# apt build-dep accountsservice
Error: You must put some 'deb-src' URIs in your sources.list

Looked into "/var/lib/apt/lists/". It has the InRelease files, but missing
package data.

"apt update" followed by "apt build-dep <pkg>" fixes the issue, but this never
happened before.

"apt build-dep <pkg>" works sometimes because the files are there, and
sometimes fails when the files are missing.

Guess the files in "/var/lib/apt/lists/" are periodically cleaned?

I am assuming your report is a wishlist entry for a better error message
in case sources exist, but the data isn't available. If not you should
clarify what you mean.


The rest of the mail is unrelated to the wishlist entry, but might explain
why you ended up in that situation and how to avoid it.

Am Sun, Sep 27, 2026 at 11:23:13PM +0930, schrieb Orion82:

That smells like you called 'apt distclean', which does remove the data and
just keeps the Release files. Are you sure you actually want that to happen?

Assuming you haven't disabled automatic cleanup & are using 'apt' it
might be best to not call any 'clean' commands.

No.

Assuming you aren't e.g. in a sbuild managed chroot or use something
else that happens to make that apt call for you in some way.


Best regards

David Kalnischkies

1. A better error message is welcome for the case (wishlist), but this bug
is not about that.

2. The data files in "/var/lib/apt/lists/" are cleared up (out of random).
This issue is regarding that. I started encountering this issue sometime in
the last 2 -3 weeks. I don't run "apt dist-clean".

I added audits for "/var/lib/apt/lists/" and it looks like "packagekit" is
clearing the apt repo metadata. This happened during user login.

I didn't do much analysis, and the logs could be completely normal (not
sure?)

# ausearch -k apt_lists_delete_bug -i
<some output>
..
----
type=PROCTITLE msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210020) :
proctitle=/usr/libexec/packagekitd
type=PATH msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210020) : item=1
name=deb.debian.org_debian_dists_unstable_contrib_dep11_icons-64x64.tar.gz
inode=1832111 dev=08:03 mode=file,644 ouid=root ogid=root rdev=00:00
nametype=DELETE cap_fp=none cap_fi=none cap_fe=0 cap_fver=0 cap_frootid=0
type=PATH msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210020) : item=0 name=/
inode=1831457 dev=08:03 mode=dir,755 ouid=root ogid=root rdev=00:00
nametype=PARENT cap_fp=none cap_fi=none cap_fe=0 cap_fver=0 cap_frootid=0
type=CWD msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210020) : cwd=/
type=SYSCALL msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210020) : arch=x86_64
syscall=unlinkat success=yes exit=0 a0=0xd a1=0x7f3e58029210 a2=0x0
a3=0x7f3e6d4beaa0 items=2 ppid=1 pid=313068 auid=unset uid=root gid=root
euid=root suid=root fsuid=root egid=root sgid=root fsgid=root tty=(none)
ses=unset comm=PK-Backend exe=/usr/libexec/packagekitd subj=unconfined
key=apt_lists_delete_bug
----
type=PROCTITLE msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210021) :
proctitle=/usr/libexec/packagekitd
type=PATH msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210021) : item=1
name=packages.element.io_debian_dists_default_main_binary-amd64_Packages
inode=1839446 dev=08:03 mode=file,644 ouid=root ogid=root rdev=00:00
nametype=DELETE cap_fp=none cap_fi=none cap_fe=0 cap_fver=0 cap_frootid=0
type=PATH msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210021) : item=0 name=/
inode=1831457 dev=08:03 mode=dir,755 ouid=root ogid=root rdev=00:00
nametype=PARENT cap_fp=none cap_fi=none cap_fe=0 cap_fver=0 cap_frootid=0
type=CWD msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210021) : cwd=/
type=SYSCALL msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210021) : arch=x86_64
syscall=unlinkat success=yes exit=0 a0=0xd a1=0x7f3e58029210 a2=0x0
a3=0x7f3e6d4beaa0 items=2 ppid=1 pid=313068 auid=unset uid=root gid=root
euid=root suid=root fsuid=root egid=root sgid=root fsgid=root tty=(none)
ses=unset comm=PK-Backend exe=/usr/libexec/packagekitd subj=unconfined
key=apt_lists_delete_bug
----
type=PROCTITLE msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210022) :
proctitle=/usr/libexec/packagekitd
type=PATH msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210022) : item=1
name=deb.debian.org_debian_dists_unstable_non-free_source_Sources
inode=1833821 dev=08:03 mode=file,644 ouid=root ogid=root rdev=00:00
nametype=DELETE cap_fp=none cap_fi=none cap_fe=0 cap_fver=0 cap_frootid=0
type=PATH msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210022) : item=0 name=/
inode=1831457 dev=08:03 mode=dir,755 ouid=root ogid=root rdev=00:00
nametype=PARENT cap_fp=none cap_fi=none cap_fe=0 cap_fver=0 cap_frootid=0
type=CWD msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210022) : cwd=/
type=SYSCALL msg=audit(04/10/26 07:35:37.930:210022) : arch=x86_64
syscall=unlinkat success=yes exit=0 a0=0xd a1=0x7f3e58029210 a2=0x0
a3=0x7f3e6d4beaa0 items=2 ppid=1 pid=313068 auid=unset uid=root gid=root
euid=root suid=root fsuid=root egid=root sgid=root fsgid=root tty=(none)
ses=unset comm=PK-Backend exe=/usr/libexec/packagekitd subj=unconfined
key=apt_lists_delete_bug
----
..
<more output>

Logs from packagekit (1.4.0-1) and gnome-software (51.0-1) around the same
time.


