

Why?

It is my understanding that this is a package downloaded by hand from
http://symphony.lotus.com/software/l...tallGuide#5333

Can UncleCyrus please confirm where the package came from?

Evo2.

I downloaded directly from the IBM Lotus site, as linked above. I did download the file again, before I wrote the last post.

I will try some of the suggestions and let you know what happens.

Thank you.

Thanks! That worked. Update and package manager are working again. I had to perform both steps.

Thanks again to all.

Software Index is Broken - I keep getting the same message. Help!
 

I installed Ubuntu Karmic 9.10 on my HP Pavilion DV9000 two days ago. I had used used version 9.04 before, so am somewhat familiar with Linux, although by no means any type of expert, just a user. When I installed it on this system, it won't let me install any software or plugins and keeps giving me this message:

Software Index is Broken
This is a major failure of your software management system. Please check for broken packages with synaptic, check the file permissions and correctness of the file '/etc/apt/sources.list' and reload the software information with: 'sudo apt-get update' and 'sudo apt-get install -f'.

So I do that & this is what I get! I put a space into all of the ubuntu links so that this forum would allow me to paste my terminal results here. It wouldn't let me post links. What do I do??? I run two businesses on this thing and can't do hardly anything with it! Can someone PLEASE HELP???

sallie@Sallie:~$ sudo apt-get update
[sudo] password for sallie:
Get:1 http: //archive.canonical.com karmic Release.gpg [189B]
Ign http: //archive.canonical.com karmic/partner Translation-en_US
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic Release.gpg
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/main Translation-en_US
Get:2 http: //archive.canonical.com karmic Release [9,347B]
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-updates Release.gpg
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-updates/main Translation-en_US
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-updates/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-updates/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-updates/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-security Release.gpg
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-security/main Translation-en_US
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-security/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-security/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-security/multiverse Translation-en_US
Get:3 http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-proposed Release.gpg [189B]
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-proposed/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-proposed/main Translation-en_US
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-proposed/multiverse Translation-en_US
Ign http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-proposed/universe Translation-en_US
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic Release
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-updates Release
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-security Release
Get:4 http: //archive.canonical.com karmic/partner Packages [2,260B]
Get:5 http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-proposed Release [44.1kB]
Get:6 http: //archive.canonical.com karmic/partner Sources [1,385B]
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/main Packages
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/restricted Packages
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/universe Packages
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/multiverse Packages
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-updates/main Packages
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-updates/restricted Packages
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-updates/universe Packages
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-updates/multiverse Packages
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-security/main Packages
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-security/restricted Packages
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-security/universe Packages
Hit http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-security/multiverse Packages
Get:7 http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-proposed/restricted Packages [14B]
Get:8 http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-proposed/main Packages [27.3kB]
Get:9 http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-proposed/multiverse Packages [811B]
Get:10 http: //us.archive.ubuntu.com karmic-proposed/universe Packages [21.0kB]
Fetched 106kB in 5s (21.0kB/s)
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Read error - read (5: Input/output error)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
sallie@Sallie:~$

Delete: cross posting

Having the exact same message, and not sure what to do from here.
 

Software Index is broken.....

yada yada please try these 3 things: (i'll put in brackets what the response was from terminal)

1 sudo /etc/apt/sources.list (sudo: /etc/apt/sources.list: command not found)

2 sudo apt-get update ({whole lotta stuff then} E: GPG error: http://viewizard.com debian/ InRelease: Clearsigned file isn't valid, got 'NODATA' (does the network require authentication?)

3 sudo apt-get install -f (Reading package list... Error! E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/viewizard.com_linux_debian_en
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

(can anyone be parsed translating any of this for me, cheers)

Also if it's of any enlightenment: I got this Broken Software Index message when I first tried to open synaptic, and then I thought maybe I'm supposed to be using GDebi, and that wouldn't list anything either.

I know I've been trying lots of things to make one random program work and ironically wordbiz.jar is now working... unfortunately I'm not able to explain exactly what I've been doing to my poor Rebecca lately