Can't get passed broken packages/dependencies

[isaacj87]

Hello all,

I'm currently on Ubuntu 11.10 x86_64 and I was attempting to install Kubuntu/KDE packages. I've actually done this a few times (and removed Kubuntu as well), but somehow I screwed it up this time. I ran:

sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

While apt-get was downloading the necessary packages, I realized I forgot to enable the kubuntu-backports PPA. I killed the process, enabled the PPA, and tried to keep going, but apt-get is stuck in some dependency hell.

Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
kubuntu-desktop : Depends: ark but it is not going to be installed
Depends: dolphin but it is not going to be installed
Depends: kde-window-manager
Depends: kde-workspace-bin but it is not going to be installed
Depends: kdemultimedia-kio-plugins but it is not going to be installed
Depends: kdepasswd but it is not going to be installed
Depends: kdm but it is not going to be installed
Depends: khelpcenter4 but it is not going to be installed
Depends: klipper but it is not going to be installed
Depends: kmix but it is not going to be installed
Depends: konsole but it is not going to be installed
Depends: ksnapshot but it is not going to be installed
Depends: ksysguard but it is not going to be installed
Depends: language-selector-kde but it is not going to be installed
Depends: okular but it is not going to be installed
Depends: plasma-desktop but it is not going to be installed
Depends: plasma-netbook but it is not going to be installed
Depends: software-properties-kde but it is not going to be installed
Depends: systemsettings but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: akregator but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: amarok but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: apport-kde but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: apturl-kde but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: bluedevil but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: dragonplayer but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: gstreamer0.10-qapt but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: gwenview but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: jockey-kde but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: k3b but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kaccessible but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kaddressbook but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kamera but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kate but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kcalc but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kde-config-touchpad but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kdepim-kresources but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kdepim-runtime but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kdepim-strigi-plugins but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kdepim-wizards but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kdesudo but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kmag but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kmail but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kmousetool but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: knotes but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kontact but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kopete but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: korganizer but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kpat but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kppp but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: ksystemlog but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: ktorrent but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kubuntu-firefox-installer but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kubuntu-notification-helper but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kvkbd but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: kwalletmanager but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: libreoffice-kde but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: muon but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: muon-installer but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: muon-notifier but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: partitionmanager but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: plasma-widget-facebook but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: plasma-widget-kimpanel but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: plasma-widget-networkmanagement but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: plasma-widgets-addons but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: printer-applet but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: qapt-deb-installer but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: quassel but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: rekonq but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: system-config-printer-kde but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: usb-creator-kde but it is not going to be installed
Recommends: userconfig but it is not going to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

I've tried many things to get pass this:

sudo apt-get install -f

...which didn't work. I also tried doing this:

sudo apt-get clean && sudo apt-get autoremove

...which also didn't clear things up. I also tried:

sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq kubuntu-desktop

...but that didn't work either. Fortunately, I'm still able to update my system and install any other packages as well, but I get no joy when trying to install Kubuntu. Is there any way to get around this?

[23dornot23d]

You could try aptitude .... its good for some large dependency problems as it tries to work out other alternatives - each time you refuse its first set of dependency solutions - it will
come back with others ....

sudo apt-get install aptitude

sudo aptitude update

sudo aptitude install kde-full

post back any output ..... depends where you crashed out ..... on the downloading part
its not so bad ..... but beyond that - things tend to get into a mess quickly

[isaacj87]

You could try aptitude .... its good for some large dependency problems as it tries to work out other alternatives - each time you refuse its first set of dependency solutions - it will
come back with others ....

sudo apt-get install aptitude

sudo aptitude update

sudo aptitude install kde-full

post back any output ..... depends where you crashed out ..... on the downloading part
its not so bad ..... but beyond that - things tend to get into a mess quickly

Firstly, thanks for the prompt reply. I tried using aptitude, but the options it offered weren't any good (i.e. vital packages were going to be removed).

In any case, I think something was funky in the backports PPA. I just ran a repo refesh and everything is installing now. Go figure, as soon I make a thread, everything is working again...

Thanks for the help!

[23dornot23d]

Good to hear ..... your welcome ....