Every Package I Select in to Install in Synaptic is Broken

[claydoh]

I am wondering if we need to see the output of the basics:

sudo apt-get update

and

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

in order to see what is really causing this. The broken package warning does not necessarily have anything to do with whatever program you are trying to install currently. ie: held broken package(s) are prevent the installation of anything else until the problem is resolved.

[mhumm2]

I am wondering if we need to see the output of the basics:

sudo apt-get update

and

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

in order to see what is really causing this. The broken package warning does not necessarily have anything to do with whatever program you are trying to install currently. ie: held broken package(s) are prevent the installation of anything else until the problem is resolved.

Claydo,

I gladly provide the update output below, but I probably don't understand what dist-upgrade will do to my system. I am under the impression that it will upgrade my system from 14.04LTS to what, the latest version or the latest LTS version which I think is 16.04LTS? Please advise.

mark@AMD64-LTS:~$ sudo apt-get update
[sudo] password for mark: 
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu data InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty InRelease                                  
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty InRelease                                  
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu trusty InRelease                           
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu data/main amd64 Packages                   
Ign http://archive.canonical.com trusty InRelease                              
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty InRelease                                  
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty Release.gpg                                
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu data/contrib amd64 Packages                
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu data/non-free amd64 Packages               
Hit http://archive.canonical.com trusty Release.gpg                            
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty InRelease                                  
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty Release                                    
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu data/main i386 Packages                    
Hit http://archive.canonical.com trusty Release                                
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty InRelease                                  
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu data/contrib i386 Packages                 
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty/main amd64 Packages                        
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu data/non-free i386 Packages                
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty InRelease                                  
Hit http://archive.canonical.com trusty/partner Sources                        
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty/main i386 Packages                         
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu trusty/main amd64 Packages                 
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu trusty/contrib amd64 Packages              
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty InRelease                                  
Hit http://archive.canonical.com trusty/partner amd64 Packages                 
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu trusty/non-free amd64 Packages             
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu trusty/main i386 Packages                  
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty Release.gpg                                
Hit http://archive.canonical.com trusty/partner i386 Packages                  
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu trusty/contrib i386 Packages               
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main amd64 Packages                        
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu trusty/non-free i386 Packages              
Hit http://archive.canonical.com trusty/partner Translation-en                 
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main i386 Packages                         
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main Translation-en                        
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main amd64 Packages                        
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main i386 Packages                         
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main Translation-en                                                                                                              
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty/main Translation-en_US                                                                                                           
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main amd64 Packages                                                                                                              
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty/main Translation-en                                                                                                              
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main i386 Packages                                                                                                               
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main Translation-en                                                                                                              
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main amd64 Packages                                                                                                              
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main i386 Packages                                                                                                               
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main Translation-en                                                                                                              
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main amd64 Packages                                                                                                              
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main i386 Packages                                                                                                               
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main Translation-en                                                                                                              
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty Release                                    
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main amd64 Packages                        
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main i386 Packages                         
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main Translation-en                        
Ign http://dl.google.com stable InRelease                                      
Hit http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg                                    
Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates InRelease [65.9 kB]
Hit http://dl.google.com stable Release                                        
Hit http://dl.google.com stable/main amd64 Packages                            
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty InRelease                                 
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports InRelease                       
Get:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/main amd64 Packages [984 kB]    
Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en_US                         
Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en                            
Get:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/restricted amd64 Packages [17.1 kB]
Get:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/universe amd64 Packages [405 kB]
Get:5 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/multiverse amd64 Packages [14.3 kB]
Get:6 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/main i386 Packages [942 kB]     
Get:7 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/restricted i386 Packages [16.9 kB]
Get:8 http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security InRelease [65.9 kB]           
Get:9 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/universe i386 Packages [407 kB] 
Get:10 http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/main amd64 Packages [617 kB] 
Get:11 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/multiverse i386 Packages [14.6 kB]
Get:12 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/main Translation-en [486 kB]   
Get:13 http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/restricted amd64 Packages [14.0 kB]
Get:14 http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/universe amd64 Packages [157 kB]
Get:15 http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/multiverse amd64 Packages [4,133 B]
Get:16 http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/main i386 Packages [574 kB]  
Get:17 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/multiverse Translation-en [7,430 B]
Get:18 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/restricted Translation-en [3,975 B]
Get:19 http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/universe Translation-en [215 kB]
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty Release.gpg                               
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/main amd64 Packages             
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/restricted amd64 Packages       
Get:20 http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/restricted i386 Packages [13.8 kB]
Get:21 http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/universe i386 Packages [158 kB]
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/universe amd64 Packages         
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/multiverse amd64 Packages       
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/main i386 Packages              
Get:22 http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/multiverse i386 Packages [4,289 B]
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/restricted i386 Packages        
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/main Translation-en             
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/universe i386 Packages          
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/multiverse Translation-en       
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/multiverse i386 Packages        
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/restricted Translation-en       
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/main Translation-en             
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/universe Translation-en         
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/multiverse Translation-en       
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/restricted Translation-en       
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/universe Translation-en         
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty Release                                   
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/universe amd64 Packages                   
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/multiverse amd64 Packages                 
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/universe i386 Packages                    
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/multiverse i386 Packages                  
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/multiverse Translation-en                 
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/universe Translation-en                   
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/multiverse Translation-en_US              
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com trusty/universe Translation-en_US                
Fetched 5,186 kB in 17s (293 kB/s)                                             
Reading package lists... Done

[Snowhog]

"sudo apt-get dist-upgrade" does not upgrade your OS to the 'current' version. It intelligently handles the upgrading of installed packages on your system. Open a konsole and type man apt-get and read the difference between using 'upgrade' and 'dist-upgrade'.

