Linux Mint Forums

when I run sudo apt-get update it sticks at 97% then give the message "Fetched 17.0 kB in 14s (1,201 B/s)
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Read error - read (5: Input/output error)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

running sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/* -vf and sudo apt-get update as well as sudo dpkg --configure -a and apt-get install -f
hasn't helped, any suggestions?

edit, fixed it with this...

sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/status
sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/status-old /var/lib/dpkg/status
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude upgrade
sudo aptitude install -f

There are several reason this could happen.
one is you have a bad line in the /etc/apt/sources.list
could you post your sources.list and let us take a look at it?

also could be a bad server or one that is down at the moment.
have your rebooted recently that can clear it sometimes.

deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ maya main upstream import
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise main restricted universe multiver$
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates main restricted universe $
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-security main restricted univers$
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ precise partner
deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ precise free non-free

#deb http://archive.removed/ubuntu precise-removed apps
#deb http://archive.removed/ubuntu precise-removed games

all seems to be working correctly now, thanks.

glad it's working just noticed here there seems to be a problem with medibuntu packages at the moment so maybe there is a server down.
Cheers!

<Moderator on>
NOTE:
The new problem report by user jdorey and all replies to it have been split off this old and solved thread and turned into a new thread here: mintupdate errors affecting /var/lib/dpkg/status. This thread here will be closed now.
</Moderator off>