DebuggingInstallationIssues
This page is part of the debugging series — pages with debugging details for a variety of Ubuntu packages. |
Contents |
Introduction
This page lists some general issues that users might encounter while performing updates of their system. Apport will usually detect these failures and file a bug in Launchpad. These bugs can be identified by the bug tag 'apport-package' and can occur on nearly any package.
There are usually log file attached to the report which differs depending on the kind of install/upgrade:
Package install/upgrade: DpkgTerminalLog
Distribution upgrade: VarLogDistupgradeMain and VarLogDistupgradeApttermlog
Detailed informations about debugging updatemanager can be found at DebuggingUpdateManager.
Documented below are the most commonly reported issues. For each case there is a description and a sample report and when applicable there is a workaround or fix and the master report it should be marked a duplicate of.
Known issues
Corrupted package archive
These errors indicates a corrupted archive (.deb or files on disk) The root cause of the corruption may be a bad network connection, faulty hardware, hardware shutdown,...
For those report the common workaround and stock response is:
Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. It seems that there was an error caused by a corrupted archive. Please execute the following commands, as it will clear your package cache, in a terminal ( Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal ) : |
Not a Debian format archive
- Bug : provide a master report
dpkg-deb: `/var/cache/apt/archives/libswscale0_4%3a0.5+svn20090706-2ubuntu2_i386.deb' is not a debian format archive dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libswscale0_4%3a0.5+svn20090706-2ubuntu2_i386.deb (--unpack): subprocess dpkg-deb --control returned error exit status 2
Corrupted filesystem tarfile
Bug 320743
Unpacking libaccess-bridge-java (from .../libaccess-bridge-java_1.24.0-0ubuntu2_all.deb) ... dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libaccess-bridge-java_1.24.0-0ubuntu2_all.deb (--unpack): corrupted filesystem tarfile - corrupted package archive dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
--fsys-tarfile
- Bug : provide a master report
Unpacking replacement audacity-data ... dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe) dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/audacity-data_1.3.7-2ubuntu1_all.deb (--unpack): subprocess dpkg-deb --fsys-tarfile returned error exit status 2 Processing triggers for man-db ... Errors were encountered while processing: /var/cache/apt/archives/audacity-data_1.3.7-2ubuntu1_all.deb
short read - Input/output error
This either indicates no space left on hard disk, a faulty device or a corrupted archive
- Bug : provide a master report
Unpacking linux-image-2.6.27-11-generic (from .../linux-image-2.6.27-11-generic_2.6.27-11.24_i386.deb) ... Done. dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe) dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-2.6.27-11-generic_2.6.27-11.24_i386.deb (--unpack): short read in buffer_copy (backend dpkg-deb during `./lib/modules/2.6.27-11-generic/kernel/drivers/infiniband/core/ib_uverbs.ko')
or
Unpacking replacement libfreetype6 ... dpkg-deb (subprocess): error in buffer_read(stream): failed to write to pipe in copy: Input/output error dpkg-deb: subprocess paste returned error exit status 2 dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libfreetype6_2.3.9-4ubuntu0.1_i386.deb (--unpack): short read in buffer_copy (backend dpkg-deb during `./usr/lib/libfreetype.so.6.3.20')
TODO: Not the standard workaround. Provide one.
Exec format error
This error indicates that the installation or removal script is corrupted. Often this is a empty file or a file filed with garbage. The file is one of /var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE_NAME.p*
This error can occur either during installation or removal of the package.
During installation of a package
Setting up flashplugin-installer (10.0.32.18ubuntu1) ... dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script: Exec format error dpkg: error processing flashplugin-installer (--configure): subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
During removal of a package
Removing gnome-do ... dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed pre-removal script: Exec format error dpkg: error processing gnome-do (--purge): subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
Workaround A: Finish the install
$ sudo apt-get clean |
Workaround B: Remove the package and reinstall
$ sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/flashplugin-installer.{postinst,prerm,postrm} |
Note: Change the package by the one which failed (check the log file)
Note about localized error message:
Finding this error in the log is not always easy because the error string has been localized.
- Erreur de format pour exec()
- Exec 格式错误
- Exec formátum hiba
- Errore di formato di exec
lzma : decoder error
Unpacking openjdk-6-jre-lib (from .../openjdk-6-jre-lib_6b12-0ubuntu6_all.deb) ... lzma: Decoder error dpkg-deb: subprocess <decompress> returned error exit status 1 dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/openjdk-6-jre-lib_6b12-0ubuntu6_all.deb (--unpack): short read in buffer_copy (backend dpkg-deb during `./usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk/jre/lib/ext/localedata.jar')
files list file missing final newline / contains empty filename
Typically these errors take the form : files list file for package packagename contains empty filename or files list file for package packagename is missing final newline
* Bug 108189
Selecting previously deselected package linux-source-2.6.27. (Reading database ... dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-source-2.6.27_2.6.27-9.19_all.deb (--unpack): files list file for package `libpoppler-glib3' is missing final newline
Workaround:
This can be fixed, with a little work. If you have the .deb file for the offending package currently available on your system, then check its integrity by running: |
Inconsistent state
Package in bad inconsistent state
Removing flashplugin-nonfree ... dpkg: error processing flashplugin-installer (--purge): Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should reinstall it before attempting a removal.
Workaround A:
Please open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal and type or copy and paste the row below: |
Workaround B:
Try the command below to purge the offending packages : |
package is already installed and configured
dpkg: error processing language-pack-ar (--configure): package language-pack-ar is already installed and configured
Workaround A:
sudo dpkg --configure -a |
Workaround B
apt-get install --reinstall language-pack-ar |
Other issues
Can't access archive
dpkg: error processing /media/cdrom0//pool/main/g/gcc-4.4/libstdc++6-4.4-dev_4.4.1-4ubuntu8_i386.deb (--unpack): cannot access archive: No such file or directory dpkg: error processing /media/cdrom0//pool/main/g/gcc-4.4/g++-4.4_4.4.1-4ubuntu8_i386.deb (--unpack): cannot access archive: No such file or directory
No space left on device
Bug 312491
Unpacking replacement perl-base ... dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/perl-base_5.10.0-11.1ubuntu2.2_i386.deb (--unpack): failed in buffer_write(fd) (10, ret=-1): backend dpkg-deb during `./usr/lib/perl/5.10.0/IO.pm': No space left on device
DbDriver "config" is locked
Bug 349469
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/349469
fuser -v will return the locking process if any. Kill it and try performing the upgrade again. If none then try performing the update again.
Non-bugs
Common issues arising from hardware failures, common invalid bugs for this category.
TODO
- Add note about localized messages in log file and method to process those reports
- Search for master reports, complete missing references in wiki and cross-reference report/wiki content
Add missing descriptions & workaround
- Add section with common install/upgrade issues for specific packages ? only provide list of report + description ?