fixing broken/missing /var/lib/dpkg/available file

/var/lib/dpkg/available went missing on a machine, breaking commands like 'dpkg -l':

ws-1:/usr/local/bin# dpkg -l
dpkg-query: failed to open package info file `/var/lib/dpkg/available' for reading: No such file or directory

'dselect update' (from man dpkg) fixed this (may also need to run apt-get update prior)

ws-1:/usr/local/bin# dselect update
Hit http://192.168.241.146 stable/main Packages
Hit http://192.168.241.146 stable/main Release
Hit http://192.168.241.146 stable/contrib Packages
Hit http://192.168.241.146 stable/contrib Release
Hit http://192.168.241.146 stable/non-free Packages
Hit http://192.168.241.146 stable/non-free Release
Hit http://192.168.241.146 stable/updates/main Packages
Hit http://192.168.241.146 stable/updates/main Release
Hit http://192.168.241.146 stable/updates/contrib Packages
Hit http://192.168.241.146 stable/updates/contrib Release
Hit http://192.168.241.146 sarge-backports/main Packages
Hit http://192.168.241.146 sarge-backports/main Release
Hit http://192.168.241.146 sarge-backports/contrib Packages
Hit http://192.168.241.146 sarge-backports/contrib Release
Hit http://192.168.241.146 sarge-backports/non-free Packages
Hit http://192.168.241.146 sarge-backports/non-free Release
Reading Package Lists... Done
Merging Available information
Replacing available packages info, using /var/cache/apt/available.
Information about 17330 package(s) was updated.

This also get information about packages that were not retrieved through apt-get, i.e., locally made packages