[mhumm2]

Snowhog,

Yes, I googled it and I ran it. Many packages were upgraded, but I failed to get a screenshot or copy the resultant text. I did ran it again with these results:

mark@AMD64-LTS:~$ sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

As I typed, many packages were upgraded, but afterwards, I still have the same problem whether I initiate an install from the terminal or synaptic. Is there any way to track down the package or packages that are missing their dependencies?

[Snowhog]

Are you running sudo apt-get update before running sudo apt-get dist-upgrade?

[claydoh]

Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu data InRelease
                                 
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu trusty InRelease                           
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu data/main amd64 Packages                   
                               
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu data/contrib amd64 Packages                
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu data/non-free amd64 Packages               
                              
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu data/main i386 Packages                    
                                
Hit http://masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu data/contrib i386 Packages

I wonder if there is something in these added repos that might be causing a conflict.

As Snowhog mentioned already, dist-upgrade is the correct method for updating packages in *buntu, despite the way it sounds. It is what your package manager and updater are running behind the scenes to update your system.

[mhumm2]

I appreciate the effort guys. Thank you. Yes I run update before I run dist-upgrade.

So the masi.vuse.vanderbilt.edu is suspect? I can't remember what I installed from that repository. If I comment them out, the only thing that happens is they won't get updated and new versions would not be installed with ... dist-upgrade, Is that correct?

Let's say one or more of those entries are the problem. I comment them out and then run update. How does that help me? I ask because the programs from those repos would still be installed and presumably missing critical dependency(ies).

[mhumm2]

I went into Synaptic and it found some pkgs that are upgradable so I tried to upgrade them. This is the error I received:

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

What do I do to find the offending pkgs? Google has not been my friend in this. I've been down a lot of rabbit holes with no answers to show for it.

[Snowhog]

Synaptic Package Manager (available in the Software Center) is a graphical tool for managing packages, and among many features it allows you to filter packages by their state. In few clicks, by selecting the desired category on the left panel, you will be presented with the list of packages that require fixing.

[GreyGeek]

What Snowhog said, or in Konsole, using the command line, repeat these two commands until error msgs go away (good) or do not change (bad):

sudo apt-get -f install
sudo dpkg --configure -a

[mhumm2]

Hi greyGeek. I have entered those commands more than 100 times over the past month and still there's no joy! I did launch Synaptic and played with my customer filter called, "Broken." When I configure the "Broken" filter for Broken pkges, nothing shows up -- 0 packages listed. When I configure the Broken filter for "Policy Broken" (whatever that is), I get a listing of 30 packages.



The 30 packages don't seem to have anything in common. Moreover, none of them appear to be installed! Now I'm confused. Please advise.

[GreyGeek]

Hi greyGeek. I have entered those commands more than 100 times over the past month and still there's no joy!.......
The 30 packages don't seem to have anything in common. Moreover, none of them appear to be installed! Now I'm confused. Please advise.

They don't have anything in common and they are not supposed to, except for that two facts: #1 they violate package policy and #2, since they are not installed it doesn't matter.

There was joy!
You had this problem in msg #1

The following packages have unmet dependencies:bluefish : Depends: bluefish-plugins (= 2.2.5-1) but it is not going to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

In msg #14 you cleared it up!

Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 19 not upgraded.
mark@AMD64-LTS:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
mark@AMD64-LTS:~$

Note: no error msgs or notices of broken packages.


But, by msg #23 you have installed packages that weren't installed properly and the installation was broken. Running the two repair commands are always in order when an installation attempt breaks.

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
0ad : Depends: 0ad-data-common (>= 0.0.15) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: 0ad-data-common (< 0.0.16) but it is not going to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

[mhumm2]

I'm sorry my friend, but I don't think anything is cleared up. My original problem was not being able to install ANY package. My current problem is the same -- I'm unable to install ANY package.

But, by msg #23 you have installed packages that weren't installed properly and the installation was broken.

I've not installed nor have I been able to install any package since I started this post. I cannot install any package despite the fact that I've been trying for some time. My current installation is quite mature so I am working with the system as it is. I have a need now to build a website and I wanted to download a few HTML editors with color coding to see which one I liked the best. I still want to do that, but I cannot with this issue in play. I suppose since this post has been opened for as long as it has, I should have explained the details better, but I also do my best to be as brief as possible and provide only the facts of the issue. I hope this explanation helps put a finer point on my problem.

[mhumm2]

If I had an avatar of a distraught penguin with his head and wings down, I'd use it until I can solve this issue. I have no ill will and I really am a happy Linux user, but after so long, I'm frustrated.

New information. I found 2 applications that no longer work and both of them were installed under wine. The problem is I can't find wine on my system any more and of course, I can't install it without getting the same message I've been getting since the beginning.

[claydoh]

Hi greyGeek. I have entered those commands more than 100 times over the past month and still there's no joy! I did launch Synaptic and played with my customer filter called, "Broken." When I configure the "Broken" filter for Broken pkges, nothing shows up -- 0 packages listed. When I configure the Broken filter for "Policy Broken" (whatever that is), I get a listing of 30 packages.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7011[/ATTACH]

The 30 packages don't seem to have anything in common. Moreover, none of them appear to be installed! Now I'm confused. Please advise.

What shows under the simple "broken" section (policy broken can be ignored)?

Also I didn't notice any results from an "apt-get dist-upgrade" posted here. I think that would lost list broken packages as well. A screenshot is fine here, though.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk