[SOLVED] Synaptic Package Manager suddenly began returning error message

LarryR.C01 · 10-12-2015, 08:36 PM

I'm running Mint "Quiana" on a Dell Latitude D630.
Everything was working well but now all of a sudden when I attempt to run Synaptic Package Manager I get the following error message.

E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/packages.linuxmint.com_dists_qiana_import_i18n_Translation-en
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report.

* NOTE: I get a similar error message from Update Manager.

I found a Similar Thread: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...er-4175508498/

I tried the recommendation there "apt-get clean" but the terminal responds:
E: could not open lock file var/cache/apt/archives/lock - open (13 Permission denide)
E: unable to lock the download directory

Someone, please tell me what to try next!

frankbell · 10-12-2015, 08:47 PM

Did you run apt-get clean as root?

LarryR.C01 · 10-13-2015, 06:34 AM

Thanks, Frank, for responding last night. I only saw it this morning. (We turn in really early out here.)
No, I didn't -- I guess I'm too much of a "newbie" to even realize I needed to run it as root. That's "sudo", isn't it? I tried keying "sudo apt-get clean". Terminal then asked for my password but nothing appeared on screen as I was keying it. However, it gave me the command line again so I re-keyed the command. But nothing happened and I continue to get the same error message from both Update Manager and Synoptic Package Manager. What am I overlooking??

hortageno · 10-13-2015, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryR.C01

Thanks, Frank, for responding last night. I only saw it this morning. (We turn in really early out here.)
No, I didn't -- I guess I'm too much of a "newbie" to even realize I needed to run it as root. That's "sudo", isn't it? I tried keying "sudo apt-get clean". Terminal then asked for my password but nothing appeared on screen as I was keying it. However, it gave me the command line again so I re-keyed the command. But nothing happened and I continue to get the same error message from both Update Manager and Synoptic Package Manager. What am I overlooking??

The apt-get clean command doesn't give you any output, it just cleans /var/cache/apt/archives/ and /var/cache/apt/archives/partial/

Code:

man apt-get

...
clean
           clean clears out the local repository of retrieved package files. It removes everything but the lock file from
           /var/cache/apt/archives/ and /var/cache/apt/archives/partial/.
...

Now run "sudo apt-get update" or press reload in synaptic. Are the error messages gone?

Edit: If you still get this error message, delete /var/lib/apt/lists/packages.linuxmint.com_dists_qiana_import_i18n_Translation-en or all files in /var/lib/apt/lists/. They will be recreated when you run "sudo apt-get update" the next time.

LarryR.C01 · 10-13-2015, 08:45 AM

Thanks for sticking with me!!
I've now tried all you recommended. Synaptics Pkg Mgr still won't run - immediately gives me the same error message.
Running "update" as root appeared to pull lots of stuff from the internet, down through several lines under "Get: 13 http://mirror.us.leaseweb.net trusty-updates...."
Under the last one it says "Fetched 1,629 kB...."
Then "Reading package lists... Error!"
(followed by the same error message I copied in my orignial posting)

I then navigated to the individual file you mentioned at the end of your last response and attempted to delete it, but it won't allow me to. Ditto if I select all the files in /var/lib/apt/lists/.

Again, what am I overlooking or neglecting to do? -LARRY

hortageno · 10-13-2015, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryR.C01

I then navigated to the individual file you mentioned at the end of your last response and attempted to delete it, but it won't allow me to. Ditto if I select all the files in /var/lib/apt/lists/.

Again, what am I overlooking or neglecting to do? -LARRY

In Linux a normal user is usually not allowed to change or delete system files. You need to do that as root or with sudo. Open a terminal and run

Code:

sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/*

to delete all files in there.

LarryR.C01 · 10-13-2015, 11:34 AM

Thanks! After following that last recommendation Update Manager is working again!
(This "newbie" had assumed that after keying Ctrl-H in order to SEE hidden files, there was nothing more I had to do in order to delete them.)

I'm left with one question if one of you has time to respond again: What caused Update Manager and Synoptic Package Manager to get hung up in the first place? Did I do something wrong?
My internet connection here is very erratic so it's entirely possible there was an interruption to the that service while the system was in the midst of updating something. It had been updating all kinds of things though during the previous 3 weeks, using the same connection, with no apparent problem....