[PLUG] Debian - apt-get can't read one of it's package files

[Mike Leone <turgon@mike-leone.com>]

Hey all. Got a problem with apt-get, with a testing distribution. I would
have sent this to PADS, but everybody there is already here anyway, so ...
:-)

Here goes - I wen to do an "apt-get update" today (I'm going to be making a
new DMZ at work, and want to keep everything up to date before I transfer
the machine into the DMZ. Anyways, the update froze at "Updating package
lists. Couldn't CTRL -C, couldn't break, couldn't telnet in, nothing.
Machine was up and responding to pings, but no user interaction. Had to
power cycle.

Machine is running ReiserFS, so it wasn't *too* bad coming back up; said it
replayed a few transactions; all services seemed to start fine (mail,
syslog, etc).

Then I got this:

root@handyman:/var/log# apt-get update
Hit http://libranetlinux.com updates/2.7/ Packages
Ign http://libranetlinux.com updates/2.7/ Release
Hit http://libranetlinux.com security/2.7/ Packages
Ign http://libranetlinux.com security/2.7/ Release
Hit http://non-us.debian.org testing/non-US/main Packages
Hit http://non-us.debian.org testing/non-US/main Release
Hit http://non-us.debian.org testing/non-US/contrib Packages
Hit http://non-us.debian.org testing/non-US/contrib Release
Hit http://non-us.debian.org testing/non-US/non-free Packages
Hit http://non-us.debian.org testing/non-US/non-free Release
Hit ftp://ftp.debian.org testing/main Packages
Hit ftp://ftp.debian.org testing/main Release
Hit ftp://ftp.debian.org testing/contrib Packages
Hit ftp://ftp.debian.org testing/contrib Release
Hit ftp://ftp.debian.org testing/non-free Packages
Hit ftp://ftp.debian.org testing/non-free Release
Hit ftp://security.debian.org stable/updates/main Packages
Hit ftp://security.debian.org stable/updates/main Release
Hit ftp://security.debian.org stable/updates/contrib Packages
Hit ftp://security.debian.org stable/updates/contrib Release
Hit ftp://security.debian.org stable/updates/non-free Packages
Hit ftp://security.debian.org stable/updates/non-free Release
Reading Package Lists... Error!
E: Unable to parse package file
/var/lib/apt/lists/ftp.debian.org_debian_dists_testing_main_binary-i386_Packages
(1)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
root@handyman:/var/log#

The file ftp.debian.org_debian_dists_testing_non-free_binary-i386_Packages
is corrupt; I see this, a few screens into the file:

Package: adjtimex
Priority: optional
Section: admin
Installed-Size: 152
Maintainer: James R. Van Zandt <jrv@debian.org>
Architecture: i386
Version: 1.16-1
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.3.1-1), debconf
Suggests: ntpdate
Filename: pool/main/a/adjtimex/adjtimex_1.16-1_i386.deb
Size: 38918
MD5sum: f9d8e1a2426d8f243d6a073997a59d38
Description: Utility to display or set the kernel time variables
 This program gives you raw access to the kernel time variables.  For
  a machine connected to the Internet, or equipped with a precision
   oscillator or radio clock, the best way to keep the system clock
    correct is with ntpd.  However, for a standalone or intermittently
     connected machine, you may use adjtimex instead to at least correct
      for
systemXAhIYI7hAobkTACAWIO7CZltaLIrxKgJkLsyCnMkfx+hjFuG6LGC8bE0vwNL3ghk4YhikuRjxXJVLKdzutVNB+zzYfPW3pliPWSa0UwPaHQfKSwVzgk
px9PURefeErV5+2UCyhl5NL46IidcYORHRosJCo9cP0DTJK0n0xMb0P3l4476wuHy2rMTzpbxTDidU5R9xhMSW27nvPl9pPbDmtNLv15XiakDn7BSzU/ef2lutHc89
4

and so on, for about 9 meg. :-)

How best to fix this? Just delete that file, and re-run update?

Attachment: pgp4QAXDJwWAo.pgp
Description: PGP signature