sudden problem

[apoudis]

I am new to ubuntu. I have installed ubuntu 9.04 at my laptop for 2 months and I was pretty happy. Suddenly an error message popped up:

E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.canonical.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_partner_ binary-i386_Packages
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report.

W: Duplicate sources.list entry cdrom://Ubuntu 9.04 _Jaunty Jackalope_ - Release i386 (20090420.1) jaunty/main Packages (/var/lib/apt/lists/Ubuntu%209.04%20%5fJaunty%20Jackalope%5f%20-%20Release%20i386%20(20090420.1)_dists_jaunty_main _binary-i386_Packages)
W: Duplicate sources.list entry cdrom://Ubuntu 9.04 _Jaunty Jackalope_ - Release i386 (20090420.1) jaunty/restricted Packages (/var/lib/apt/lists/Ubuntu%209.04%20%5fJaunty%20Jackalope%5f%20-%20Release%20i386%20(20090420.1)_dists_jaunty_rest ricted_binary-i386_Packages)

Can anyone help????

[ajgreeny]

It sounds as if you have the ubuntu CD as one of the sources in your sources.list file. So go to System ->Administration ->Software Sources and have a look there. If the CD is checked in the first tab uncheck it, click OK and reload the sources, which you will be prompted to do. That may sort the problem. If not come back again.

[apoudis]

thanks for the quick reply. Your advice partially solved the problem. I still have this error message:

E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.canonical.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_partner_ binary-i386_Packages
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report.

[earthpigg]

post output of this, please:


cat /etc/apt/sources.list

[apoudis]

ok the output is:

# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 9.04 _Jaunty Jackalope_ - Release i386 (20090420.1)]/ jaunty main restricted
# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty main restricted
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty main restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates main restricted
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates main restricted

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team. Also, please note that software in universe WILL NOT receive any
## review or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty universe
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates universe

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in
## multiverse WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu
## security team.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'backports'
## repository.
## N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as
## extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes
## newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features.
## Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review
## or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
# deb http://gr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-backports main restricted universe multiverse
# deb-src http://gr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-backports main restricted universe multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from Canonical's
## 'partner' repository.
## This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is offered by Canonical and the
## respective vendors as a service to Ubuntu users.
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu jaunty partner
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu jaunty partner

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-security main restricted
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-security main restricted
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-security universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-security universe
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-security multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-security multiverse
# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 9.04 _Jaunty Jackalope_ - Release i386 (20090420.1)]/ jaunty main restricted
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-proposed restricted main multiverse universe

[earthpigg]

back that file up, then try replacing all that text in that file with this:


###### Ubuntu Main Repos
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty main restricted universe multiverse

###### Ubuntu Update Repos
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-updates main restricted universe multiverse

then run:


sudo apt-get update

i got that text from here, if you are wondering: http://repogen.simplylinux.ch/

[apoudis]

please be a little more specific, since i am a novice. How to back up and replace????

[earthpigg]

sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.hi-apoudis-i-like-beer

will exactly copy sources.list to a new file called sources.list.hi-apoudis-i-like-beer.... so if the chances to sources.list don't work, you can do this to undo them:


sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list.hi-apoudis-i-like-beer /etc/apt/sources.list

see how that worked? we just reversed the two.

once it is backed up, to edit/modify the origional:


sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

[apoudis]

thank you very much. worked perfectly. Much appreciated...

[apoudis]

Well it worked for a week, but now the problem is persisting. I get this error message again when I try to update:

Reading package lists... Error!
E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_main_bin ary-i386_Packages
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

Any suggestions??