Package problem, broken dependency and more

[ThaddeusW]

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Hi all,
I am a bit of a newbie and I have a problem with apt that is stumping me. For some reason apt reports that the package kdegames has an unmet dependencie but it says it is installed. Here is the dump of apt-get -f install:

Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Correcting dependencies... failed.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
: kdegames: Depends: (>= 4:3.3.2-1) but is installed
E: Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages.
E: Unable to correct dependencies

I dont know what to do to fix this. I want to install and update some other packages but without this problem getting fixed I am stuck.

Ok I have another question. When I try to remove or update the same package synaptic wants to remove kde and a few other core components. Why does it want to uninstall kde just to get rid of the games package? Also I get the same request when trying to update WINE and other packages as well.

Thanks

[ThaddeusW]

Hello again,
I hope someone can help me because without this problem getting fixed I cannot use apt or synaptic to do anything. Synaptic reports two packages broken. I have traced it to a package that kdegames depends on but that package is blank. And by blank I mean there is no name for it or any installed files. Under the blank packages dependency tab it shows only this:

Conflicts: evolution-data-server
Replaces: evolution-data-server

I want to remove that package but I cannot because synaptic wants me to remove kde, kde-amusements and kdegames along with it. Is there a way to remove it without removing those core packages? Why does it want me to remove those packages? This mystery package is a real thorn in my side and if anyone can tell me what the problem is, I would really appreciate it.

[michael_aust]

Which debian are you using , Sarge (stable), etch (testing) or sid (unstable)?

Have you tried with synaptic: edit>fix broken packages

or with apt: apt-get install -f

kde, kdegames and kdeamusments are not real packages as such, they are simply meta packages that just give list aload of dependences. The kde pakage gives you a full kde desktop, but the actual desktop is made up of other package e.g. kdebase kopete and such. The same applies for kdegames and kdeammusments,

Removing these wont actually remove your kde desktop.

Have you tried removing the packages that are causing the problems?

[Zelmo]

When it says it wants to remove kde, kde-amusements and kdegames, does it also say it wants to remove gobs and gobs of other packages that look like they're part of kde, kde-amusements and kdegames? If not, and it's just saying that it will remove those 3, then it's safe to do that. Those are just meta-packages that let you install all of KDE's standard components, amusements, and games without having to select each component separately.

It's like when you're playing Risk, North America is composed of Alaska, Northwest Territory, Greenland, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Western US, Eastern US, and Central America. If you occupy all those territories, you control North America. But if you lose one--say, Alaska--you no longer have North America, though you still have Northwest Territory, Greenland, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Western US, Eastern US, and Central America.
When you apt-get install kde-games, it's like saying "Give me North America." Kde-games is just a package that lists a bunch of games as dependencies, so apt will download and install those. If you take one out, then you no longer have kde-games, even though you have every component of the package except one. So apt takes out kde-games because the packages aren't all there. Just like if you lose Alaska, you can't say you have North America any more.

[ThaddeusW]

Thanks for the replys! Ok I am running sarge 10.0
In my first post up top I did try to apt-get install -f and got that message. If I try to remove the blank mystery package even with the remove kde message it tells me I have to fix the broken packages first. The worst part is when I try the fix broken packages under synaptic it gives me this error:

E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
E: Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages.
E: Unable to correct dependencies
E: Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages.
E: Unable to correct dependencies

Held packages? Is there a way I can manually edit the file that contains the installed packages and comment out a line. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Thanks

[ROBINSON]

This will fix the problem:

apt-get clean
apt-get auto clean
apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
apt-get dist-upgrade

After upgrade you will see "The following packages have unmet dependencies:", go to synaptic and un-mark all, then mark the package with "unmet dependencies".