While trying to download a patch, I got my Ubuntu system in a state where the package lists think a module is installed that isn't there. sudo apt-get install -f fails; and Synaptic package manager lists this package, but attempts to remove fail, because the package is not present.

1) How can I resynch my system?

2) Can this be done by editing the Debian package list, and, if so, where is that? I've been searching for a while.

Here is one set of errors:

sudo apt-get install -f
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B of archives.
After unpacking 8405kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
(Reading database ... 96753 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic ...
FATAL: Could not open '/boot/System.map-2.6.22-10-generic': No such file or directory
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-10-generic
Cannot find /lib/modules/2.6.22-10-generic
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-10-generic
dpkg: error processing linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic (--remove):
subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Many thanks.

You can try sudo aptitude reinstall linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic

Here is the log:
sudo aptitude reinstall linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information
Initializing package states... Done
Building tag database... Done
The following packages are BROKEN:
linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B of archives. After unpacking 0B will be used.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic: Depends: linux-image-2.6.22-10-generic which is a virtual package.
Resolving dependencies...
E: I wasn't able to locate file for the linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic package. This might mean you need to manually fix this package.
The following actions will resolve these dependencies:

Remove the following packages:
linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic

Score is 119

Accept this solution? [Y/n/q/?] y
The following packages will be automatically REMOVED:
linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic
The following packages will be REMOVED:
linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B of archives. After unpacking 8405kB will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] y
Writing extended state information... Done
(Reading database ... 96753 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic ...
FATAL: Could not open '/boot/System.map-2.6.22-10-generic': No such file or directory
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-10-generic
Cannot find /lib/modules/2.6.22-10-generic
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-10-generic
dpkg: error processing linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic (--remove):
subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information
Initializing package states... Done
Building tag database... Done

Maybe it will allow you to purge it..
aptitude purge <packagename>

Have you manually looked to see if any of those files exist ?

It has been long time since I ran Debian ... you have to use lower-level utility dpkg to fix this, can't recall the options, -f for force?

sudo dpkg -P -a

-a takes the place of package name and basically says the package I'm trying to removed will be purge from /var/lib/dpkg/status but that does not work, as you can see from running the command:

(Reading database ... 96753 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic ...
FATAL: Could not open '/boot/System.map-2.6.22-10-generic': No such file or directory
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-10-generic
Cannot find /lib/modules/2.6.22-10-generic
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-10-generic
dpkg: error processing linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic (--purge):
subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic

Edit:
-----

dpkg -P -a is supposed to have purged linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-10-generic from /var/lib/dpkg/status, but that did not happen. I purged the file manually.

I seem to remember dpkg had --force-all option, type dpkg --force-help for help?