dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'sudo dpkg --configure -a' to correct...

[trmnshwrx]

I found <a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=388348">this</a> thread, but I still run into trouble. Here's what I get when I run 'sudo dpkg --configure -a' (everything in-between the stars):

************************************************** ********************
warning, in file '/var/lib/dpkg/available' near line 43882 package 'virtualbox-3.1':
error in Version string '3.1.4-57640_Ubuntu_karmic': invalid character in revision number
Setting up noip2 (2.1.9-3) . . .

Auto configuration for Linux client of no-ip.com.

2 hosts are registered to this account.
Do you wish to have them all updated?[N] (y/N)
************************************************** ********************

...And when I choose either y/n, it just hangs up forever. HELP! I can't install or uninstall anything! Synaptic Package Manger won't run. I can't do it manually, either...

What can I do?

[derklempner]

Delete all the files in /var/lib/dpkg/updates and try reinstalling the VirtualBox package from scratch.

[trmnshwrx]

Will this re-enable me to install things? I'm not so concerned about VirtualBox; I actually tried to uninstall it in order to get around this error, but I can't do that.

[trizrK]

Will this re-enable me to install things? I'm not so concerned about VirtualBox; I actually tried to uninstall it in order to get around this error, but I can't do that.

In short,
Yes, it will.

[trmnshwrx]

Nothing there in the first place. I even opened nautilus from root to see. It's empty.

[derklempner]

Will this re-enable me to install things? I'm not so concerned about VirtualBox; I actually tried to uninstall it in order to get around this error, but I can't do that.

It's possible that /var/lib/dpkg/available may have somehow become corrupted, but you should have a backup of that file in the same directory, named available-old. Delete available and run sudo apt-get update. Then try to install a package.

If that doesn't fix your problem, do it again, and as a third step delete all files in /var/lib/dpkg/updates BEFORE you try to install another package.

[trmnshwrx]

Thanks! It still told me that it couldn't get an exclusive lock...and that was after sudo rm var/lib/apt/lists/lock ... Anyway, so I rebooted, ran apt-get update, and now I'm actually upgrading to Natty Narwhal.

[trmnshwrx]

(aborted, once my computer found out how much disk space Natty wants...but at least my initial problem was fixed...)

[Raziel14]

Hi, I am unable to delete /var/lib/dpkg/available or anything from file system except home folder, is there a way to setup permission to do it? tnx

[iMetaphysikz]

Hi, I am unable to delete /var/lib/dpkg/available or anything from file system except home folder, is there a way to setup permission to do it? tnx

Are you in the sudoers group? if so just do:
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/available

if you just want access to the files you would have to chmod it to the correct permissions, for everyone on the system it would be:
sudo chmod 777 /var/lib/dpkg/available