I agree with Mirage42 above, testing on 9.04 is moot. I have 9.10 Alpha 5, as updated.
Conclusions: * The file Contents-i386.gz is still missing from the CD-ROM. I just pulled in and checked the Beta CD-ROM; it is missing there as well. * There does not appear to be a work-around to fake the missing file, perhaps by generating the data that should be in it. Test process: An "apt-file update" on a new installation of apt-file (prior to adding the CD-ROM) gets me the following: r...@test2kkalpha5:~# apt-file update Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Contents-i386.gz Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-updates/Contents-i386.gz Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-updates/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-updates/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-updates/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-updates/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-security/Contents-i386.gz Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-security/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-security/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-security/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-security/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. r...@test2kkalpha5:~# Apparently apt-file is capable of working around the missing Index, and in any case that problem is not at issue here. I then added the CD-ROM: r...@test2kkalpha5:~# apt-cdrom add Using CD-ROM mount point /cdrom/ Unmounting CD-ROM Waiting for disc... Please insert a Disc in the drive and press enter Mounting CD-ROM... Identifying.. [079276bebf9ed1e0b82897bd213817c8-2] Scanning disc for index files.. Found 2 package indexes, 0 source indexes, 0 translation indexes and 1 signatures This disc is called: 'Ubuntu 9.10 _Karmic Koala_ - Alpha i386 (20090902.1)' Copying package lists...gpgv: Signature made Wed 02 Sep 2009 12:03:07 PM MDT using DSA key ID FBB75451 gpgv: Good signature from "Ubuntu CD Image Automatic Signing Key <cdim...@ubuntu.com>" Reading Package Indexes... Done Writing new source list Source list entries for this disc are: deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 9.10 _Karmic Koala_ - Alpha i386 (20090902.1)]/ karmic main restricted Unmounting CD-ROM... Repeat this process for the rest of the CDs in your set. W: Skipping non-exisiting file /cdrom/dists/karmic/main/binary-i386/Packages W: Skipping non-exisiting file /cdrom/dists/karmic/restricted/binary-i386/Packages r...@test2kkalpha5:~# I then re-ran the update: r...@test2kkalpha5:~# apt-file update Put CDROM labeled [Ubuntu_9.10__Karmic_Koala__-_Alpha_i386_(20090902.1)] in the cdrom device read: 1: arg count mount: block device /dev/sr0 is write-protected, mounting read-only cp: cannot stat `/cdrom/dists/karmic/Contents-i386.gz': No such file or directory Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-updates/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-updates/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-updates/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-updates/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-updates/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-updates/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-security/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-security/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-security/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-security/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. Downloading Index http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-security/Contents-i386.diff/Index: No Index available. Downloading complete file http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-security/Contents-i386.gz File is up-to-date. r...@test2kkalpha5:~# Apt-file works for packages delivered over the Internet: r...@test2kkalpha5:~# apt-file list apt-file apt-file: /etc/apt/apt-file.conf apt-file: /etc/bash_completion.d/apt-file apt-file: /usr/bin/apt-file apt-file: /usr/bin/diffindex-download apt-file: /usr/bin/diffindex-rred apt-file: /usr/share/apt-file/apt-file-update.update-notifier apt-file: /usr/share/apt-file/do-apt-file-update apt-file: /usr/share/apt-file/is-cache-empty apt-file: /usr/share/doc/apt-file/README apt-file: /usr/share/doc/apt-file/changelog.gz apt-file: /usr/share/doc/apt-file/copyright apt-file: /usr/share/man/man1/apt-file.1.gz apt-file: /usr/share/man/man1/diffindex-download.1.gz apt-file: /usr/share/man/man1/diffindex-rred.1.gz r...@test2kkalpha5:~# Can you suggest a package that was installed from the CD-ROM and has not been updated from the net? It occurs to me that a fresh installation with no updates from the net would work, but (sorry) I can't do that right now. Let me see what I can do in the next few days. -- apt-file can't find Contents on /cdrom https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/159396 You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs