[EN] apt complains on installation of packages

[absolut]

this example showcases how apt (or, to be precise, the apt-extracttemplates from the apt-utils package) complains during installation of the xterm package. this is reproducible for other packages, too.

does anybody know anything about this issue?

Code: [Select]

~# LANG=C apt-get install --reinstall xterm
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree      
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 229 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/673 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
E: Could not open file descriptor -1
debconf: apt-extracttemplates failed: No such file or directory
(Reading database ... 298754 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace xterm 295-1 (using .../archives/xterm_295-1_amd64.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement xterm ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme ...
Processing triggers for menu ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Processing triggers for mime-support ...
Setting up xterm (295-1) ...
Processing triggers for menu ...


my system:

Code: [Select]

Linux earth 3.9-8.towo-siduction-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT Fri Jun 28 21:09:12 UTC 2013 x86_64 GNU/Linux

multiarch is enabled.

if more info is needed, i'll be glad to provide it.

best
absolut

[dibl]

I don't see that on my 32-bit notebook:

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root@tosh205:/# apt-get install xterm
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree      
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  xbitmaps
Suggested packages:
  xfonts-cyrillic
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  xbitmaps xterm
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 86 not upgraded.
Need to get 693 kB of archives.
After this operation, 1,854 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?
Get:1 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ unstable/main xbitmaps all 1.1.1-2 [32.1 kB]
Get:2 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ unstable/main xterm i386 295-1 [661 kB]
Fetched 693 kB in 1s (569 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package xbitmaps.
(Reading database ... 118898 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking xbitmaps (from .../xbitmaps_1.1.1-2_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package xterm.
Unpacking xterm (from .../archives/xterm_295-1_i386.deb) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
Processing triggers for mime-support ...
Processing triggers for menu ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up xbitmaps (1.1.1-2) ...
Setting up xterm (295-1) ...
Processing triggers for menu ...
root@tosh205:/#

Code: [Select]

CPU~Single core Intel Atom CPU N280 (-HT-) clocked at 1333.000 Mhz Kernel~3.10-0.towo-siduction-686 i686 Up~17 min Mem~423.1/2016.6MB HDD~40.0GB(0.5% used) Procs~149 Client~Shell inxi~1.9.12

[piper]

Do you normally use aptitude ?

Code: [Select]

apt-get install --reinstall xterm -s
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree      
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Inst xterm [295-1] (295-1 Debian:unstable [amd64])
Conf xterm (295-1 Debian:unstable [amd64])

[michaa7]

What *exactly* is the problem, *install* or *re-install*?

As I see it there is a confusion about what is done in which circumstances. It *seems* (but I may be wrong) that absolute tries to ***re***-install a yet *not* installed package. Apt searches for it and *rightfully* complains about the non existence of this package and installs it (not reinstalls it).

Dibl *installs* the package (cause the subject of the thread suggets an install problem) without problem (as did absolut eventually).

I couldn't reproduce any similar problem, neither with an installed package nor with a currently not installed package.

Disk full? Database corrupted?

[dibl]

I can use "--reinstall" on a 64-bit multiarch system, and still no error:

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root@imerabox:/# apt-get install --reinstall xterm
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree      
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  guile-1.8-libs libavahi-client-dev libavahi-common-dev libcupsfilters-dev libdbus-1-dev libexif-dev
  libgphoto2-2-dev libieee1284-3-dev libjbig-dev libjpeg8-dev liblzma-dev libsane-extras-dev libsvga1
  libtiff5-dev libtiffxx0c2 libtiffxx5 libusb-dev libv4l-dev libx264-133
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/673 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
(Reading database ... 257818 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace xterm 295-1 (using .../archives/xterm_295-1_amd64.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement xterm ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme ...
Processing triggers for menu ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
Processing triggers for mime-support ...
Setting up xterm (295-1) ...
Processing triggers for menu ...
root@imerabox:/# inxi
CPU~Quad core Intel Core i7 CPU 950 (-HT-MCP-) clocked at Min:1600.000Mhz Max:2800.000Mhz Kernel~3.10-0.towo-siduction-amd64 x86_64 Up~1 day Mem~2264.5/5966.2MB HDD~2136.5GB(3.9% used) Procs~381 Client~Shell inxi~1.9.12

But if you google the error, you can find it:

http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.debian.apt.devel/24515

[absolut]

thanks for the input so far

this is really interesting... here is some additional info on the case:

on my 64 bit home desktop (Distro: siduction 12.2.0~rc1 Riders on the Storm - kde - (201211192053)), i can not reproduce this problem...

on my 64 bit work computer (sidux 2009-04 Μόρος - kde-lite - (200912310312)), this problem persists.

it does not matter, whether i am installing or re-installing. it does not matter, what package i am dealing with... strange.


output from home computer:

Code: [Select]

LANG=C apt-get install --reinstall xterm
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree      
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 158 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/673 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
(Reading database ... 163283 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace xterm 295-1 (using .../archives/xterm_295-1_amd64.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement xterm ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme ...
Processing triggers for menu ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Processing triggers for mime-support ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
Setting up xterm (295-1) ...
Processing triggers for menu ...


output from work computer

Code: [Select]

LANG=C apt-get install --reinstall xterm
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree      
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 310 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/673 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
E: Could not open file descriptor -1
debconf: apt-extracttemplates failed: No such file or directory
(Reading database ... 298766 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace xterm 295-1 (using .../archives/xterm_295-1_amd64.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement xterm ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme ...
Processing triggers for menu ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Processing triggers for mime-support ...
Setting up xterm (295-1) ...
Processing triggers for menu ...

apt-utils (0.9.9.1) and debconf (1.5.50) are same versions on both computers.

any further ideas?

[absolut]

Disk full? Database corrupted?

/ has 45 gig free

how can i check the integrity of the apt/dpkg database?

[michaa7]

Actually you can't.

Be very carefull with /var/lib/dpkg/status and furthermore I don't know whether or not your dpkg/status is corrupted.
I would keep the following as a last resort if anything else doesn't solve the problem. Again, fumbling around with this status file may corrupt your system completely.
Untested:
http://an-di.net/allgemein/dpkg-apt-get-aptitude-datenbankstatus-file-defekt-debian/