$ dpkg --audit "says" packages are in a mess

[rickeydee]

perhaps you have seen this before:

$ dpkg --audit
The following packages are in a mess due to serious problems during
installation. They must be reinstalled for them (and any packages
that depend on them) to function properly:
linux-image-2.6.18-5-486 Linux 2.6.18 image on x86

1) Im a newbie
2) system's been running for 3 months
3) I have upgraded evey upgrade notification recieved
4) I have upgraded the linux-image quite a few times without any problems
5) I have turned off the [x] show notifications for upgrades available
since my system has a pending problem
7) Synaptic will not complete the upgrade, nor can i disable it from
by trying to unmark the two upgrades.
Synaptic [] mark for removal would be like deleting the OS right?
9) So far the applications I use aren't crashing; nor is the system crashing

Synaptic available versions
2.6.18.dfsg.1-13etch5 (stable) PARTIAL INSTALL
2.6.18.dfsg.1-13etch4 (now)
2.6.18.dfsg.1-13 (Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r1_Etch_ -
Official i386 NETINST Binary-1 20070820-20:21)
I tried this
# apt-get install linux-image-2.6.18.dfsg.1-13etch4
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package linux-image-2.6.18.dfsg.1-13etch4

Synaptic still shows the last 2 available upgrades
1) libsmbclient
2) linux-image-2.16.18-5-486
installed version : 2.6.18.dfsg.1-13etch4
latest version : 2.6.18.dfsg.1-13etch5
description : Linux 2.6.18 image on x86

----------
OPTION 1 -
----------
Synaptic note: To install a version that is different for the default one.
choose Package -> Force Version... from the menu.

The question
Will forcing 2.6.18.dfsg.1-13etch4 (now)
restore what 2.6.18.dfsg.1-13etch5 (stable) PARTIAL INSTALL did?

I also found
dir1: /usr/share/doc/linux-image-2.6.18-5-486/
file1: /usr/share/doc/linux-image-2.6.18-5-486 ....
/examples/sample.force-build-link.sh
dir2: /usr/share/doc/linux-image-2.6-486

file1: hints do a force; but this is the upgrade that crashed
and I want to go back if possible

----------
OPTION 2 -
----------
What would happen if I ran this as a last ditch effort???
file1: /usr/share/doc/linux-image-2.6.18-5-486/examples/sample.force-build-link.sh

#!/bin/sh
# -*- Mode: Sh -*-
# sample.force-build-link.sh ---
# Author : Manoj Srivastava ( srivasta@glaurung.internal.golden-gryphon.com )
# Created On : Wed Mar 22 08:07:21 2006
# Created On Node : glaurung.internal.golden-gryphon.com
# Last Modified By : Manoj Srivastava
# Last Modified On : Wed Mar 22 08:14:10 2006
# Last Machine Used: glaurung.internal.golden-gryphon.com
# Update Count : 4
# Status : Unknown, Use with caution!
# HISTORY :
# Description :
#
# This is an example of a script that can be run as a postinst hook,
# and forces the build link to point to a headers directory, even if
# the source dir is present.
#
# arch-tag: ca36fde4-759d-4f96-8d03-aeea4fd24f99

set -e

VERSION=$1
KERNELDIR=$2

MODULEDIR=/lib/modules/$VERSION
HEADERDIR=/usr/src/linux-headers-$VERSION

# exit silently if there is no module dir
test -d $MODULEDIR || exit 0
test -d $HEADERDIR || exit 0

# update build link -- by first deleting whatever is there
test ! -e $MODULEDIR/build || rm -f $MODULEDIR/build
# and then creating a new one
ln -sf $HEADERDIR $MODULEDIR/build

----------
OPTION 3 -
----------
Take my downloaded cdrom image
2.6.18.dfsg.1-13
( Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r1_Etch_ -
Official i386 NETINST Binary-1 20070820-20:21)
and start from scratch.

Anyone want to vote?http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/ima...lies/drown.gif

Option 1 = 1 could work
Option 2 = 0 do or die
Option 3 = 0 sure bet

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !

Execute this

su
apt-get clean all
apt-get update

Post error message here, if any.
Execute this :

ls /boot

Post output here.

[rickeydee]

thanks for the response: devils_casper

I rebooted then ran

# dpkg --audit
The following packages are in a mess due to serious problems during
installation. They must be reinstalled for them (and any packages
that depend on them) to function properly:
linux-image-2.6.18-5-486 Linux 2.6.18 image on x86

[devils casper]

Does apt-get update throw any error message?

