libc6 dependecy cycle error when updating/installing

[Teiji]

Hi,

I tried to install a csh shell, but I keep getting this error:

E: Couldn't configure pre-depend libc6 for findutils, probably a dependency cycle.

That error also appears when I tried to update anything from the Update manager or the commandline.

Does anyone know how to fix that? Mainly, on how to install the csh shell.

[Partyboi2]

You could try the last comment from here (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/aptitude/+bug/124895)

[Teiji]

Thanks Partyboi2. I'm very new to Ubuntu and Unix, so I need some help on doing what Rodolfo mentioned.

Quoted from Rodolfo:


After cleaning apt-get's cache, I tried one more time without good results; but with that I generated a "clean" cache (ie only with the debs I was needing).

How do I clean the apt-get's cache?


Then did

cd /var/cache/apt/archives

and then

sudo dpkg --force-depends --install libc6_2.8~20080505-0ubuntu7_i386.deb findutils_4.4.0-2ubuntu3_i386.deb

of course the specific package names may differ.

Where do I get the libc6xxxxxxxxxxx.deb?

[Partyboi2]

Actually you may not need to empty cache.
Open a terminal (Applications>Accessories>Terminal) then change into the /var/cache/apt/archives directory

cd /var/cache/apt/archivesthen use the list command to see what is there

lslook for libc6xxxxxxxxxxx.deb and findutilsxxxxxxxx.deb, then type

sudo dpkg --force-depends --install libc6xxxxxxxxxxx.deb findutilsxxxxxxxx.deb using the correct name of the 2 deb packages from the output of the list command

[Teiji]

It doesn't work.

Here's what I did and the error I received.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ cd /var/cache/apt/archives
ubuntu@ubuntu:/var/cache/apt/archives$ ls
csh_20070713-1_i386.deb
findutils_4.4.0-2ubuntu3_i386.deb
gcc-4.3-base_4.3.2-1ubuntu12_i386.deb
libc6_2.8~20080505-0ubuntu8_i386.deb
libgcc1_1%3a4.3.2-1ubuntu12_i386.deb
libncurses5_5.6+20071124-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
lock
partial
tcsh_6.14.00-7ubuntu1_i386.deb
ubuntu@ubuntu:/var/cache/apt/archives$ sudo dpkg --force-depends --install libc6_2.8~20080505-0ubuntu8_i386.deb findutils_4.4.0-2ubuntu3_i386.deb
dpkg: failed in buffer_read(fd): copy info file `/var/lib/dpkg/available': Input/output error
ubuntu@ubuntu:/var/cache/apt/archives$

Anyone have any other solution? I need to install other shells beside the default one to do different assignments that my teacher give out. Please help me.

[Partyboi2]

Open a terminal and backup the current available file

sudo mv /var/lib/dpkg/available /var/lib/dpkg/available.broken
then move available-old to available

sudo mv /var/lib/dpkg/available-old /var/lib/dpkg/available
then try what you did before.

cd /var/cache/apt/archives

sudo dpkg --force-depends --install libc6_2.8~20080505-0ubuntu8_i386.deb findutils_4.4.0-2ubuntu3_i386.deb

[Teiji]

I received the same error as before. =/

dpkg: failed in buffer_read(fd): copy info file `/var/lib/dpkg/available': Input/output error

[Partyboi2]

I am almost out of ideas. Try

sudo apt-get cleanThis will remove the deb files in /var/cache/apt/archives. Then download the debs again.

sudo apt-get --reinstall install libc6
sudo apt-get --reinstall install findutils It will download fresh debs to /var/cache/apt/archives but probably will complain when it tries to reinstall those packages, but as long as the 2 packages have been downloaded again you should be able to proceed.
Then

cd /var/cache/apt/archivesthen check that the newly downloaded debs are there

ls then

sudo dpkg --force-depends --install libc6_2.8~20080505-0ubuntu8_i386.deb findutils_4.4.0-2ubuntu3_i386.deb

[Teiji]

Thanks for the replies, but I still received the same error.
"dpkg: failed in buffer_read(fd): copy info file `/var/lib/dpkg/available': Input/output error"

Do you think it's because I'm running Ubuntu on a USB drive?

[Teiji]

Thank you partyboi for the replies, but I've given up on this. Partial install causes so much problems.

So I installed a FULL Ubuntu 8.10 this time and the problem isn't there anymore. :)

Topic closed.