Broken packages.

[sp1408]

Hello,

My adobe-flashplugin package somehow got broken.
Now synaptic won't work,neither will apt-get,aptitude and kpackagekit.

I tried using dpkg to remove/purge/force purge/force purge all.
Neither of them worked,and gave the same error -


root@sp1408-laptop:~# dpkg --purge --force-all adobe-flashplugin
dpkg: warning: overriding problem because --force enabled:
Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should
reinstall it before attempting a removal.
(Reading database ... 134535 files and directories currently
installed.)
Removing adobe-flashplugin ...
update-alternatives: error: no alternatives for iceape-flashplugin.
update-alternatives: error: no alternatives for iceape-flashplugin.
dpkg: error processing adobe-flashplugin (--purge):
subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
postinst called with argument `abort-remove'
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit
status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
adobe-flashplugin


A bit of googling revealed that my only alternative is to fix adobe-
flashplugin (or the obvious,reinstall )
How do I fix the package?
(Or remove it?)

[BigCityCat]

Re: Broken packages.

Did you try logging in recovery mode and using the fix broken packages selection?

[dibl]

Re: Broken packages.

Now synaptic won't work,neither will apt-get,aptitude and kpackagekit.

If that is literally true, then your system is very, very broken. How did you do that -- installing downloaded tarballs, using the "-force" option? Why are you logged in and using the system as root, when that is not necessary and is not recommended by Ubuntu?

For other readers of this thread, this situation provides a good description of the results of installing downloaded software when suitable packages are probably available in the *buntu repositories. For example, flashplugin-nonfree has the Adobe flash player.

So, if that were my broken system, I would try fixing it as follows (assuming standard Ubuntu repositories and no others, and logged in as a user):

1. Use Ctrl-Alt-F1, and at the command line prompt shut down the X server with

sudo service kdm stop

2.

sudo dpkg --configure -a

3.

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get clean

4.

sudo apt-get autoremove

5.

sudo apt-get install --reinstall synaptic

6.

sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree

7.

sudo service kdm start

If error messages are given at any step, stop there and post them. If you make it through #7, then log in and see what you have. If it is all still borked, then I'd say you're looking at a reinstallation, probably because of things you did while logged in as root..

[sqlpython]

Re: Broken packages.

then I'd say you're looking at a reinstallation,

dibl sums it up......... It takes about 30-40 min to be completely reinstalled and most of that is done unattended while packages install. Don't even bother trying to work out an install that is this broken unless you want to practice in a LINUX lab and that may be a fun learning experience.