Debian / kubuntu: my "apt" appears to be broken/inconsistent

tredegar · 09-30-2008, 05:16 PM

I'd appreciate some help sorting out apt.
I'm running kubuntu 8.04.1 with all the updates.

On 25-09-08 I ran a "Get & apply updates" from the KDE GUI (the red "updates are available" triangle was there). Adept did its business, but quit with an error. Sorry to admit that I now forget exactly which, but it was unhappy about something to do with "unresolved dependencies" IIRC.

My laptop ran fine until the next reboot, when I was dumped at the command line.
I tried a startx and was informed that something was missing.
From my root history file I see I managed to fix my broken system with the following commands

Code:

apt-get install displayconfig-gtk
apt-get -f install
apt-get autoremove
apt-get -f install
reboot

Although things are running mostly allright, every time I log into KDE it says
"KDEinit could not launch '/opt/wicd/tray.py'."
Although my connectivity is as good as usual, wicd doesn't work properly.

Looking at /var/cache/apt/archives, the update that broke my laptop was most probably:
xulrunner-1.9_1.9.0.3+build1+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.8.04.1_i386.deb (on 2008-09-05)

According to adept (in the GUI), this package doesn't even exist. Nothing named xulrunner is installed. I do not understand this.

I tried to remove, and reinstall wicd.
Here is some code for you:

Code:

root@vaio:~# apt-get remove wicd
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED
  wicd
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 1774kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Y
(Reading database ... 204414 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing wicd ...
Stopping wicd daemon...
invoke-rc.d: initscript wicd, action "stop" failed.
dpkg: error processing wicd (--remove):
 subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
Stopping any running daemons...
Starting wicd daemon...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 wicd
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)My comment: That was not helpful
root@vaio:~# apt-get install wicd
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
wicd is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
root@vaio:~#

Running wicd from the command line gives me this:

Code:

root@vaio:~# wicd
root@vaio:~# /var/run/wicd/wicd.pid

Nothing happens. I have to <CTRL-C> to get back to the command line.

I really do not understand what has been going on here. It seems to me that apt is not consistent. What is going on? How can I investigate or fix this? Your suggestions will be welcome.

SteveSch · 09-30-2008, 09:33 PM

First I don't know what's wrong with your system - sorry.

This may repair itself in another update or two. I've had minor problems and before I had a chance to chase them down the next upgrade would repair the problem.

You should consider installing apt-listbugs. That will keep you informed of any programs/updates that may brake your setup. That is assuming you either use the command line or Adept lets you see the warnings.

I's also use the command line instead of the KDE GUI for updates.

You might also make sure to do an apt-get update before any upgrades.

Where are your sources.list pointing?

xulrunner is listed as installable on my system.

debian410:/home/dad# apt-cache search xulrunner

conkeror - keyboard focused web browser with Emacs look and feel
conkeror-spawn-process-helper - spawn external processes in Conkeror
iceape-dev - Development files for the Iceape Internet Suite
libgluezilla - Glue library to embed Gecko for the Mono Winforms WebControl
liferea - feed aggregator for GNOME
liferea-xulrunner - transitional dummy package
totem-mozilla - Totem Mozilla plugin
xulrunner-1.9 - XUL + XPCOM application runner
xulrunner-1.9-dbg - Development files for the Gecko engine library
xulrunner-1.9-gnome-support - Support for GNOME in xulrunner applications
xulrunner-dev - Development files for the Gecko engine library
libxul-dev - Development files for the Gecko engine library
xulrunner - XUL + XPCOM application runner
xulrunner-gnome-support - Support for GNOME in xulrunner applications
libxul0d-dbg - Development files for the Gecko engine library

From the command line run apt-cache search xulrunner

If this shows pretty much what I have above I sure wouldn't be using Adept for a while until the bugs get worked out.

A google search of the terms "kubuntu xulrunner" brings up some bugs and problems other people are having.

FWIW I have been running Debian sid for a few years now. listbugs has been very handy.

Good luck,
Steve

calraith · 10-01-2008, 05:56 AM

Yep, same thing happened to me yesterday when I updated Wicd. The update tried to make some odd hardware call and froze my laptop. I rebooted, let fsck run on /, failed to connect wirelessly, remove --purged wicd, installed wicd, laptop froze, reboot, TrueCrypt partition became unmountable, tried to remove wicd, got a dpkg error. Tried to apt-get update, got a dpkg error. Also, during this time, somehow both Gnome and XFCE (the only two desktop environments I had installed on my laptop) refused to load, whether Wicd was installed or not. Conky loaded with a Gnome session, though, and showed a tail -n 3 of /var/log/messages indicating some sort of horrible error with some Gnome component that I've tried since to forget. I fixed the problems with APT by booting to recovery mode and choosing fix broken packages with dpkg, but never did figure out what was up with my desktop environments. I also ran a Memtest 86+ with no errors.

I ended up allowing myself the opportunity to format and give another try to a 64-bit distro.

FWIW, Wicd when installed as part of a new installation works better. After about 5 minutes of initial installation of Wicd prior to the first reboot, a pop-up message did say something about another odd hardware access that terminated in loud and grotesque ways; but after a reboot, Wicd is flippin' flawless now.

Lord, I hope someone has a better story to tell than I, or at least that the Wicd developers are aware of this situation. Maybe I'll e-mail 'em a link to this thread.

0_o

calraith · 10-01-2008, 07:22 AM

Although my system was too borked for this I believe, this thread might help you, as well as this one.

I'm glad to have the new version for the added features it provides; but if I could go back to yesterday, I would simply have downgraded back to 1.4.whatever.

tredegar · 10-01-2008, 11:42 AM

Thanks calraith, it helps to know I am not the only one. I thought I was going crazy.

I finally managed to get wicd uninstalled by following your link.
I reinstalled 1.5.1 - it didn't work.
I removed it again, manually deleted all files relating to wicd, and tried one last time:

The install failed with "Cannot enter /opt/wicd/encryption/configurations/ - no such directory"
I checked - there isn't one. Grrrr!

Right now I have uninstalled again it, and at last the nagging messages have gone.

I don't need wicd - I can configure my networks manually with the /etc/network/interfaces file, and I am happy to leave it at that.

I really don't think they should have released this buggy version - it's "Beta" IMHO. The program may indeed be fine, it seems that the installer is broken.
Thanks again for your help.

rickh · 10-01-2008, 02:05 PM

Only thing I don't understand is why you insist on bringing Debian into the problem. They're not the same thing, you know. We Debian users are certainly happy about that.

tredegar · 10-01-2008, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Only thing I don't understand is why you insist on bringing Debian into the problem.

Just who is "insisting"?
I asked for help with apt when there were unresolved inconsistencies, the apt database seemed to be in a mess, and I hoped someone could point me in the right direction. That has now been resolved, thanks to calraith's post.
Are you contributing, or just having a moan?

lordrayden75 · 10-02-2008, 03:25 AM

Kubuntu Hardy always worked fine for me, apt and all. You may want to try Linux Mint with KDE.