It seems as though nothing I enter in the terminal, nor in the Add/Remove window, can bypass the this message:

"E: dpkg was interrupted, you must run 'dpkg -- configure -a' to correct the problem.
E: _cache->open()failed, please report"

I've seen tutorials on problems like this, but I'm honestly kind of a newb, and I wasn't able to make that stuff work for me. I'm using Ubuntu, I just wish I could get the programs I need. Thanks for your time,
~Anthony~

have you run sudo dpkg -- configure -a?

and I got this message:

"dpkg: need an action option

Type dpkg --help for help about installing and deinstalling packages[*];
Use `dselect' or `aptitude' for user-friendly package management;
Type dpkg -Dhelp for a list of dpkg debug flag values;
Type dpkg --force-help for a list of forcing options;
Type dpkg-deb --help for help about manipulating *.deb files;
Type dpkg --license for copyright license and lack of warranty (GNU GPL)[*].

Options marked[*] produce a lot of output - pipe it through `less' or `more' !"

-Yeah, um, if you can answer that one, you'll be my bestest friend.
~Anthony~

Sorry, no space between -- and configure (how'd it get there in your original post?)

... my Add/Remove program stalls indefinitely when I try to select programs, in specific, the VLC player I've heard so much about.
Honestly, I'm still not quite sure how to use the terminal to get/download new softwares.
-and that last move I made made no sense to me.
thanks much,
~Anthony~

I can't seem to use the Add/Remove gui, as selecting something never finishes. I definitely can't add something without being able to select it...
And I keep trying to configure stuff, and download stuff, in the terminal... Lets just say my luck was lacking... I kept getting permission errors in the folder: "/var/lib/dpkg/lock" I can't even view it in my places. what should I do?
Peace,
~newbie in need~

dpkg is for installing packages you have manually downloaded to your machine..
you really should be using aptitude or synaptic to install software..

so running sudo dpkg --configure -a did not fix the un-configured packages from your last interrupted install ?

How to install VLC on Ubuntu: http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:F...yer_as_well.29

That didn't work either, the link. it just never finishes loading... I tried using my synaptic package manager, it said that there's a broken package somewhere, and that I can't do anything until it's fixed. And I've read some really bad stuff about Automatix, about updates and crashes...
Also, when I tried to put the dpkg reconfigure message into the terminal, the first time it asked for the password. Then appeared to do nothing. After that it didn't even ask for a password.
Very frustrating indeed, I just wanted a working computer, nothing flashy.
Peace,
~Anthony~

I found out why it never seemed to load. When I clicked on the link it was indefinately waiting for a response from linuxquestions.org. So I decided to access the site from it's login page, then followed the extensions as best as I could. I still have no idea how to interpret the "Ubuntu:F...yer_as_well.29", that came after the "http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/". So I decide to just type it into the URL so that it matched the link, and guess what? It loaded the page!
Well, the one that said:

"There is currently no text in this page, you can search for this page title in other pages or edit this page"

Help, someone, pleeease,
~Anthony~

Heres the short link.
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Feisty

Then scroll down to FAQ Number
1.7.4.4.4 VLC plug-in (Installs VLC media player as well)

No clue why you can't just follow the link above...

I was able to follow the link around this time. I got to the guide, and it said to type: "sudo apt-get install vlc vlc-plugin-* mozilla-plugin-vlc". This is what my terminal said to me:

"anthony@Ganja-Brownie:~$ sudo apt-get install vlc vlc-plugin-* mozilla-plugin-vlc
Password:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-dvb for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-ggi for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-esd for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-mad for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-alsa for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-ogg for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-sdl for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-arts for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-glide for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-xosd for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-svgalib for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-aa for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-dv for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-lirc for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
Note, selecting vlc-plugin-a52 for regex 'vlc-plugin-*'
You might want to run `apt-get -f install' to correct these:
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
mozilla-plugin-vlc: Depends: vlc-nox (= 0.8.6.release-0ubuntu4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libvlc0 (>= 0.8.6.release) but it is not going to be installed
sun-java5-bin: Depends: sun-java5-jre (= 1.5.0-11-1ubuntu2) but it is not going to be installed
vlc: Depends: vlc-nox (= 0.8.6.release-0ubuntu4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libiso9660-4 but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libsdl-image1.2 (>= 1.2.5) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libtar but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libvcdinfo0 (> 0.7.23) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libvlc0 (>= 0.8.6.release) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libwxbase2.6-0 (>= 2.6.3.2.1.5ubuntu6) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libwxgtk2.6-0 (>= 2.6.3.2.1.5ubuntu6) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libxosd2 (>= 2.2.13) but it is not going to be installed
vlc-plugin-arts: Depends: vlc-nox but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libartsc0 (>= 1.5.0-1) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libvlc0 (>= 0.8.6.release) but it is not going to be installed
vlc-plugin-esd: Depends: vlc-nox but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libvlc0 (>= 0.8.6.release) but it is not going to be installed
vlc-plugin-ggi: Depends: vlc-nox but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libggi2 (>= 1:2.2.1) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libvlc0 (>= 0.8.6.release) but it is not going to be installed
vlc-plugin-glide: Depends: vlc-nox but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libvlc0 (>= 0.8.6.release) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libglide2 but it is not going to be installed
vlc-plugin-sdl: Depends: vlc-nox but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libvlc0 (>= 0.8.6.release) but it is not going to be installed
vlc-plugin-svgalib: Depends: vlc-nox (= 0.8.6.release-0ubuntu4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libsvga1
Depends: libvlc0 (>= 0.8.6.release) but it is not going to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).
anthony@Ganja-Brownie:~$ "

I appreciate the help,
~Anthony~

what is in your apt sources list ? have you modified it from the default ?

cat /etc/apt/sources.list

I've tried two new things to get this machine to work, the first of which was recommended by the terminal when I typed: ":anthony@Ganja-Brownie:~$ apt-get -f install", it brought up the 'security issues' that I've seen so many times before:

"E: Could not open lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (13 Permission denied)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), are you root?"

~So then I noticed what Farslayer had to say, and tried that... which produced a lot more from the terminal, though I still no understand... can you make sense of this stuff?:

"anthony@Ganja-Brownie:~$ cat /etc/apt/sources.list
# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.

deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ feisty main restricted
deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ feisty main restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ feisty-updates main restricted
deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ feisty-updates main restricted

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in
## universe WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu security
## team.
deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ feisty universe
deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ feisty universe

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in
## multiverse WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu
## security team.
deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ feisty multiverse
deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ feisty multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'backports'
## repository.
## N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as
## extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes
## newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features.
## Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review
## or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ feisty-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ feisty-backports main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu feisty-security main restricted
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu feisty-security main restricted
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu feisty-security universe
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu feisty-security universe
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu feisty-security multiverse
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu feisty-security multiverse
anthony@Ganja-Brownie:~$"

~If anyone can help me through these problems, I'll praise them.
~Anthony~

I tried to use the unbuntu guide to get the Hellx plug-in. Into the terminal went: "sudo apt-get install avahi-daemon", and out came:

"The following packages have unmet dependencies:
sun-java5-bin: Depends: sun-java5-jre (= 1.5.0-11-1ubuntu2) but it is not going to be installed"

Could these have been my problem? How does one configure this stuff?
Peace,
~Anthony~