Hi Everybody,

A notebook with Linux Mint 18
unluckily since a few days, mintinstall isn't working and MintUpdate icon has disappeared.
If I launch mintinstall I get these messages:

import gtk
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/gtk-2.0/gtk/__init__.py", line 40, in <module>
from gtk import _gtk
ImportError: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libharfbuzz.so.0: undefined symbol: FT_Reference_Face

VLC and audio are not working as well.
It seems the cause is related to libfreetype6

I suppose the problem depends on last updates.
What can I do in order to solve the problem?
Best regards
Beppe

Hi satsriakal, and welcome to LQ.

Is it really just Mint 18 you are running or is it Mint 18.1, 18.2, or the most recent 18.3?

Could you please run the following command and paste the output here:

I just want to see what condition your packages are in before we have a look at the problem in hand. This is a good place to start.

Linux Mint 18.1


apt update

Hit:1 http://ubuntu.mirror.garr.it/mirrors/ubuntu-archive xenial InRelease
Ign:2 http://ftp.fau.de/mint/packages serena InRelease
Hit:3 http://ubuntu.mirror.garr.it/mirrors/ubuntu-archive xenial-updates InRelease
Hit:4 http://ppa.launchpad.net/danielricht...tomizer/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:5 http://ftp.fau.de/mint/packages serena Release
Hit:6 http://ubuntu.mirror.garr.it/mirrors/ubuntu-archive xenial-backports InRelease
Hit:7 http://ppa.launchpad.net/maarten-bae...ecorder/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:8 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease
Hit:9 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:10 http://ppa.launchpad.net/slgobinath/safeeyes/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:11 http://ppa.launchpad.net/umang/indic...kynotes/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
All packages are up-to-date.

Excellent. Can you please paste the output from the following command:

Please edit out the equals signs before pasting the output, and don't bother pasting anything if there are no packages listed below the equals signs.

rc libgda-5.0-common 5.2.4-1ubuntu1 all data abstraction library based on GLib -- common files
rc libgladeui-2-6 3.18.3-1 amd64 GTK+ User Interface Build core library
rc virtualbox-guest-utils 5.1.34-dfsg-0ubuntu1.16.04.2 amd64 x86 virtualization solution - non-X11 guest utilities
rc virtualbox-guest-x11 5.1.34-dfsg-0ubuntu1.16.04.2 amd64 x86 virtualization solution - X11 guest utilities

Ok, thanks. None of these should be be creating the problem.

Can you run mintupdate from the command line, closing the Update Manager window if it opens, and post all the output you get. Thanks.

mintupdate opens a GUI for package update

(mintUpdate.py:6237): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_thaw_toplevel_updates: assertion 'window->update_and_descendants_freeze_count > 0' failed

Ok, can you run an update?

[sudo] password di xap:
Hit:1 http://ubuntu.mirror.garr.it/mirrors/ubuntu-archive xenial InRelease
Hit:2 http://ubuntu.mirror.garr.it/mirrors/ubuntu-archive xenial-updates InRelease
Hit:3 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Ign:4 http://ftp.fau.de/mint/packages serena InRelease
Hit:5 http://ppa.launchpad.net/danielricht...tomizer/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:6 http://ubuntu.mirror.garr.it/mirrors/ubuntu-archive xenial-backports InRelease
Hit:7 http://ftp.fau.de/mint/packages serena Release
Hit:8 http://ppa.launchpad.net/maarten-bae...ecorder/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Get:9 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease [107 kB]
Hit:10 http://ppa.launchpad.net/slgobinath/safeeyes/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:11 http://ppa.launchpad.net/umang/indic...kynotes/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Fetched 107 kB in 1s (64,0 kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
All packages are up-to-date.

Sorry, I meant do an update using the mintupdate GUI. I wanted to see that it was working ok, despite not placing an icon in the system tray.

Anyway, there's nothing for it to update. So, can you similarly run mintinstall and post the command line output here. Thanks.

import gtk
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/gtk-2.0/gtk/__init__.py", line 40, in <module>
from gtk import _gtk
ImportError: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libharfbuzz.so.0: undefined symbol: FT_Reference_Face

I don't know if it can be useful to know...
some weeks ago, I installed the update, and consequently, the system wasn't working properly. Someone suggested me to unistall last updates of VirtualBox and the problem was solved.

Thanks for the info - I don't think that what you did would have caused this issue.

Is there any reason that you're still running Mint 18.1 rather than the latest 18.3? We might find in upgrading that the problem gets rectified.

If you want to do that, we'll install TimeShift and make a system snapshot before the upgrade, as well as back up your documents and other data.

If not, we can try re-installing mintinstall.

Your call.

I'd rather prefer to leave 18.1 since it's a LTS edition as well.

Ok.

Nothing has changed after reinstallation.
What else can I do?