Update Manager stopped working

[macjohn]

Using KDE 3.5.5 on Debian 2.6.18-5-k7

Whenever I try to perform an update using the update manager, I get a box that says:
"an error occured" (yeah, it's mis spelled)
The following details are provided:
E: debconf: subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1

I've tried selecting just one update at a time, same thing happens. It used to work fine and stopped working a few months ago. Any advice?

[devils casper]

Execute this

su -
apt-get update
apt-get dist-upgrade

Post error message here, if any.

[macjohn]

Here's what happened:

linux:/home/macjohn# apt-get dist-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
linux-image-2.6.18-6-k7
The following packages will be upgraded:
apache2 apache2-doc apache2-mpm-prefork apache2-utils apache2.2-common ark
cpio gnome-panel gnome-panel-data hpijs hpijs-ppds hplip hplip-data
kappfinder kate kcalc kcharselect kcontrol kdebase kdebase-bin kdebase-data
kdebase-kio-plugins kdelibs kdelibs-data kdelibs4c2a kdelirc kdepasswd
kdeprint kdesktop kdessh kdeutils kdf kedit kfind kfloppy kgpg khelpcenter
khexedit kicker kjots klaptopdaemon klibc-utils klipper kmenuedit kmilo
konqueror konqueror-nsplugins konsole kpager kpersonalizer kregexpeditor
ksim ksmserver ksplash ksysguard ksysguardd ktimer ktip kwalletmanager kwin
libc6 libc6-dev libc6-i686 libexif12 libflac7 libfreetype6 libklibc libkonq4
libmozjs0d libmysqlclient15off libnspr4-0d libnss3-0d liboggflac3
libopal-2.2.0 libpam-modules libpam-runtime libpam0g libpanel-applet2-0
libpoppler0c2 libpoppler0c2-glib libpoppler0c2-qt libpq4 libpt-1.10.0
libpt-plugins-alsa libpt-plugins-v4l libsndfile1 libsnmp-base libsnmp9
libvorbis0a libvorbisenc2 libvorbisfile3 libxfont1 libxine1 libxml2
libxml2-utils libxul-common libxul0d linux-image-2.6-k7 locales mysql-common
poppler-utils superkaramba xserver-xorg-core xulrunner-gnome-support
104 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B/125MB of archives.
After unpacking 43.9MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Extracting templates from packages: 100%
Preconfiguring packages ...
Setting up debconf (1.5.11etch1) ...
Compiling /usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/kuartetlib/ScrollPane.py ...
File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/kuartetlib/ScrollPane.py", line 11
Pane.__init__(self, parent, x, y, size=[0,0], name='', border=0):
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

dpkg: error processing debconf (--configure):
subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
debconf

[jledhead]

I notice your command was run from your home directory. did you su to run the command? apt-get needs to be installed as root or root permissions, su - and login as root or sudo apt-get upgrade.

if thats not the case, then apt-get -f upgrade

[macjohn]

looks like it was working then got this at the end:

Setting up libxml2-utils (2.6.27.dfsg-2) ...
Setting up libxul-common (1.8.0.15~pre080131b-0etch1) ...
Setting up libxul0d (1.8.0.15~pre080131b-0etch1) ...

Setting up poppler-utils (0.4.5-5.1etch2) ...
Setting up xserver-xorg-core (1.1.1-21etch4) ...
Setting up xulrunner-gnome-support (1.8.0.15~pre080131b-0etch1) ...

Errors were encountered while processing:
debconf
locales
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

when I try to run 'update manager' from the menu, it looks like all the updates that were there are now gone, but a few new ones are there, it still doesn't work from that screen, get the same error as before.

I guess I'll just do the updates from the command prompt from now on??