Bug#535218: #535218 apt-get / aptitude segfault when Cache-Limit is too small

[Goswin von Brederlow <goswin-v-b@web.de>]

Drew Parsons <dparsons@debian.org> writes:

> Package: apt
> Version: 0.7.21
> Severity: normal
>
> I'm suffering from the cache-limit error too after the upgrade to
> ia32-apt-get v20 (which has set up a diversion for /usr/bin/apt-get).
>
> I get,
>
> $ sudo apt-get update
> Updating for amd64...
> Hit http://mirror.linux.org.au unstable Release.gpg
> ...
> Ignoring mirror.linux.org.au_debian_dists_unstable_non-free_source_Sources.IndexDiff
> Updating for i386...
> Get:1 file: transitional Release.gpg [315B]
> Ign file: transitional/main Translation-en_AU
> Get:2 file: transitional Release [431B]
> Hit http://mirror.linux.org.au unstable Release.gpg
> ...
> Hit http://mirror.linux.org.au unstable/non-free Packages/DiffIndex
> Reading package lists... Done
> Ignoring mirror.linux.org.au_debian_dists_unstable_contrib_binary-i386_Packages.IndexDiff
> Ignoring mirror.linux.org.au_debian_dists_unstable_main_binary-i386_Packages.IndexDiff
> Ignoring mirror.linux.org.au_debian_dists_unstable_non-free_binary-i386_Packages.IndexDiff
> Merging ...
> Reading package lists... Error!
> E: Dynamic MMap ran out of room. Please increase the size of APT::Cache-Limit. Current value: 25165824. (man 5 apt.conf)
> E: Error occurred while processing warsow-server (NewVersion1)
> E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.linux.org.au_debian_dists_unstable-i386_contrib_binary-amd64_Packages
> E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
> $ echo $?
> 100
>
>
> I have not set APT::Cache-Limit anywhere.  It's not mentioned in any
> of the files in /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/.
>
> /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/00ia32-libs-tools does not define
> APT::Cache-Limit, it only has references to /usr/lib/ia32-libs-tools/mangle

25165824 is the default value if it isn't set anywhere and usualy is
enough to handle for example unstable. But when you include multiple
releases or other apt repositories in your sources.list you quickly
hit that limit. Many people have therefore already configured a higher
setting somewhere.

Now, consider what happens if the user has set a limit and
ia32-libs-tools would also set one. Which one would apt take now? What
if it still isn't enough? I think that would do more harm then good in
the long run.

But apt should increases its default size so most people can stick
with that even with ia32-apt-get installed.

MfG
        Goswin

PS: You are lucky though. Other people just get a segfault instead of
the message to increase the limit.