Below is the output (error msg at end) from my execution of 'apt-get install libc6' after doing 'apt-get clean' & 'apt-get update'. My sources.list uses the "sarge" distribution for all active lines.

I get the same error (cryptic to me) when I try 'apt-get install tzdata' and even 'apt-get -f install'.

Any clues...?

Thanks,
Ron

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
libc6-dev locales
Suggested packages:
glibc-doc
The following packages will be upgraded:
libc6 libc6-dev locales
3 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 61 not upgraded.
Need to get 11.4MB of archives.
After unpacking 446kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
Get:1 ftp://ftp.us.debian.org sarge/main libc6-dev 2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6

[2532kB]
Get:2 ftp://ftp.us.debian.org sarge/main locales 2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6

[3987kB]
Get:3 ftp://ftp.us.debian.org sarge/main libc6 2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6 [4886kB]
Fetched 11.4MB in 18s (606kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
(Reading database ... 35942 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libc6-dev 2.3.2.ds1-22sarge5 (using

.../libc6-dev_2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libc6-dev ...
Preparing to replace locales 2.3.2.ds1-22sarge5 (using

.../locales_2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement locales ...
Preparing to replace libc6 2.3.2.ds1-22sarge5 (using

.../libc6_2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libc6 ...
dpkg: error processing

/var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/share/zoneinfo/Africa/Algiers', which is also

in package tzdata
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Errors were encountered while processing:
/var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It might have something to do with the 61 not upgraded packages.

You can try using aptitude install libc6. Otherwise, I'd try running a dist-upgrade to take care of the 61 not-upgraded packages first.

Thanks for your suggestions. Unfortunately it's still "stuck." I really don't get the convoluted dependencies. For instance, the line:
"libc6-dev: Depends: libc6 (= 2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6) but 2.3.2.ds1-22sarge5 is installed"

This means the pkg libc6-dev needs the "-sarge6" version of libc6, but the "-sarge5" version is installed, right? But installing the newer version of libc6 is what I'm trying to do. Is it only the conflict with timezone folders?

Do I need to remove a package - libc6 or tzdata - to get past this? I don't get what's hanging it up. I may have hosed things some months ago by only updating libc6 in order to get the timezone updates for the new DST settings. But... I don't get how, why, or what to do about it :-(

I've tried 'apt-get -u dist-upgrade' & get:
...
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
You might want to run 'apt-get -f install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
libc6-dev: Depends: libc6 (= 2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6) but 2.3.2.ds1-22sarge5 is installed
locales: Depends: glibc-2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6
E: Unmet dependencies. Try using -f.

Then tried 'apt-get -f install libc6' as well as 'aptitude install libc6' -- still running into the same error msgs:
...........
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Suggested packages:
glibc-doc
The following packages will be upgraded:
libc6
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 61 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B/4886kB of archives.
After unpacking 311kB disk space will be freed.
(Reading database ... 35942 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libc6 2.3.2.ds1-22sarge5 (using

.../libc6_2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libc6 ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6_i386.deb

(--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/share/zoneinfo/Africa/Algiers', which is also in

package tzdata
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Errors were encountered while processing:
/var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
....................

Ron

Can you post your /etc/apt/sources.list file?

dpkg --force-overwrite /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6_i386.deb then dpkg --configure -a to get the unconfigured packages, this is a packaging error unless you are getting the tzdata from a non-sarge source.

Thanks for the reply. I've not been using dpkg directly. For the command you suggest with "--force-overwrite" would that be with the action "--install libc6," "--unpack libc6_2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6_i386.deb," or what?

If that works, then I presume that I try again with the 'apt-get -f dist-upgrade'?

-Ron

Yes it's with -i

dpkg --force-overwrite -i /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.3.2.ds1-22sarge6_i386.deb

Yes just the --install left it out sorry there should be no need for the -f command try the dist-upgrade by itself.

The dpkg command with --force-overwrite seemed to go fine, then I did the 'apt-get -u dist-upgrade'. I 1st got the warning below about rebooting & continued. Then there were the depmod error msgs which it says may be "benign." Based on the 1st msg re creating a new modules.dep file, should I assume everything's ok let it go, hoping to reboot, or -- abort now?

If I abort would I only need to chown the files mentioned under /home/xilinx to fix the errors? And then what? Reboot...?

Since the xilinx files probably have to do with development apps for hardware design, their installation could be corrected later I suppose.

