apt-get and synaptic package manager error message

[bloodyscript]

first off ive been useing the package manager all day searching and downloading and install packages. so i got tried of opening and closeing the window so i used apt-get command to get a gcc compiler i installed it and then the next time i tried to open the package manager i get this message

"E: Read error - read (5 Input/output error)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened."

i tried fixing broken packages that didnt work i tried reloading the repositories that didnt work i tried useing apt-get and that didnt work came up with same error messages. so my questions are what could of caused this problem, how to fix it and how to advoid it in the future? any help would be apperciated if you need any more info plz ask ok thanks

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !

did you add any new source or edit sources.list file?
execute this

su
apt-get clean all

in case it doesn't work, post the contents of /etc/apt/sources.list file.

[bloodyscript]

/home/stycaptain# cat /etc/apt/sources.list
#
deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r0 _Etch_ - Official i386 DVD Binary-1 20070407-11:40]/ etch contrib main

deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r0 _Etch_ - Official i386 DVD Binary-1 20070407-11:40]/ etch contrib main

deb Index of /debian etch main
deb-src Index of /debian etch main

deb Debian -- Security Information etch/updates main contrib
deb-src Debian -- Security Information etch/updates main contrib

thats the output of the file i already tried clean all and got the same error message i tried rebooting and that didnt work

[devils casper]

"E: Read error - read (5 Input/output error)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened."

does error message contain any other line except above two?

sources.list is correct except cdrom entries. put # sign before deb cdrom: lines and try executing apt-get clean all again.

[bloodyscript]

ok this is what i got i entered into my gui repository list or channel list and i unchecked them all and restarted the manager then i checked them all again and restarted and this is the message that appeard:

W: Couldn't stat source package list cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r0 _Etch_ - Official i386 DVD Binary-1 20070407-11:40] etch/contrib Packages (/var/lib/apt/lists/Debian%20GNU_Linux%204.0%20r0%20%5fEtch%5f%20-%20Official%20i386%20DVD%20Binary-1%2020070407-11:40_dists_etch_contrib_binary-i386_Packages) - stat (2 No such file or directory)
W: Couldn't stat source package list cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r0 _Etch_ - Official i386 DVD Binary-1 20070407-11:40] etch/main Packages (/var/lib/apt/lists/Debian%20GNU_Linux%204.0%20r0%20%5fEtch%5f%20-%20Official%20i386%20DVD%20Binary-1%2020070407-11:40_dists_etch_main_binary-i386_Packages) - stat (2 No such file or directory)

now behind that error message is the manager and i can see everything loaded into it were as before it was empty.

now sence the error message is about the cd rom its possible that the missing # cud fix that problem?

[devils casper]

yes. put # signs in front of cdrom lines in sources.list file to disable CD source.

[bloodyscript]

ok thanx it works now