[SOLVED] Two new package states: what action needed?

jdkaye · 12-02-2014, 03:03 AM

Normally an installed package shows up like this when doing a search (aptitude search ...)

Quote:

i A cups-client

Where i="installed" and A="automatically"
This then shows up in the packages description (aptitude show ...)

Quote:

Package: cups-client
State: installed

However two new package designations have shown up recently: "T" and "W" (at least I've never seen them before).

Quote:

T A cups - Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - PPD/driver support
W A cups-filters - OpenPrinting CUPS Filters - Main Package

Using aptitude show I get these states:

Quote:

Package: cups
State: awaiting trigger processing
Package: cups-filters
State: awaiting trigger processing by other package(s)

Can anyone tell me what, if any, action is called for regarding these packages? Or is this simply informative with no action required?
Thanks,
jdk

Hungry ghost · 12-02-2014, 03:25 AM

From this link:

Quote:

A package which has pending triggers, or which awaits triggers, is not
considered properly installed. There are two new dpkg status values,
`triggers-pending' and `triggers-awaited', which lie between
`config-failed' and `installed'.
[...]
New command-line interfaces to dpkg tools
-----------------------------------------

See dpkg(1).

Here is a summary of the behaviours:

Command line Trigproc Trigproc Configure
these any triggered
----------------------+---------------+---------------+-----------------
--unpack no usually[1] none
--remove n/a usually[1] none
--install n/a usually[1] these
--configure -a any needed usually[1] any needed
--configure <some> if needed usually[1] must, or trigproc
--triggers-only -a any needed usually[1] none
--triggers-only <some> must usually not[1] none

[1] can be specified explicitly by --triggers or --no-triggers

So, I guess in your case cups is awaiting triggers (i.e. not completely installed) and cups-filters is awaiting triggers from cups. Maybe try something like?:

Code:

dpkg --triggers-only -a

Cheers.

jdkaye · 12-02-2014, 12:03 PM

Thanks Odiseo,
I tried your suggestion and got this response:

Quote:

$ sudo dpkg --triggers-only -a
[sudo] password for jdkaye:
Processing triggers for cups (1.7.5-7) ...
Updating PPD files for escpr ...

Now aptitude search cups yields this for the two packages with the strange states.

Quote:

i A cups - Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - PPD/driver support
i A cups-filters - OpenPrinting CUPS Filters - Main Package

So your suggestion was spot on.
I don't understand why this had to be done manually for these two packages but at least now I know how to deal with it when it occurs.
Thanks,
jdk

Hungry ghost · 12-02-2014, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdkaye

I don't understand why this had to be done manually for these two packages but at least now I know how to deal with it when it occurs.

Maybe the packages didn't get properly installed for some reason (a bug in the packages or a malfunction that caused dpkg to quit without finishing the installation). Anyway, glad to help.

Cheers.