Linux apt-get woes...

January 19, 2006 7:45 PM

I think I broke it... I was attempting to apt-get install vsftpd when apt informed me that I need to upgrade certain packages...

The following NEW packages will be installed:
e2fslibs initscripts libblkid1 libselinux1 libsepol1 libss2 libssl0.9.8 libuuid1 lsb-base sysv-rc vsftpd
The following packages will be upgraded:
e2fsprogs libc6 libc6-dev sysvinit

It downloaded all of the packages from apte without any trouble but then I got the message:

E: This installation run will require temporarily removing the essential package e2fsprogs due to a Conflicts/Pre-Depends loop. This is often bad, but if you really want to do it, activate the APT::Force-LoopBreak option.
E: Internal Error, Could not early remove e2fsprogs

so I ran:

apt-get -o "APT::Force-Loopbreak=true" install



Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 235 not upgraded.
baldur:/home/mattgolsen# apt-get -o "APT::Force-Loopbreak=true" install vsftpd
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
e2fslibs e2fsprogs initscripts libblkid1 libc6 libc6-dev libselinux1 libsepol1 libss2 libssl0.9.8 libuuid1 lsb-base
sysv-rc sysvinit
Suggested packages:
gpart parted e2fsck-static glibc-doc sysv-rc-conf bum
The following packages will be REMOVED:
locales
The following NEW packages will be installed:
e2fslibs initscripts libblkid1 libselinux1 libsepol1 libss2 libssl0.9.8 libuuid1 lsb-base sysv-rc vsftpd
The following packages will be upgraded:
e2fsprogs libc6 libc6-dev sysvinit
4 upgraded, 11 newly installed, 1 to remove and 230 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B/11.5MB of archives.
After unpacking 1368kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Preconfiguring packages ...
(Reading database ... 40111 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing locales ...
(Reading database ... 39647 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libc6-dev 2.3.2.ds1-21 (using .../libc6-dev_2.3.5-12_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libc6-dev ...
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
This is an essential package - it should not be removed.
dpkg: e2fsprogs: dependency problems, but removing anyway as you request:
php5 depends on e2fsprogs (>= 1.27-2).
php5-cli depends on e2fsprogs (>= 1.27-2).
sysvinit depends on e2fsprogs (>= 1.15-1).
php5 depends on e2fsprogs (>= 1.27-2).
php5-cli depends on e2fsprogs (>= 1.27-2).
(Reading database ... 39671 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing e2fsprogs ...
(Reading database ... 39620 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libc6 2.3.2.ds1-21 (using .../libc6_2.3.5-12_i386.deb) ...

Name Service Switch update in the C Library: pre-installation question.

Running services and programs that are using NSS need to be restarted,
otherwise they might not be able to do lookup or authentication any more.
The installation process is able to restart some services (such as ssh or
telnetd), but other programs cannot be restarted automatically. One such
program that needs manual stopping and restart after the glibc upgrade by
yourself is xdm - because automatic restart might disconnect your active
X11 sessions.

Known packages that need to be stopped before the glibc upgrade are:
xdm kdm gdm postgresql xscreensaver

This script did not detect any installed services which need to be
stopped.

If you want to interrupt the upgrade now and continue later, please
answer No to the question below.

Do you want to upgrade glibc now? [Y/n] y

Unpacking replacement libc6 ...
Setting up libc6 (2.3.5-12) ...
Checking for services that may need to be restarted...done.
Current default timezone: 'US/Mountain'.
Local time is now: Thu Jan 19 20:46:54 MST 2006.
Universal Time is now: Fri Jan 20 03:46:54 UTC 2006.
Run 'tzconfig' if you wish to change it.

Selecting previously deselected package libblkid1.
(Reading database ... 39629 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking libblkid1 (from .../libblkid1_1.38+1.39-WIP-2005.12.31-1_i386.deb) ...
Setting up libblkid1 (1.38+1.39-WIP-2005.12.31-1) ...

Selecting previously deselected package libss2.
(Reading database ... 39634 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking libss2 (from .../libss2_1.38+1.39-WIP-2005.12.31-1_i386.deb) ...
Setting up libss2 (1.38+1.39-WIP-2005.12.31-1) ...

Selecting previously deselected package libuuid1.
(Reading database ... 39639 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking libuuid1 (from .../libuuid1_1.38+1.39-WIP-2005.12.31-1_i386.deb) ...
Setting up libuuid1 (1.38+1.39-WIP-2005.12.31-1) ...

Selecting previously deselected package libsepol1.
(Reading database ... 39644 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking libsepol1 (from .../libsepol1_1.10-1_i386.deb) ...
Setting up libsepol1 (1.10-1) ...

