error with apt-get update: `Dynamic MMap ran out of room'

[Uwe Brauer <oub@mat.ucm.es>]

Hello 

This is the first time that I receive an error message when running 
apt-get update, namely:


E: Dynamic MMap ran out of room
E: Error occured while processing tetex-base (NewVersion1)
E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/dpkg/status
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.


What is wrong?

Thanks


Uwe Brauer