broken dpkg

seog · 08-20-2015, 03:17 AM

hi,
Synaptic shows dpkg as broken but cannot fix it (because dpkg is a tool for fixing I guess).
Whenever I try to apt-get anything dpkg flips up a message about unmet dependencies impeding the process (I can't believe the broken dpkg).
I checked this forum for similar threads and find out that there is no dpkg.log in /var/log neither any file in /var/lib/dpkg/alternatives.
help if you can, please

yours`
sehrguey

goumba · 08-20-2015, 07:34 AM

Can you give us more info, perhaps the output of dpkg, apt-get and/or synaptic when this error occurs?

frankbell · 08-20-2015, 08:11 PM

In Synaptic, one of the items on one of the menus (( forget which one) is "Fix Broken." Try selecting that and then letting us know what happens.

seog · 08-21-2015, 12:24 AM

Code:

seog@studio:~$ apt-cache policy lmms
lmms:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 1.0.3-5
  Version table:
     1.0.3-5 0
        500 http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ jessie/main i386 Packages
        500 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ jessie/main i386 Packages
seog@studio:~$ sudo apt-get install lmms
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run 'apt-get -f install' to correct these:
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 dpkg : Breaks: ccache (< 3.1.10-1~) but 3.1.7-1 is to be installed
        Breaks: fontconfig (< 2.11.0-6.2~) but 2.8.0-2.1 is to be installed
        Breaks: install-info (< 5.1.dfsg.1-3~) but 4.13a.dfsg.1-6 is to be installed
        Breaks: man-db (< 2.6.3-6~) but 2.5.7-8 is to be installed
        Breaks: xine-ui (< 0.99.9-1.2~) but 0.99.6-1 is to be installed
 lmms : Depends: lmms-common (>= 1.0.3-5) but 0.4.7-2 is to be installed
        Depends: libfftw3-single3 but it is not going to be installed
        Depends: libpulse0 (>= 0.99.1) but 0.9.21-3+squeeze1 is to be installed
        Depends: libqtcore4 (>= 4:4.8.0) but 4:4.6.3-4+squeeze1 is to be installed
        Breaks: lmms-common (< 1.0.0-1) but 0.4.7-2 is to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).
seog@studio:~$ sudo apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... failed.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 dpkg : Breaks: ccache (< 3.1.10-1~) but 3.1.7-1 is installed
        Breaks: fontconfig (< 2.11.0-6.2~) but 2.8.0-2.1 is installed
        Breaks: install-info (< 5.1.dfsg.1-3~) but 4.13a.dfsg.1-6 is installed
        Breaks: man-db (< 2.6.3-6~) but 2.5.7-8 is installed
        Breaks: xine-ui (< 0.99.9-1.2~) but 0.99.6-1 is installed
E: Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages.
E: Unable to correct dependencies
seog@studio:~$

Then I start synaptic and get met with this alert:

Quote:

"You have 1 broken package on your system!
Use the "Broken" filter to locate it."

Under tab "broken" there is only one line -- dpkg with the following properties

Quote:

common: dpkg Debian package management system
dependencies: (long list of files marked with "conflicts" or "breaks")
installed files: The list of installed files is only available for installed packages
versions: 1.17.25(stable)
description: This package provides the low-level infrastructure for handling the installation and removal of Debian software packages.

When I go Package>Mark for Reinstallation>Apply I get alert

Quote:

"Could not apply changes!
Fix broken packages first."

So it is a very classy loop.

yours`
sehrguey

Axo · 08-21-2015, 04:30 PM

Im a bit rusty, but try this

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

You may evan have to

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

frankbell · 08-21-2015, 08:19 PM

The above may not work if you have broken packages.

Did you try the "Fix Broken" item on the Synaptic menu or

Code:

apt-get --fix-broken

From the man page:

Quote:

-f, --fix-broken
Fix. Attempt to correct a system with broken dependencies in place. This option, when used with install/remove, can omit any packages to permit APT to deduce a likely solution. Any package(s) that are specified must completely correct the problem. This option is sometimes necessary when running APT for the first time; APT itself does not allow broken package dependencies to exist on a system. It is possible that a system's dependency structure can be so corrupt as to require manual intervention. Use of this option together with -m may produce an error in some situations.

You might also try

Code:

apt-get clean

Axo · 08-21-2015, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seog

Code:

seog@studio:~$ apt-cache policy lmms
lmms:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 1.0.3-5
  Version table:
     1.0.3-5 0
        500 http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ jessie/main i386 Packages
        500 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ jessie/main i386 Packages
seog@studio:~$ sudo apt-get install lmms
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run 'apt-get -f install' to correct these:
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 dpkg : Breaks: ccache (< 3.1.10-1~) but 3.1.7-1 is to be installed
        Breaks: fontconfig (< 2.11.0-6.2~) but 2.8.0-2.1 is to be installed
        Breaks: install-info (< 5.1.dfsg.1-3~) but 4.13a.dfsg.1-6 is to be installed
        Breaks: man-db (< 2.6.3-6~) but 2.5.7-8 is to be installed
        Breaks: xine-ui (< 0.99.9-1.2~) but 0.99.6-1 is to be installed
 lmms : Depends: lmms-common (>= 1.0.3-5) but 0.4.7-2 is to be installed
        Depends: libfftw3-single3 but it is not going to be installed
        Depends: libpulse0 (>= 0.99.1) but 0.9.21-3+squeeze1 is to be installed
        Depends: libqtcore4 (>= 4:4.8.0) but 4:4.6.3-4+squeeze1 is to be installed
        Breaks: lmms-common (< 1.0.0-1) but 0.4.7-2 is to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).
seog@studio:~$ sudo apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... failed.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 dpkg : Breaks: ccache (< 3.1.10-1~) but 3.1.7-1 is installed
        Breaks: fontconfig (< 2.11.0-6.2~) but 2.8.0-2.1 is installed
        Breaks: install-info (< 5.1.dfsg.1-3~) but 4.13a.dfsg.1-6 is installed
        Breaks: man-db (< 2.6.3-6~) but 2.5.7-8 is installed
        Breaks: xine-ui (< 0.99.9-1.2~) but 0.99.6-1 is installed
E: Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages.
E: Unable to correct dependencies
seog@studio:~$

Looks like --fix-broken was used above, the only other thing of concern is

Quote:

Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages

Code:

 --ignore-hold

goumba · 08-21-2015, 11:34 PM

OP, did you upgrade to jessie (from wheezy, or followed it during 'testing')?

One thing I found helps in understanding why a package is broken, is trying to install/upgrade all of the dependencies. usually it's one of the dependencies that have an error, and we'll have a better idea.

seog · 08-22-2015, 12:17 AM

Code:

seog@studio:~$ sudo apt-get upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run 'apt-get -f install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 dpkg : Breaks: ccache (< 3.1.10-1~) but 3.1.7-1 is installed
        Breaks: fontconfig (< 2.11.0-6.2~) but 2.8.0-2.1 is installed
        Breaks: install-info (< 5.1.dfsg.1-3~) but 4.13a.dfsg.1-6 is installed
        Breaks: man-db (< 2.6.3-6~) but 2.5.7-8 is installed
        Breaks: xine-ui (< 0.99.9-1.2~) but 0.99.6-1 is installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try using -f.

Quote:

apt-get --fix-broken

when used on its own triggers help info explaining that it is an option to be used with a command, same with

Quote:

--ignore-hold

which, when used with a command brings nowhere

Code:

seog@studio:~$ sudo apt-get --ignore-hold install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run 'apt-get -f install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 dpkg : Breaks: ccache (< 3.1.10-1~) but 3.1.7-1 is installed
        Breaks: fontconfig (< 2.11.0-6.2~) but 2.8.0-2.1 is installed
        Breaks: install-info (< 5.1.dfsg.1-3~) but 4.13a.dfsg.1-6 is installed
        Breaks: man-db (< 2.6.3-6~) but 2.5.7-8 is installed
        Breaks: xine-ui (< 0.99.9-1.2~) but 0.99.6-1 is installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try using -f.

I did not upgrade to 'jessie', I am on AVLinux with 'jessie' repositories in /etc/apt/sources.list
yours`
sehrguey

Axo · 08-22-2015, 12:32 AM

ahh the plot thickens,
No mention of AVLinux before hand, I guess assumption is the mother of all -------

Quote:

WARNING! It is not advised to use 'apt-get upgrade' or 'apt-get dist-upgrade' in AV Linux as is common in other Debian-based Distributions. AV Linux contains many specially customized, pinned and held packages that would potentially get overwritten by a dist-upgrade and break the system. In addition AV Linux is to be used with the Debian Squeeze repositories ONLY, using the Squeeze-Backports, New Stable (Wheezy), Testing (Jessie) and Unstable (Sid) repositories is unsupported and will cause potential conflicts with the existing custom 'avlinux' Packages. By default AV Linux has the repositories recommended for daily use enabled the So unless you are certain about what you are doing do not make changes too software Sources.

http://bandshed.net/pdf/AV604Manual.pdf

goumba · 08-22-2015, 12:42 AM

So, you have a Frankendebian, so to speak, and that's why it's broken. You've got some newer packages installed alongside packages that require older versions.

Your best bet is to reinstall, or to roll back the newer packages to the squeeze versions, which may be painful in itself.

descendant_command · 08-22-2015, 12:48 AM

Yes. Don't mix branches.
You have jessie and wheezy and squeeze in the mix - it is probably hopelessly broken - reinstall, of try to fix it for as long as you want, before you reinstall...

Axo · 08-22-2015, 01:05 AM

As goumba & descendant_command have already stated,
you might be in for a world of hurt trying undo mixed sources,

Best bet, save any config files and anything else you don't want to lose onto removable media and re-install.

seog · 08-22-2015, 11:41 PM

OK, gentlemen
you proved to the hilt it was a stupid thing for me to do what I did and I'll never do it again (there are tons of other follies I haven't tried yet).
Thank you for generously sharing your knowledge.
yours`
sehrguey

Axo · 08-22-2015, 11:45 PM

All good, your not learning unless you break something.