[SOLVED] Debian9 apt: package x needs to be reinstalled, but no archive found

Hello,

I didn't know about LC_ALL=c...I will remember that.

jvermeulen@jvermeulen:~/Downloads$

LC_ALL=c sudo sudo dpkg --purge --force-all PackageX
dpkg: warning: overriding problem because --force enabled:
dpkg: warning: package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should
 reinstall it before attempting a removal
(Reading database ... 278235 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing PackageX (3.0.2.1.el7-2) ...
/bin/bash: warning: setlocale: LC_ALL: cannot change locale (c)
userdel: user 'xxx' does not exist
dpkg: error processing package packageX (--purge):
 subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 6
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.24-11+deb9u3) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 PackageX

Thanks. Do you have the original deb file so that you can reinstall this package? Normally, --force-all should take care of business, so you could try doing as it advises (although you might find that subsequently trying to uninstall it triggers the same post-removal script error, but we'll cross that bridge if/when we come to it).

Hello,

jvermeulen@jvermeulen:~/Downloads$

LC_ALL=c sudo dpkg -i --force-all packageX_3.0.2.1.el7-2_amd64.deb
Selecting previously unselected package packageX.
(Reading database ... 278236 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack packageX_3.0.2.1.el7-2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking packageX (3.0.2.1.el7-2) over (3.0.2.1.el7-2) ...
/bin/bash: warning: setlocale: LC_ALL: cannot change locale (c)
userdel: user 'xxx' does not exist
dpkg: warning: subprocess old post-removal script returned error exit status 6
dpkg: trying script from the new package instead ...
/bin/bash: warning: setlocale: LC_ALL: cannot change locale (c)
userdel: user 'xxx' does not exist
dpkg: error processing archive packageX_3.0.2.1.el7-2_amd64.deb (--install):
 subprocess new post-removal script returned error exit status 6
/bin/bash: warning: setlocale: LC_ALL: cannot change locale (c)
userdel: user 'xxx' does not exist
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess new post-removal script returned error exit status 6
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.24-11+deb9u3) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.23-1) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.60) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 packageX_3.0.2.1.el7-2_amd64.deb

But then trying to remove it indeed gives same EM...

greetings, J.

It doesn't appear to have installed correctly anyway.

Is there any chance that you could paste the post-removal script on here so that I can have a look? If you don't know how to access this then let me know.

Hello,

I have to admit I don't know where to find that....

Ok. You can first extract the package's control files with:

dpkg -e packageX_3.0.2.1.el7-2_amd64.deb

This will create a DEBIAN subdirectory in the current directory. In that subdirectory, you will find the control files, including postrm which is the post-removal script.

By the way, is this you commenting here? ...

Hello,

same last name, but it isn't me. I'm not on Stackoverflow.
This is the first time I have an apt-issue. Before I've always worked with rpm disto's.

Originally Posted by jvermeulen Hello, same last name, but it isn't me. I'm not on Stackoverflow. This is the first time I have an apt-issue. Before I've always worked with rpm disto's.

No problem. Quite a coincidence. Anyway, back to the issue at hand... (I'll remove the link above so as not to distract too much)

I am not sure if it confuses apt if a post install script has an error while removing. After all the package has been removed. I mean would apt set the package to partially installed or removed if the postrm script returns an error.

If it does, two workarounds: create user 'xxx' or edit the postrm script to force to return OK after running userdel. It is BTW a questionable policy to return an error on something which already has been completed. If the script want to delete a user which does not exist that is not an error.

jlinkels

Originally Posted by jlinkels I am not sure if it confuses apt if a post install script has an error while removing. After all the package has been removed. I mean would apt set the package to partially installed or removed if the postrm script returns an error. If it does, two workarounds: create user 'xxx' or edit the postrm script to force to return OK after running userdel. It is BTW a questionable policy to return an error on something which already has been completed. If the script want to delete a user which does not exist that is not an error. jlinkels

Good advice, What I'm hoping to do for the OP is repackage the original package but with a modified or blank postrm file - that will be easy to do and should solve the problem. The package hasn't actually been removed, it has been "half removed". We're down at dpkg level by the way, rather than at apt level.

Originally Posted by hydrurga We're down at dpkg level by the way, rather than at apt level.

Yes, I know. But it is dpkg which sets the package installed status. IIRC apt calls dpkg for installing or removing packages, but apt does much more in terms of dependency management.

jlinkels

Hello All,

I think adding user xxx solved the problem.
After adding user:

jvermeulen@jvermeulen:~$ id xxx
UID=1001(xxx) GID=1001(xxx) groepen=1001(xxx)
jvermeulen@jvermeulen:~$ LC_ALL=c sudo sudo dpkg --purge --force-all packageX
dpkg: warning: overriding problem because --force enabled:
dpkg: warning: package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should
 reinstall it before attempting a removal
(Reading database ... 278234 files and directories currently installed.)
Purging configuration files for packageX (3.0.2.1.el7-2) ...
/bin/bash: warning: setlocale: LC_ALL: cannot change locale (c)

After that I can update/upgrade again, use apt in a normal way!
Thanks for the help, I learned a lot.
J.

Originally Posted by jvermeulen Hello All, I think adding user xxx solved the problem. After adding user: jvermeulen@jvermeulen:~$ id xxx UID=1001(xxx) GID=1001(xxx) groepen=1001(xxx) jvermeulen@jvermeulen:~$ LC_ALL=c sudo sudo dpkg --purge --force-all packageX dpkg: warning: overriding problem because --force enabled: dpkg: warning: package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should reinstall it before attempting a removal (Reading database ... 278234 files and directories currently installed.) Purging configuration files for packageX (3.0.2.1.el7-2) ... /bin/bash: warning: setlocale: LC_ALL: cannot change locale (c) After that I can update/upgrade again, use apt in a normal way! Thanks for the help, I learned a lot. J.

Great to hear. jlinkels' solution was less convoluted than mine was to have been. Nice one.