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Help uninstalling ia32-apt-get

I am using Debian unstable with the 2.6.28-1-amd64 kernel.

The recent changes in the 32-bit libraries were confusing, I tried to change some stuff, I tried to uninstall some stuff and things are broken.

Now, when I attempt to update my system using synaptic I get the following message ...

Code:

debconf: unable to initialize frontend: Dialog

debconf: (TERM is not set, so the dialog frontend is not usable.)

debconf: falling back to frontend: Readline

Preconfiguring packages ...

(Reading databse ... 176015 files and directories currently installed.)

Removing ia32-apt-get ...

find: '/etc/ia32-apt///': No such file or directory

dpkg: error processing ia32-apt-get (--remove):

 subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1

Errors were encountered while processing:

 ia32-apt-get



Not all changes and updates succeeded.  For furhter details fo the failure, please expand the 'Details' panel below.

Which is funny because I have no idea where this mystical 'Details' panel is located.

Now, I am going to try to create an ia32-apt-get directory with nothing in it and see if that works, but the man pages have not been helpful, and I'm hoping someone here can point out the least painful way to get my updates working again.

Try "apt-get -f install", or "apt-get -f remove" ("-f" is short for "fix broken"). For more of these tips, see this site here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark_alfred (Post 3600292)

Try "apt-get -f install", or "apt-get -f remove" ("-f" is short for "fix broken"). For more of these tips, see this site here.

I just took a flier and created an '/etc/ia32-apt/' directory and ran 'dpkg --purge ia32-apt-get'. And it seemed to work.

But, then, I typed "sudo apt-get update" and "sudo: apt-get: command not found" is what I got in response. So both my amd64 and ia32 versions of apt-get are goners. I would really like to reinstall apt-get or apt or whatever will restore apt to its proper function.

I tried to update using synaptic and got the following.

Code:

dpkg (subprocess):  failed to exec dpkg-deb to extract control information: no such file or directory

dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/ncurses-bin_5.7+20090606-1_amd64.deb (--unpack):

  subprocess dpkg-deb --control returned error exit status 2

Errors were encountered while processing:

  /var/cache/apt/archives/ncurses-bin_5.7+20090606-1_amd64.deb



Not all changes and updates succeeded.  For further details of the failure, please expand the 'Details' panel below.

More 'Details' panel that I cannot find.

Would erasing the contents /var/cache/archives/ be helpful at all?

Getting apt working

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigVig (Post 3600386)

Would erasing the contents /var/cache/archives/ be helpful at all?

I'm not sure. What I would try is to install (or reinstall) the package apt. So, try downloading the sid apt deb package from sid amd64 apt download page, and then on the downloaded apt package run the command "dpkg -i apt*.deb" on it. It may cite dependency problems, meaning that you'll have to also fetch other packages to install. For this, check out http://packages.debian.org/sid/apt, which tells what all the dependencies for apt are (and, if need be, you can go get those packages, and install them).

Another thing to try too is aptitude (which would spare you having to mess around with dependencies). If apt is broken, perhaps you can install apt via aptitude ("aptitude install apt"), and see if that works.

If apt is already installed, try "dpkg-reconfigure apt", and see if that helps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigVig (Post 3600386)

Code:

dpkg (subprocess):  failed to exec dpkg-deb to extract control information: no such file or directory

dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/ncurses-bin_5.7+20090606-1_amd64.deb (--unpack):

  subprocess dpkg-deb --control returned error exit status 2

Errors were encountered while processing:

  /var/cache/apt/archives/ncurses-bin_5.7+20090606-1_amd64.deb



Not all changes and updates succeeded.  For further details of the failure, please expand the 'Details' panel below.

Regardless of which package I attempt to install, I get a variation of the message above.

It seems that dpkg-deb cannot find the control information when attempting to install a package. So, 'dpkg -i *.deb' where *=any package at all does not work.

I have exhausted my shallow set of knowledge and skills here, and I am afraid my only option is to attempt to re-install the system. And I really don't want to do that.

Any further suggestions or help would be appreciated.

It appears that reinstalling is the best option. But, perhaps you could first try installing the source package of dpkg (at http://packages.debian.org/sid/dpkg) and the sources package of apt (at http://packages.debian.org/sid/apt) first, and then see if you can get things going.