Bug#388708: apt: Upgrading to this version makes status file unparseable

[Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org>]

Package: apt
Version: 0.6.46
Severity: grave

#_> aptitude -u
 ... upgrade ...
#_> aptitude -vvv upgrade
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Unable to parse package file /var/lib/dpkg/status (1)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Unable to parse package file /var/lib/dpkg/status (1)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
[1]    22606 exit 255   aptitude -vvv upgrade

        Tested this on two machines. Downgrading to 0.6.45 fixes the
 bug. Look below for a sequence of action:

#_> dpkg -i apt_0.6.46_i386.deb
(Reading database ... 333632 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace apt 0.6.45 (using apt_0.6.46_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement apt ...
Setting up apt (0.6.46) ...

#_> apt-cache policy apt
E: Unable to parse package file /var/lib/dpkg/status (1)
[1]    24419 exit 100   apt-cache policy apt
#_> dpkg -i apt_0.6.45_i386.deb                
dpkg - warning: downgrading apt from 0.6.46 to 0.6.45.
(Reading database ... 333635 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace apt 0.6.46 (using apt_0.6.45_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement apt ...
Setting up apt (0.6.45) ...

#_> apt-cache policy apt                        
apt:
  Installed: 0.6.45
  Candidate: 0.6.46
  Version table:
     0.6.46 0
        990 http://glaurung.internal.golden-gryphon.com sid/main Packages
        990 http://ftp.debian.org sid/main Packages
     0.6.45exp2 0
          1 http://ftp.debian.org experimental/main Packages
 *** 0.6.45 0
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

-- System Information:
Debian Release: testing/unstable
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (990, 'unstable'), (500, 'stable'), (1, 'experimental')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Shell:  /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.17.13-mh5-skas3-v9-pre9
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8) (ignored: LC_ALL set to en_US.UTF-8)


        manoj

Attachment: strace.log
Description: strace log

Versions of packages apt depends on:
ii  libc6                   2.3.6.ds1-4      GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii  libgcc1                 1:4.2-20060709-1 GCC support library
ii  libstdc++6              4.1.1-13         The GNU Standard C++ Library v3

Versions of packages apt recommends:
ii  debian-archive-keyring        2006.01.18 GnuPG archive keys of the Debian a

-- no debconf information

-- 
Sex is like snow... You never know how many inches you're going to get
or how long it will last.
Manoj Srivastava     <srivasta@acm.org>    <http://www.golden-gryphon.com/>
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B  924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C