[rickeydee]

# apt-get clean all
# apt-get update
Ign cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r1 _Etch_ - Official i386 NETINST Binary-1 20070820-20:21] etch Release.gpg
Ign cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r1 _Etch_ - Official i386 NETINST Binary-1 20070820-20:21] etch Release
Ign cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r1 _Etch_ - Official i386 NETINST Binary-1 20070820-20:21] etch/contrib Packages/DiffIndex
Ign cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r1 _Etch_ - Official i386 NETINST Binary-1 20070820-20:21] etch/main Packages/DiffIndex
Get:1 Index of / etch Release.gpg [378B]
Get:2 Debian -- Security Information etch/updates Release.gpg [189B]
Hit Index of / etch Release
Get:3 Debian -- Security Information etch/updates Release [22.5kB]
Ign Index of / etch/main Packages/DiffIndex
Ign Index of / etch/main Sources/DiffIndex
Hit Index of / etch/main Packages
Hit Index of / etch/main Sources
Ign Debian -- Security Information etch/updates/main Packages/DiffIndex
Ign Debian -- Security Information etch/updates/contrib Packages/DiffIndex
Ign Debian -- Security Information etch/updates/main Sources/DiffIndex
Ign Debian -- Security Information etch/updates/contrib Sources/DiffIndex
Get:4 Debian -- Security Information etch/updates/main Packages [197kB]
Hit Debian -- Security Information etch/updates/contrib Packages
Get:5 Debian -- Security Information etch/updates/main Sources [26.8kB]
Hit Debian -- Security Information etch/updates/contrib Sources
Fetched 247kB in 3s (80.2kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done

# ls /boot
config-2.6.18-5-486 initrd.img-2.6.18-5-486.bak vmlinuz-2.6.18-5-486
grub lost+found
initrd.img-2.6.18-5-486 System.map-2.6.18-5-486

NO-ERRORS

Synaptic is now showing a newer version than the one that crashed
linux-image-2.16.18-5-486
installed version : 2.6.18.dfsg.1-13etch4 (now)
latest version : 2.6.18.dfsg.1-13etch5 (crashed ver)
now shows : 2.6.18.dfsg.1-13etch6 (new upgrade ver) available now
description : Linux 2.6.18 image on x86
Perhaps this ver could install.
Wouldn't it overwrite everthing it is 48.4 MB; what could
possibly be left over. My guess is its not going to do
anything until the packages are squared away; right?

[devils casper]

Click Mark All Upgrade in Synaptic and click Apply. Does it upgrade to newer kernel version? Does it show any package in AutoRemovable Tab?

[rickeydee]

Thanks again devils_casper
for tring to teach me how to resolve package problems.

Click Mark All Upgrade in Synaptic and click Apply.
Does it upgrade to newer kernel version? .......... NO
Does it show any package in AutoRemovable Tab? .... NO TAB

Thier were two packages being installed at the time of the crash.
1) libsmbclient
2) 2.6.18.dfsg.1-13etch5
On Mark All Upgrade in Synaptic produced a dialog
Mark additional required changes?
The chosen action also affects outher packages.
The following changes are required in order to proceed.
It listed only one (libsmbclient); I marked it and Applied it.

The next Synaptic dialog pops up. I think Synaptic has crashed
at this point.
I waited for the dialog with the message stateing it was running
... modules.dep needs to be re-built ... you have to reboot...
Normal upgrade time for Linux 2.6.18 image on x86 is about 5 mins (I think)
I gave it over 2 hours to cleanup dep file ...

Harddrive light shows little activity a steady timed pulse event.

Then I ran the System Monitor with the dialog still up.
Menu->View>Active process in System Monitor, would run but would crash.
But when I selected Menu->View>All processes it dosen't crash.
Reading the section hier in System Monitor for
gksu
... dpkg
frontend
preinst
whiptail (the point of interest)
the message output to the dialog failed to
display the entire message. (I have seen the
entire message on suscessful upgrades).
The dialog msg stops at "(Do not reboot right now,
then blank line <Ok>

You can't scroll down to see the rest of the msg,
(but whiptail has more to display).
I think (not sure) that normally the entire message
is displayed. In any case Synaptic is locked up with
the Running... in the top right corner. Trying to close
the dialog produces 'Can't close while running'.

preinst: Arguments are:
/usr/bin/perl/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/preinst upgrade 2.6.18.dfsg.1-13etch4
(etch4 was the one working)
(etch5 was the one failed)
(etch6 was the new one we were tring to upgrade now)

Could this mean that etch4 is messed up preventing (5, 6)
from installing or was it 5 that messed up 4?

Synaptic will not close because dialog won't close.
Would not be killed in System Monitor either.

I don't want to annoy you with all this verbal. Should I
just stick with your questions? You probably know exactly
where your going and only need the yes or no stuff.