Bug#552517: dpkg ugly/confusing error message on corrupt .list file

[JP Vossen]

Package: dpkg
Version: 1.15.4ubuntu2
Severity: normal

I know I saw this on Ubuntu, but I'm submitting it here because I'm
pretty sure the issue exists in Debian and a fix upstream seems best.

See also: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=47839
dpkg: Fails to install packages if one package's .list file is broken
The wish is for ability to regenerate corrupted .list files.

More details:
http://lists.netisland.net/archives/plug/plug-2009-10/msg00180.html


PROBLEM:
/var/lib/dpkg/info/update-manager.list became unreadable somehow, but
the error message aptitude or dpkg emitted was confusing.  1) it needs a
leading newline and 2) it should be more clear about what file is broken.

SAMPLE (confusing, esp. the "90%dpkg" had me scratching my head for a
while):
# aptitude full-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
[...]
(Reading database ... 90%dpkg: unrecoverable fatal error, aborting:
   failed in buffer_read(fd): files list for package `update-manager':
Input/output error
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (2)
[...]

# dpkg -r xserver-xorg-input-all
(Reading database ... 90%dpkg: unrecoverable fatal error, aborting:
   failed in buffer_read(fd): files list for package `update-manager':
Input/output error


TRANSLATION: it should say something like (note added newline):

(Reading database ... 90%
dpkg: unrecoverable fatal error, aborting:
   failed in buffer_read(fd): unable to read file
'/var/lib/dpkg/info/update-manager.list' for package `update-manager':
Input/output error


WORK-AROUND: to re-create the .list file, where the broken package is
"update-manager" and a local copy exists in the cache.

# dpkg --no-debsig --no-triggers --force-all -r update-manager
# dpkg --no-debsig --no-triggers --force-all -i
/var/cache/apt/archives/update-manager_1%3a0.126.6_all.deb
# aptitude reinstall update-manager

I'm not 100% sure that both --no-debsig and --no-triggers are necessary;
I had them so I used them.  Note that technically I was on an Ubuntu
Karmic system, but in theory this should work fine for Debian too.

Substitute 'apt-get' instead of 'aptitude' if that's what you normally use.

Later,
JP
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