Phazz
asked on
How to repair Ubuntu 10.04 with broken Empathy packages
Dear Experts,
In my Ubuntu 10.04, the Synaptic package manager reports the "empathy" and "empathy-common" packages as being broken, however it cannot fix it with "repair broken packages". This problem is critical because it tries and fails to fix the problem every time I try to update or install anything; it exits before anyting is applied.
I have also tried in the bash shell using "sudo apt-get remove empathy", which tells me the following:
Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should reinstall it before attempting a removal.
OK, I try to install it in the bash shell using "sudo apt-get install empathy", which fails with a lot of cryptic error messages. I attach the output in a text file.
Thanks in advance for your help.
empathy.txt
In my Ubuntu 10.04, the Synaptic package manager reports the "empathy" and "empathy-common" packages as being broken, however it cannot fix it with "repair broken packages". This problem is critical because it tries and fails to fix the problem every time I try to update or install anything; it exits before anyting is applied.
I have also tried in the bash shell using "sudo apt-get remove empathy", which tells me the following:
Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should reinstall it before attempting a removal.
OK, I try to install it in the bash shell using "sudo apt-get install empathy", which fails with a lot of cryptic error messages. I attach the output in a text file.
Thanks in advance for your help.
empathy.txt
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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wdfdo1986
stay with ubuntu forums
ASKER
It its very bad not to be able to update or install any software. I don't really care about empathy, can I manually bypass the deadlock somehow?
When installing something what's the error occurring?
Cant u ignore it and continue installation?
Cant u ignore it and continue installation?
ASKER
When I try to install something, it wants to upgrade empathy and empathy-common as well and it fails. I cannot find a way to avoid that. For example I have taken three screen shots of what happens if I try to install the package "tidy" (which has nothing to do with empathy). 
Open up /var/cache/apt/archives/ folder in UI
keep a copy of the debs that giving errors in some where in local
and delete in terminal in sudo mode
since u need sudo permissions to delete files in var u have to do it in terminal.
and try restarting
This should help.
Good luck!!!
keep a copy of the debs that giving errors in some where in local
and delete in terminal in sudo mode
since u need sudo permissions to delete files in var u have to do it in terminal.
and try restarting
This should help.
Good luck!!!
ASKER
Sorry, a stupid question: what is UI?
doesn't matter
just copy two deb files to a local folder eg:- somewhere in /home
I think u understand that.
That is for restoring purposes in a matter of error.
just copy two deb files to a local folder eg:- somewhere in /home
I think u understand that.
That is for restoring purposes in a matter of error.
ASKER
Sure that's clear.
I did as you suggested, but afterwards the same errors come in Synaptic. And the two empathy deb files in /var/cache/apt/archives/ are re-created with the exact same sizes and time stamps as before I deleted them.
I did as you suggested, but afterwards the same errors come in Synaptic. And the two empathy deb files in /var/cache/apt/archives/ are re-created with the exact same sizes and time stamps as before I deleted them.
boot from cd
u can use the package nautilus-gksu if u want
http://www.watchingthenet.com/ubuntu-tips-for-windows-users-add-open-as-administrator-to-nautilus-right-click-menu.html
do the same thing and see what hapens
u can use the package nautilus-gksu if u want
http://www.watchingthenet.com/ubuntu-tips-for-windows-users-add-open-as-administrator-to-nautilus-right-click-menu.html
do the same thing and see what hapens
ASKER
Honestly I don't see why it would make a difference weather or not the files are deleted in a shell from a boot CD or a normal one as root. I will be offline the next couple of days.
u said the files were created again. so what I said is an alternative deletion mechanism
ASKER
I don't have time to check now, but I think the deb files re-appear because synaptic/ apt-get download them when it attempts to update empathy.
ASKER
Because the deb files were really deleted before synaptic was run again.
normally it doesn't happen
tell me when u are back.
tell me when u are back.
ASKER
Finally I'm back! Summary of the current status (nothing new unfortunately).
Whenever I try to install/update any package with Synapic, it fails (with cryptic python errors) because it insists on upgrading the packages empathy and empathy-common, version 2.30.2-0ubuntu1 to version 2.30.3-0ubuntu1.
As you suggested I deleted the two empathy deb files:
/var/cache/apt/archives/em
/var/cache/apt/archives/em
However, it does not work. When Synaptic is started again (after re-boot) the two above files are downloaded as Synapic once again insists to upgrade empathy.
I couldn't care less about empathy, but of course I want to be able to install and upgrade packages in general without the emapthy problem blocking.
Whenever I try to install/update any package with Synapic, it fails (with cryptic python errors) because it insists on upgrading the packages empathy and empathy-common, version 2.30.2-0ubuntu1 to version 2.30.3-0ubuntu1.
As you suggested I deleted the two empathy deb files:
/var/cache/apt/archives/em
/var/cache/apt/archives/em
However, it does not work. When Synaptic is started again (after re-boot) the two above files are downloaded as Synapic once again insists to upgrade empathy.
I couldn't care less about empathy, but of course I want to be able to install and upgrade packages in general without the emapthy problem blocking.
SOLUTION
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ASKER
I give the 500 points to the one expert who replied to my question, although his/her ideas could not solve my problem.
I accept two comments as solutions:
I accept the expert's first comment because it is correct that the problem is yet to be properly solved.
I "accept my" own final comment as well.
I accept two comments as solutions:
I accept the expert's first comment because it is correct that the problem is yet to be properly solved.
I "accept my" own final comment as well.