Selecting previously deselected package libselinux1.
(Reading database ... 39649 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking libselinux1 (from .../libselinux1_1.28-2_i386.deb) ...
Setting up libselinux1 (1.28-2) ...

Selecting previously deselected package lsb-base.
(Reading database ... 39654 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking lsb-base (from .../lsb-base_3.0-14_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package initscripts.
Unpacking initscripts (from .../initscripts_2.86.ds1-6_i386.deb) ...
Replacing files in old package sysvinit ...
Setting up lsb-base (3.0-14) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of initscripts:
initscripts depends on e2fsprogs (>= 1.19-1); however:
Package e2fsprogs is not installed.
dpkg: error processing initscripts (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
initscripts
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)



I attempted to just install e2fsprogs but it wanted to install apache and a whole slew of other things..

So basically it won't install anything, and I'm stuck in a rut. I'm not quite sure what to do, I don't have physical access to the server (it's on the other side of the US), and I'm scared to log out of ssh...

Can anyone please help me?

posted by jackofsaxons to computers & internet (6 comments total)

Sounds like a bleeding edge package that's not ready for primetime yet. Maybe back off to a stable or testing version of that package? I installed vsftpd on an Ubuntu 5.04 machine last year without incident.
posted by intermod at 7:57 PM on January 19, 2006

unfortunately apt already removed e2fsprogs... and I can't reinstall it..

I guess I should have been a little more clear in my panicking copying and pasting...
posted by jackofsaxons at 8:02 PM on January 19, 2006

Quick ideas: Know if you're using stable, testing, or unstable. Download the correct deb package for e2fsprogs and attemp to install it with dpkg.

I'm wondering why you needed to install a new glibc... your sources file might be helpful if it's not just a standard list of, say, "stable" sources. What does apt say to do if you run "apt-get -fs" (fix simulate)?

Go ahead and see if sshd is still running. You could try logging in in another session to see if login still works.
posted by skynxnex at 8:04 PM on January 19, 2006

I inherited this server and it appears to use a mixture of stable and unstable packages.

Ok, I managed to find a http download of e2fsprogs .deb, and I was able to install it via webmin. I'm currently logged in via ssh, however when I attempt to open another connection, the username prompt comes up, I enter my username, and then it gets a network connection abort.

So, I got e2fsprogs to install, and when I do apt-get -f install to clean everything up, I get:

Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
console-common console-tools e2fslibs e2fsprogs libconsole libpcap0.8
sysv-rc sysvinit
Suggested packages:
kbd-compat gpart parted e2fsck-static sysv-rc-conf bum
The following packages will be REMOVED:
console-tools-libs
The following NEW packages will be installed:
e2fslibs libconsole libpcap0.8 sysv-rc sysvinit
The following packages will be upgraded:
console-common console-tools e2fsprogs
3 upgraded, 5 newly installed, 1 to remove and 228 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 627kB/1391kB of archives.
After unpacking 1937kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Get:1 ftp://ftp.debian.org unstable/main console-common 0.7.55 [120kB]
Get:2 ftp://ftp.debian.org unstable/main console-tools 1:0.2.3dbs-60 [294kB]
Get:3 ftp://ftp.debian.org unstable/main libconsole 1:0.2.3dbs-60 [127kB]
Get:4 ftp://ftp.debian.org unstable/main libpcap0.8 0.9.4-1 [86.1kB]
Fetched 627kB in 47s (13.2kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
dpkg: `update-rc.d' not found on PATH.
dpkg: 1 expected program(s) not found on PATH.
NB: root's PATH should usually contain /usr/local/sbin, /usr/sbin and /sbin.
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (2)


If anyone one is willing to talk this over via email or IM I'd be more thanhappy so we don't clutter up Ask.MeFi with this :)
posted by jackofsaxons at 8:15 PM on January 19, 2006

On my system at least, /usr/sbin/update-rc.d is part of the sysv-rc package. Which apt is telling you that it has to install new. Odd. I wonder if Debian changed how that's handle between release... You could try doing "apt-get install sysv-rc" or finding the deb package if that doesn't work. That may fix that problem.
posted by skynxnex at 8:27 PM on January 19, 2006

Ok.. I managed to figure it out.. some how I stumbled through it.

to fix the new error I got:

dpkg: `update-rc.d' not found on PATH.

I ran:

cp /bin/false /tmp
cd /tmp
ln -s false update-rc.d
export PATH=$PATH:/tmp

then:

apt-get install sysv-rc

This allowed me to to apt-get -f install. Which fixed all the broken packages.

Thanks for your help guys, you managed to point me in the right direction..
posted by jackofsaxons at 8:36 PM on January 19, 2006