libc6 related dependencies problem -- and "readlink -e" errors!

[natrik]

I can't figure out what to do about this, other than do a complete server upgrade (which I have been putting off indefinitely anyway). I'd like to resolve this issue though, just to learn how to deal with this type of crap.

If anyone is smart enough to figure out the dependency chain and how to avoid and/or conquer its problems, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE to show off how smart your leet skillz surely are! Aside: I've been using Debian Linux for almost 12 years now, and I've gotten around quite a few of these, but man, this is a stumper for me.

I'll start off with the basics:

root@reef:~# apt-get check
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
You might want to run `apt-get -f install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  libc6: Depends: tzdata but it is not installed
  locales: Depends: glibc-2.7-1
E: Unmet dependencies. Try using -f.
root@reef:~#

OKAY, try using -f it is, then ... This is where the trouble really begins.

root@reef:~# apt-get -f install
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  libc6
Suggested packages:
  libc6-i686
The following packages will be upgraded:
  libc6
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 362 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B/4437kB of archives.
After unpacking 393kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Preconfiguring packages ...
(Reading database ... 40557 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libc6 2.3.6-9 (using .../archives/libc6_2.7-13_i386.deb) ...
Checking for services that may need to be restarted...
Checking init scripts...

Debian Configuration

Running services and programs that are using NSS need to be restarted, 
otherwise they might not be able to do lookup or authentication any more. 
The installation process is able to restart some services (such as ssh or 
telnetd), but other programs cannot be restarted automatically. One such 
program that needs manual stopping and restart after the glibc upgrade by 
yourself is xdm - because automatic restart might disconnect your active 
X11 sessions.

This script detected the following installed services which must be stopped 
before the upgrade: proftpd

If you want to interrupt the upgrade now and continue later, please answer 
No to the question below.

Do you want to upgrade glibc now?  

                   <Yes>                                                         <No>

SO, then I check to make sure proftpd is NOT RUNNING, and I go ahead and choose YES -- I get this:

readlink: invalid option -- e
Try `readlink --help' for more information.
readlink: invalid option -- e
Try `readlink --help' for more information.
readlink: invalid option -- e
Try `readlink --help' for more information.
readlink: invalid option -- e
Try `readlink --help' for more information.
readlink: invalid option -- e
Try `readlink --help' for more information.
readlink: invalid option -- e
Try `readlink --help' for more information.
readlink: invalid option -- e
Try `readlink --help' for more information.
readlink: invalid option -- e
Try `readlink --help' for more information.
readlink: invalid option -- e
Try `readlink --help' for more information.
WARNING: POSIX threads library NPTL requires kernel version
2.6.8 or later. If you use a kernel 2.4, please upgrade it
before installing glibc.

The installation of a 2.6 kernel _could_ ask you to install a new libc
first, this is NOT a bug, and should *NOT* be reported. In that case,
please add etch sources to your /etc/apt/sources.list and run:
  apt-get install -t etch linux-image-2.6
Then reboot into this new kernel, and proceed with your upgrade
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.7-13_i386.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 1

Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.7-13_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
root@reef:~#

Further investigation:

root@reef:~# readlink --help
Usage: readlink [OPTION]... FILE
Display value of a symbolic link on standard output.

  -f, --canonicalize      canonicalize by following every symlink in every
                          component of the given path recursively
  -n, --no-newline        do not output the trailing newline
  -q, --quiet,
  -s, --silent            suppress most error messages
  -v, --verbose           report error messages
      --help     display this help and exit
      --version  output version information and exit

Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.

root@reef:~# readlink --version
readlink (coreutils) 5.2.1
Written by Dmitry V. Levin.

On a newer (ubuntu 8.04.1) machine, I tried the same thing, and -e does exist.

nate@Redtail:~> readlink --help
Usage: readlink [OPTION]... FILE
Display value of a symbolic link on standard output.

  -f, --canonicalize            canonicalize by following every symlink in
                                every component of the given name recursively;
                                all but the last component must exist
  -e, --canonicalize-existing   canonicalize by following every symlink in
                                every component of the given name recursively,
                                all components must exist
  -m, --canonicalize-missing    canonicalize by following every symlink in
                                every component of the given name recursively,
                                without requirements on components existence
  -n, --no-newline              do not output the trailing newline
  -q, --quiet,
  -s, --silent                  suppress most error messages
  -v, --verbose                 report error messages
      --help     display this help and exit
      --version  output version information and exit

Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
nate@Redtail:~> readlink --version
readlink (GNU coreutils) 6.10

After all this, I can't even recall what I was that I originally wanted to add to this machine that prompted all this mess.

Thanks in advance for any insights / solutions / hammers to the head ...

-- Nate

[tcengineer]

If it's any consolation, I'm having the exact same problems.

I've basically been running around in circles trying to update the kernel and lib6c

For experts-exchange users, Here are the chronicals of my efforts. The folks there that were trying to help apparently gave up, scratching their heads as well.

What's the correct sources.list for Debian? : debian, sources.list, update

I don't want to reinstall the system from scratch if I can at all avoid it.

Unlike natrik, I'm very new to debian.

Any epiphanies would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

John 88{Q

[DrakeMagi]

did you try it in the synaptic manger .
use search to find files. If install mark for reinstall.

[tcengineer]

Although a bit convoluted, my original task was to install a bit torrent server on the system. The process I found required java/X11 to do the install. Unfortunately, X11 didn't seem to work well (bad configuration I'm assuming) so I started the process of updating the OS/packages to get X11 working.

Since that still isn't working, I can't use any graphic-oriented tools.

[DrakeMagi]

if you are using debian-lenny and have disc 1. It has a repair/recover section that might work.
debian-lenny disc 1 is the basic install disc.
don't know about debian-lenny netsetup
don't know about debian-etch