I'm hoping the right thing is NOT to abort, then just reboot...

Sitting at the prompt waiting for courage & advice...

-Ron

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
...
Setting up kernel-image-2.4.27-2-386 (2.4.27-10sarge1) ...

You are attempting to install a kernel version that is the same as
the version you are currently running (version 2.4.27-2-386). The modules
list is quite likely to have been changed, and the modules dependency
file /lib/modules/2.4.27-2-386/modules.dep needs to be re-built. It can
not be built correctly right now, since the module list for the
running kernel are likely to be different from the kernel installed.
I am creating a new modules.dep file, but that may not be
correct. It shall be regenerated correctly at next reboot.

I repeat: you have to reboot in order for the modules file to be
created correctly. Until you reboot, it may be impossible to load
some modules. Reboot as soon as this install is finished (Do not
reboot right now, since you may not be able to boot back up until
installation is over, but boot immediately after). I can not stress
that too much. You need to reboot soon.

Please Hit return to continue.
depmod: /home/xilinx/linuxdrivers/windrvr/wdreg is not owned by root
depmod: /home/xilinx/linuxdrivers/xpc4drvr/install_drv is not owned by root
There was a problem running depmod. This may be benign,
(You may have versioned symbol names, for instance).
Or this could be an error.
depmod exited with return value 1
Since this image uses initrd, I am not deleting the file
/lib/modules/2.4.27-2-386/modules.dep. However, there is no
guarantee that the file is valid. I would strongly advice
you to either abort and fix the errors in depmod, or
regenerate the initrd image with a known good modules.dep
file. I repeat, an initrd kernel image with a bad modules.dep
shall fail to boot.
Would you like to abort now? [No]
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Don't have much experience with initrd kernels but try running depmod -a as root then rebooting again to see if that helps. BTW how did it get to installing the same kernel twice was that involved in the libc6 from before and did you do the dpkg --configure -a command when doing the overwrite command?

Stephen,

Oops, no I did not do the 'dpkg --configure -a'. Got a little too involved with the seeming success of the previous dpkg command. Nuts.

So -- first question -- do I abort at this point & THEN do the 'depmod -a', or let the upgrade finish first? I assume then I would do the 'depmod -a' & then reboot. Also assume that it's too late now for the 'dpkg --configure -a'...

I could also do a chown on the xilinx files in question.

Thanks for hanging in there with me. I REALLY would rather not go into the weekend with an unbootable system. Or did I even need to say that? ;-)

-Ron

It is never too late to do the --configure it will just search for unconfigured packages then run their configuration scripts to make sure the package is fully installed. Ok so you are still at the prompt asking if you want to try and boot with the bad modules.dep then if so then answer yes you want to boot to see if it will do that for you then run the --configure and depmod -a and reboot.

OK, next step. I aborted out of the script, chown'd the xilinx files for root ownership & did the 'dpkg --configure -a' which produced the output below. I assume the depmod error msgs I get would be the same if I now did 'depmod -a'. Since the previous msg (way back there) said it would create a good modules.dep when on the next reboot, can I trust that? Or on reboot would it run into the same problems I'm seeing now & choke?

By the way, I WILL reply right away & let you know if this ever goes through ok. If you care to advise directly, call 831-521-3828, or give me a # to put it on my dime.

-Ron

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
depmod: /home/xilinx/linuxdrivers/windrvr/wdreg is not an ELF file
depmod: /home/xilinx/linuxdrivers/xpc4drvr/install_drv is not an ELF file
There was a problem running depmod. This may be benign,
(You may have versioned symbol names, for instance).
Or this could be an error.
depmod exited with return value 1
Since this image uses initrd, I am not deleting the file
/lib/modules/2.4.27-2-386/modules.dep. However, there is no
guarantee that the file is valid. I would strongly advice
you to either abort and fix the errors in depmod, or
regenerate the initrd image with a known good modules.dep
file. I repeat, an initrd kernel image with a bad modules.dep
shall fail to boot.
Would you like to abort now? [No] Yes
dpkg: error processing kernel-image-2.4.27-2-386 (--configure):
subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
kernel-image-2.4.27-2-386

FYI - I've rebooted & the system is UP! Seemingly, all is normal. Thanks for all your help everyone! Based on advice from another source, I simply moved the non-ELF files from the /lib/modules area & depmod had no more complaints. After that, I felt confident to restart the system.

Thanks!
-Ron