"APT-GET, DPKG empty line, new line error failed install" solution :)
 

I attempted to install apache2 on AVLinux and received the empty line in description error message. Here are the steps I went through to fix this problem. I have also provided sample code with [ NOTES: ] so you can see exactly what should and what should not be change in the following files.

Please read this entire post including the supplied code before you start making the changes to your files.

Resolving blank line in value of field 'Description' Errors

While running:
sudo dpkg --configure -a

I made the following changes.
In /var/lib/dpkg/status file:

Line 1432 error
Delete line 1425 and then delete line 1431

Line 15771 error
Delete line 15765 and then line 15771

Line 45607 Error
Delete line 45608

While running:
sudo apt-get install systemd-gui

In /var/lib/dpkg/available File:

Line 2791 error

Delete line 2785 and then line 2791

The lines that are causing your issues may be different than the ones I changed in my files. So start by running the apt-get install command on the package you want to install.

Beginning with the first empty line error: (mine was 1431) right click the indicated file and click open with gedit.

Click 'search' in the menu bar and then click 'Go to line....'
and enter the line number.

WARMING: YOU WILL NOT DELETE THE LINE INDICATED IN THE ERROR MESSAGE!
YOU WILL BE DELETING one or more lines AFTER the line indicated.
1. Read the following code so that you know what you are looking for.

2. Delete the empty line or lines in the description area of the package.

3. Save the file.

4. Run clear screen

5. Rerun the apt-get install package command to get next empty line error and line number.

To make it easier to find each of the empty line errors that you encounter; run the clear screen command and then rerun the apt-get install 'package' command. This can be easily achieved by using your up arrow key to choose between the two commands.

There really is no point in retyping the full command when the xterm terminal remembers quite a few of the recent commands you have typed.

I hope this helps you fix your problem.

Read the following code so that you know exactly what you are looking for.

Package: distrho-plugin-ports-old-vst <br />
Priority: optional <br />
Section: sound <br />
Installed-Size: 25528 <br />
Maintainer: Glen MacArthur info@bandshed.net <br />
Architecture: i386 <br />
Source: distrho <br />
Version: 20140720avlinux6 <br />
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.4), libfreetype6 (>= 2.2.1), libgcc1 (>= 1:4.1.1), libstdc++6 (>= 4.4.0), libx11-6 (>= 0), libxext6 (>= 0) <br />
Pre-Depends: xz-utils <br />
Breaks: juced-plugins-vst (<< 20120502-0kxstudio1) <br />
Conflicts: juced-plugins-vst (<< 20120502-0kxstudio1) <br />
Size: 10321144 <br />
Description: DISTHRO Plugin Ports (VST) <br />
Open-source audio plugins, ported/compiled in Linux by the DISTHRO Team. <br />
. [ NOTE: This line causes an error so delete it ] <br />
These plugins include: <br />
- argotlunar <br />
- bitmangler <br />
- juce-pitcher <br />
- sDelay <br />
- KMeter <br />
[NOTE: This line causes an error so delete it] <br />
This package contains the VST version of these plugins. <br />
[ Note: This line separates packages so do not delete it ] <br />
Package: libgoffice-0.8-dev <br />
Priority: optional <br />
Section: libdevel <br />
Installed-Size: 6232 <br />
Maintainer: J.H.M. Dassen (Ray) <jdassen@debian.org> <br />
Architecture: i386 <br />
Source: goffice <br />
Version: 0.8.8-1 <br />
Replaces: libgoffice-0-5-dev, libgoffice-0-8-dev <br />
Depends: libgoffice-0.8-8 (= 0.8.8-1), libglib2.0-dev (>= 2.16.0), libxml2-dev (>= 2.6.10-2), libgtk2.0-dev (>= 2.8.17), libglade2-dev (>= 1:2.4.0), libcairo2-dev (>= 1.2.0), libgconf2-dev, libgsf-1-dev (>= 1.14.9) <br />
Breaks: libgoffice-0-5-dev, libgoffice-0-8-dev, libgoffice-0-dev (<< 0.4.2-2) <br />
Size: 1200860 <br />
Description: Document centric objects library - runtime files <br />
GOffice is a library of document centric objects and utilities building on <br />
top of GLib and Gtk+. <br />
. [ NOTE: This line causes an error so delete it ] <br />
These are the files needed when building applications that use GOffice. <br />
[ Note: This line separates packages so do not delete it ] <br />
Package: karbon <br />

Read is the operative word.
You skipped a step.
Same 'fix' as The package needs to be reinstalled, but I can’t find an archive for it.

I've only had to use this twice in recent memory.
Once was a Zimbra install gone to hell in a hand-basket and the other was of my own doing messing around with
custom rsyslog stuff.

Thanks for adding the missed step.
In addition to not using it, I'm not to familiar with all the Linux command line techniques.

One of the reasons for leaving the file open in Gedit is so that you can hit cntrl + z if the next run fails because of what you changed. This reverts the file back to it's original. It is also the reason I worked on each error independently. Making a lot of changes at the same time prevents one from determining what works and what does not.

Frankly, I'm of the opinion that Microsoft gets a big plus from their GUI administration interfaces. While one can do the same things at the prompt,
Microsoft rightly chose to provide a GUI for the most common and work intensive
parts for what I believe to be two reasons.

1. Unless you are doing a given task every day, one tends to forget the syntax as well as the command itself. Time is money, and having to look up the command every time you do something that is done rarely, is inefficient and costs money.

2. It's so much easier to do what you can see than to try and remember where all the config files and whatnot has been placed.

The dkp errors and failures is a good reason why files like this should be built using a properly designed gui. Empty line errors and warnings such as the "malformed version number, the version number does not start with a digit" would be avoided because the gui would take the inputed data and properly format it every time eliminating the "humans make mistakes" problem. It would also limit errors that are done intentionally.

I was working with AVLinux when I came across this problem. It unfortunately refuses to share a drive across the network. So I think now I will try CentOS. If that doesn't work for me I'll install SME.

Thanks again for the added step I missed.