--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2006/05/16 15:42:15	1.736
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2006/05/16 18:24:58	1.737
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # TCP networking package
 #
-# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.736 2006/05/16 15:42:15 albertel Exp $
+# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.737 2006/05/16 18:24:58 albertel Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -5509,14 +5509,14 @@ sub metadata {
 	    }
 	}
 	my ($extension) = ($uri =~ /\.(\w+)$/);
-	foreach my $key (sort(keys(%packagetab))) {
+	foreach my $key (keys(%packagetab)) {
 	    #no specific packages #how's our extension
 	    if ($key!~/^extension_\Q$extension\E&/) { next; }
 	    &metadata_create_package_def($uri,$key,'extension_'.$extension,
 					 \%metathesekeys);
 	}
 	if (!exists($metaentry{':packages'})) {
-	    foreach my $key (sort(keys(%packagetab))) {
+	    foreach my $key (keys(%packagetab)) {
 		#no specific packages well let's get default then
 		if ($key!~/^default&/) { next; }
 		&metadata_create_package_def($uri,$key,'default',
@@ -5543,7 +5543,13 @@ sub metadata {
 		}
 	    }
 	}
-	$metaentry{':keys'}=join(',',keys %metathesekeys);
+	# uniqifiy package listing
+	my %seen;
+	my @uniq_packages =
+	    grep { ! $seen{$_} ++ } (split(',',$metaentry{':packages'}));
+	$metaentry{':packages'} = join(',',@uniq_packages);
+
+	$metaentry{':keys'} = join(',',keys(%metathesekeys));
 	&metadata_generate_part0(\%metathesekeys,\%metaentry,$uri);
 	$metaentry{':allpossiblekeys'}=join(',',keys %metathesekeys);
 	&do_cache_new('meta',$uri,\%metaentry,60*60);
@@ -5579,7 +5585,7 @@ sub metadata_create_package_def {
 sub metadata_generate_part0 {
     my ($metadata,$metacache,$uri) = @_;
     my %allnames;
-    foreach my $metakey (sort keys %$metadata) {
+    foreach my $metakey (keys(%$metadata)) {
 	if ($metakey=~/^parameter\_(.*)/) {
 	  my $part=$$metacache{':'.$metakey.'.part'};
 	  my $name=$$metacache{':'.$metakey.'.name'};