Oct 04 07:34:56 mstar PackageKit[313068]: daemon start
Oct 04 07:35:26 mstar gnome-software[314767]:
gs_icon_downloader_update_priority: assertion 'GS_IS_ICON_DOWNLOADER
(self)' failed
Oct 04 07:35:34 mstar PackageKit[313068]: uid 1001 is trying to obtain
org.freedesktop.packagekit.system-sources-refresh auth (only_trusted:0)
Oct 04 07:35:34 mstar PackageKit[313068]: uid 1001 obtained auth for
org.freedesktop.packagekit.system-sources-refresh
Oct 04 07:35:38 mstar PackageKit[313068]: refresh-cache transaction
/38197_bdceaaaa from uid 1001 finished with cancelled-priority after 3044ms
Oct 04 07:35:38 mstar gnome-software[314767]: internal error: failed, but
no error code: cancelled-priority
Oct 04 07:35:38 mstar PackageKit[313068]: resolve transaction
/38198_bbeeadab from uid 1001 finished with success after 227ms
Oct 04 07:35:38 mstar gnome-software[314767]: Only 0 apps for curated list,
hiding
Oct 04 07:35:44 mstar gnome-software[314767]: updates-shell: failed to get
upgrades: no plugin could handle listing distro upgrades
Oct 04 07:35:44 mstar PackageKit[313068]: get-updates transaction
/38199_cbaecadc from uid 1001 finished with success after 174ms
Oct 04 07:35:46 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38200_edbaaecc from uid 1001 finished with success after 1329ms
Oct 04 07:35:46 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38201_bbbeddde from uid 1001 finished with success after 257ms
Oct 04 07:35:46 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38202_daddedab from uid 1001 finished with success after 255ms
Oct 04 07:35:46 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38203_bedcbdcb from uid 1001 finished with success after 257ms
Oct 04 07:35:47 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38204_eaaaddbc from uid 1001 finished with success after 257ms
Oct 04 07:35:47 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38205_bedeccbb from uid 1001 finished with success after 258ms
Oct 04 07:35:47 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38206_dadbebeb from uid 1001 finished with success after 257ms
Oct 04 07:35:47 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38207_bcaeaeca from uid 1001 finished with success after 259ms
Oct 04 07:35:48 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38208_eecccdad from uid 1001 finished with success after 256ms
Oct 04 07:35:48 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38209_eaccadad from uid 1001 finished with success after 260ms
Oct 04 07:35:48 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38210_eedaeabb from uid 1001 finished with success after 264ms
Oct 04 07:35:48 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38211_aaacaeea from uid 1001 finished with success after 256ms
Oct 04 07:35:49 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38212_bbaabdba from uid 1001 finished with success after 261ms
Oct 04 07:35:49 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38213_dbacdcba from uid 1001 finished with success after 256ms
Oct 04 07:35:49 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38214_acebcddc from uid 1001 finished with success after 258ms
Oct 04 07:35:50 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38215_deebbaeb from uid 1001 finished with success after 256ms
Oct 04 07:35:50 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38216_ceaaddcb from uid 1001 finished with success after 256ms
Oct 04 07:35:50 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38217_cebaaccb from uid 1001 finished with success after 257ms
Oct 04 07:35:50 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38218_edebdbbe from uid 1001 finished with success after 254ms
Oct 04 07:35:51 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38219_deddeddb from uid 1001 finished with success after 265ms
Oct 04 07:35:51 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38220_ccbebbda from uid 1001 finished with success after 259ms
Oct 04 07:35:51 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38221_bdbadecb from uid 1001 finished with success after 258ms
Oct 04 07:35:51 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38222_deedabaa from uid 1001 finished with success after 266ms
Oct 04 07:35:52 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38223_ccbacaae from uid 1001 finished with success after 263ms
Oct 04 07:35:52 mstar PackageKit[313068]: search-file transaction
/38224_ddcbccca from uid 1001 finished with success after 267ms
Oct 04 07:35:52 mstar PackageKit[313068]: get-updates transaction
/38225_dcdcbace from uid 1001 finished with success after 141ms
Oct 04 07:36:35 mstar gnome-software[314767]: failed to get upgrades: no
plugin could handle listing distro upgrades
Oct 04 07:36:35 mstar PackageKit[313068]: uid 1001 is trying to obtain
org.freedesktop.packagekit.system-sources-refresh auth (only_trusted:0)
Oct 04 07:36:35 mstar PackageKit[313068]: uid 1001 obtained auth for
org.freedesktop.packagekit.system-sources-refresh
Oct 04 07:36:42 mstar PackageKit[313068]: refresh-cache transaction
/38226_ddbbcada from uid 1001 finished with failed after 7136ms
Oct 04 07:36:42 mstar PackageKit[313068]: get-updates transaction
/38227_beaecbee from uid 1001 finished with success after 195ms
Oct 04 07:41:47 mstar PackageKit[313068]: daemon quit