apt-get: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code
 

Hello.

I have some problems with apt-get. After doing some basic test on my Linux Mint 9 LTS desktop on bacula and mysql my apt-get upgrade process failed.


I'd like to get rid of the problem - be able to upgrade the system.
It would be best to uninstall all the packages related to bacula and MySQL, along with the configuration. After that, I could play with them again after reinstalling.

Are you doing a plain upgrade or a dist-upgrade (a newer versions of Linux Mint)? If you are doing a plain upgrade try
let us know how you go.

I'm not going to do an "dist-upgrade". I don't want to upgrade to Linux Mint 10, 11 or 12. I just want to upgrade all packages to newer available versions in scope of Linux Mint 9. I want to do it the way I do until now every few days:
I don't have "safe-upgrade" option in my aptitude.

Errata. I have this option (previously, I looked at aptitude manual in my native language, which turns out to be outdated).

Output:

Do you need mysql for anything else? It may be that you will need to check for orphaned packages and then reinstall the packages you need.

I don't need mysql for any other package. Look at my first post please. Uninstall orphaned packages also leads to errors.

Good then remove it and start again if need be.
I looked at your first post before I typed the first reply. Have you upgraded the system? Did you remove mysql and bacula?
Does it? that's interesting. Orphaned packages aren't required by anything, that is why they are orphaned, so removing them should not create any problems.

Sorry, I've been sure that `apt-get autoremove`, listed at first post, removes orhpaned packages.
After all, I'm stuck at first step:

I need a break, lol. Sorry I've had a crappy week and didn't take it all in even though I did read it.

Ok in you need to find the files it mentions in the errors, delete them (only the ones it mentions), apt-get or aptitude should work for you after that so you can purge those packages and then do your upgrade.

I'm having very similar problem, trying to reinstall LibreOffice...running Pangolin.

I keep getting the following:
"Errors were encountered while processing:
/var/cache/apt/archives/libreoffice-common_1%3a3.5.3-0ubuntu1_all.deb
E: sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)"

Attempted resolutions:
-deleted from the archive file the line: "libreoffice-common_1%...etc" with no change.
-have run apt-get update
-have run apt-get install -f
-have rebooted...and, not running another terminal window or synaptic.

dlsmith, is that the whole error message? You see the OPs message has alot more information to it so if you can give us more we may be able to help better.

[RESOLVED] error message
 

Thnx, after my third attempt, where I attacked the errant file via Synaptic instead of via a terminal window, I finally was able to delete the .deb file cited in the error message...and then the reinstall went fine.

Appreciate yr reply.
David

Well done, it's good you worked through it.

Posting a 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 />