Problem upgrading python-newt

[TheBlaze]

Hello all!

KPackageKit reported that I had some updates, so I hit install all. There was an error, so I tried apt-get. His is the result:

Preparing to replace python-newt 0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3 (using .../python-newt_0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3.1_amd64.deb) ...
pycentral: pycentral pkgremove: package python-newt is not installed
pycentral pkgremove: package python-newt is not installed
dpkg: warning - old pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
pycentral: pycentral pkgremove: package python-newt is not installed
pycentral pkgremove: package python-newt is not installed
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/python-newt_0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3.1_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
pycentral: pycentral pkginstall: package python-newt is not installed
pycentral pkginstall: package python-newt is not installed
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/python-newt_0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3.1_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

I googled this error and came up empty.

Thank's for your help!

[lmilano]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

Hi

I would start by doing

sudo apt-get update 
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

And see the output, is that what you ran? It seems as if a post-removal script is failing. We may need to do some sort of minor surgery

[TheBlaze]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

Hello lmilano! Thank you for your reply.

This is the output from apt-get dist-upgrade:

You might want to run `apt-get -f install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 python-newt: Depends: libnewt0.52 (= 0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3) but 0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3.1 is installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try using -f.

and this is the output from apt-get -f install:

Preparing to replace python-newt 0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3 (using .../python-newt_0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3.1_amd64.deb) ...
pycentral: pycentral pkgremove: package python-newt is not installed
pycentral pkgremove: package python-newt is not installed
dpkg: warning - old pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
pycentral: pycentral pkgremove: package python-newt is not installed
pycentral pkgremove: package python-newt is not installed
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/python-newt_0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3.1_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
pycentral: pycentral pkginstall: package python-newt is not installed
pycentral pkginstall: package python-newt is not installed
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/python-newt_0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3.1_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

What now?

[lmilano]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

Let's try this (I am looking at man:dpkg in konqueror

dpkg --remove-reinstreq -r python-newt

Also: If you have synaptic installed, you can find broken packages and many times fix them from there very easily. If not, I would recommend installing it whenever we fix your system

[Snowhog]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

As Jaunty is still still in alpha stage, and as is the case with any alpha stage OS, one can expect frequent breakage. But if one waits 24-hours and dist-upgrades again, most, if not all breakages get fixed. This 'wait and see' approach is safer than attempting to force a solution.

[lmilano]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

As Jaunty is still still in alpha stage, and as is the case with any alpha stage OS, one can expect frequent breakage. But if one waits 24-hours and dist-upgrades again, most, if not all breakages get fixed. This 'wait and see' approach is safer than attempting to force a solution.

Mmmmm. You mean Karmic? I think this is in Jaunty (9.04) really!

[Snowhog]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

Dang!! Okay, still 'to early' here for me. My apologies. :P

[TheBlaze]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

@lmilano

dpkg --remove-reinstreq -r python-newt

resulted in:

dpkg: unknown option --remove-reinstreq

[Snowhog]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

A package is attempting to remove a package that you appear not to have installed - python-newt. One could attempt to 'satisfy' this poorly written packaging script by installing what it wants to remove. Open a console and type:

sudo apt-get install --simulate python-newt

If apt doesn't report anything out of the ordinary, then repeat without the --simulate option. When done, procede with the apt-get -f install.

[TheBlaze]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

sudo apt-get install --simulate python-newt

gives me:

Suggested packages:
 python-newt-dbg
The following packages will be upgraded:
 python-newt
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Inst python-newt [0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3] (0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3.1 Ubuntu:9.04/jaunty-updates)
Conf python-newt (0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3.1 Ubuntu:9.04/jaunty-updates)

After running

sudo apt-get install python-newt

I get the old error:

Preparing to replace python-newt 0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3 (using .../python-newt_0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3.1_amd64.deb) ...   
pycentral: pycentral pkgremove: package python-newt is not installed                        
pycentral pkgremove: package python-newt is not installed                              
dpkg: warning - old pre-removal script returned error exit status 1                         
dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...                                
pycentral: pycentral pkgremove: package python-newt is not installed                        
pycentral pkgremove: package python-newt is not installed                              
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/python-newt_0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3.1_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
pycentral: pycentral pkginstall: package python-newt is not installed
pycentral pkginstall: package python-newt is not installed
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/python-newt_0.52.2-11.3ubuntu3.1_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[lmilano]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

Well, it was early here, too, how about (please see the manpage as I indicated above for more)

sudo dpkg -r --force-all python-newt
sudo apt-get install python-newt

[Snowhog]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

So there is some vestige left over on your system that points to this package - python-newt - that it expects to find, but can't, because it isn't (or never was).

Try the following:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall python-newt

[Snowhog]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

sudo dpkg -r --force-all python-newt
sudo apt-get install python-newt

Don't know what man page of dpkg you have, but in mine there is no such option as --force-all. There is however, a --force-yes, but:

--force-yes
Force yes; This is a dangerous option that will cause apt to continue without prompting if it is doing
something potentially harmful. It should not be used except in very special situations. Using force-yes can
potentially destroy your system! Configuration Item: APT::Get::force-yes.

[lmilano]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

sudo dpkg -r --force-all python-newt
sudo apt-get install python-newt

Don't know what man page of dpkg you have, but in mine there is no such option as --force-all.

Just the one in JKaunty 9.04 plus updates:

--force-things, --no-force-things, --refuse-things
Force or refuse (no-force and refuse mean the same thing) to do some things. things is a comma separated list of things specified below. --force-help displays a message describing them. Things marked with (*) are forced by default.
Warning: These options are mostly intended to be used by experts only. Using them without fully understanding their effects may break your whole system.

all: Turns on (or off) all force options.

I did try these two commands on my system before posting, no issues whatsoever. But thanks for the heads up.

[TheBlaze]

Re: Problem upgrading python-newt

@Snowhog:
--reinstall didn't work. Same error.

@lmilano:

dpkg --remove --forceremove-reinstreq -r python-newt

Was the correct command (I didn't now what man:dpkg was). But it didn't work.

sudo dpkg -r --force-all python-newt
sudo apt-get install python-newt

Sadly this also didn't work.

IMaybe the answer is deleting/editing the failing script. This is python-newt.prerm:

case "$1" in remove|upgrade)
	pkgremove=y
esac
if [ -f /var/lib/pycentral/python-newt.pkgremove ] || [ -f /var/lib/pycentral/pkgremove ]; then
	pkgremove=y
fi
if [ "$pkgremove" = y ]; then
if which python >/dev/null 2>&1 && which pycentral >/dev/null 2>&1; then
	pycentral pkgremove python-newt
else
	flist=$(tempfile)
	slist=$(tempfile)
	dpkg -L python-newt | tee $flist | \
	while read n; do
	 case "$n" in
	  /usr/share/pyshared/*)
	   n2=${n#/usr/share/pyshared/*}
	   case "$n" in
		*.py) echo "p $n";;
		*) [ -d "$n" ] && echo "d $n2" || echo "f $n2"
	   esac
	   ;;
	  *) continue
	 esac
	done > $slist
	if [ -s $slist ]; then
	  for d in /usr/lib/python[0-9].[0-9]/????-packages; do
		case "$d" in */python2.1/*|*/python2.2/*) continue; esac
		while read t n; do
		  case "$t" in
			p) rm -f $d/$n $d/${n}[co];;
			d) rmdir $d/$n 2>/dev/null || true;;
			*) rm -f $d/$n
		  esac
		done < $slist
	  done
	fi
    awk '/\/usr\/share\/pyshared/ {next} /\.py$/ {print $0"c\n" $0"o"}' $flist \
	  | xargs -r rm -f >&2
	rm -f $flist $slist
fi
rm -f /var/lib/pycentral/python-newt.pkgremove
fi