[EN] [solved] Problem after adding Gnome & desktop

[JJUK]

I'm having problems after adding Gnome desktop to KDE standard install. I am able to log into the alternative desktop but system keeps trying to install an update called Desktop-base 12.0.6+nmu1. This fails to install every time with the following message: "Error while installing package: trying to overwrite '/etc/xdg/kcm-about-distrorc', which is also in package giants-kde-settings 2023.1-5"

I have found this file in my etc folder & just seems to reference your website etc. My question is would it be ok to move this file to another location so the package manager can place a file in that location? Or could I force it to overwrite it somehow or just delete it?
Or would that break the system?
Any help or suggestions as to how to resolve would be appreciated. Synaptic suggests 3 broken packages but can't seem to fix them.
Many Thanks & Happy New Year

[edlin]

Let's start at the end. Synaptic is a fine tool, but it was not created for the use with Sid. Most of the time it doesn't cause problems, but only most of the time - in some cases it can cause problems; take a look at the manual ...

In your specific case, I would simply rename the file kcm-about-distrorc, e.g. to kcm-about-distrorc.bak. If problems do occur (which I don't expect), you can always switch back to the old version.

And for the new year: Use

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apt update && apt dist-upgrade or

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nala upgrade to update your system.

Best wishes for the new year!

edlin

[JJUK]

Hi thanks for your reply. Tried renaming and moving the file to no avail. On trying the upgrade still get the following error:
 You might want to run 'apt --fix-broken install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 gnome-control-center : Depends: desktop-base (>= 10.0.0) but it is not installed
 gnome-initial-setup : Depends: desktop-base but it is not installed
 task-desktop : Depends: desktop-base but it is not installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt --fix-broken install' with no packages (or specify a solution).
Updates tries to Upgrade to new version 12.0.6+nmu1 on desktop-base every day and fails every day, repeat Groundhog Day style the next day.
Does any one else have any suggestions please?

[hendrikL]

Did you done what apt is telling you?

[JJUK]

Hi, thanks for coming back about this. I tried that & it comes up with the following broken pipe error: The following additional packages will be installed:
  desktop-base
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  desktop-base
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 214 not upgraded.
241 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/7,867 kB of archives.
After this operation, 20.1 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
(Reading database ... 454443 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../desktop-base_12.0.6+nmu1_all.deb ...
Unpacking desktop-base (12.0.6+nmu1) ...
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/desktop-base_12.0.6+nmu1_all.deb (--unpack):
 trying to overwrite '/etc/xdg/kcm-about-distrorc', which is also in package giants-kde-settings 2023.1-5
dpkg-deb: error: paste subprocess was killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/desktop-base_12.0.6+nmu1_all.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
Problem still seems to be in the /etc/xdg/kcm-about-distrorc file stopping it. Is it possible (would it be OK? ) to delete this as is doesn't seem to contain crucial stuff as far as I can tell. Tried myself but not allowed as a system file & i'm not sufficiently adept to do it. Do I need to use chmod or something like that to delete it or a command to force an overwrite? Or would that muck up the whole system?

[towo]

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apt purge giants-kde-settings && apt -f install

[JJUK]

Do I need to use that with something else? On it own I got: apt purge giants-kde-settings && apt -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run 'apt --fix-broken install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 gnome-control-center : Depends: desktop-base (>= 10.0.0) but it is not going to be installed
 gnome-initial-setup : Depends: desktop-base but it is not going to be installed
 task-desktop : Depends: desktop-base but it is not going to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt --fix-broken install' with no packages (or specify a solution).
i also tried 1. apt purge giants-kde-settings && apt -f install desktop-base
2. apt purge giants-kde-settings && apt desktop-base -f install
Which both gave the same unmet dependencies as above!

[edlin]

Have you tried running the recommendation

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apt --fix-broken install? What messages does this command line give you? If you are unsure, you can always cancel the execution. But this instruction should bring apt back to a clean starting position from which you can perform the next steps.

edlin

[towo]

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dpkg -i --force-overwrite /var/cache/apt/archives/desktop-base_12.0.6+nmu1_all.deb && apt -f install
and do not change that command with senseless thoughts.

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apt -f install is one command and give a package on that command is totaly wrong!

[JJUK]

Thank you Towo for the instructions, that worked a treat and everything seemed to update & work this time. Apologies for not knowing my way around the terminal commands. By way of background to finish up main reason for installing Gnome was because the Online accounts functionality in KDE didn't seem to work or needs the Gnome bit installed to work.

I would consider this topic closed / resolved but as a newbie here I'm not too sure how to mark it as such.

Many thanks for all the help.

[dibl]

.... as a newbie here I'm not too sure how to mark it as such.

Near the top right-hand corner of your original post, find the "Modify" button and click it. Now you can edit the title of that post and add "SOLVED" at the beginning of it.

[JJUK]

OK thanks for the info I'll do that Shortly. Just one last thought for the Admins. I was pretty happy with the KDE DE as shipped by Siduction apart from the problems with accessing the online accounts / google account etc. without Gnome stuff. On searching it seems this is a known issue resulting from outdated packages - so a bit surprised to see it in an up to date Debian Testing distro.

See the following link - maybe you can update your packages or maybe I did something wrong along the way? Hope this helps?

https://discuss.kde.org/t/kde-online-accounts-not-signing-in/3411?page=2