dpkg failure

[Oded]

Hello,
While I was trying to install virtualbox (.deb) I encountered an error..
It install dependencies I was missing:
Python2.5, Python2.5-minimal
and failed with the latter printing out:
Errors were encountered while processing:
python2.5-minimal
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
Now when I try to remove/reinstall python2.5-minimal I get the following:

Setting up python2.5-minimal (2.5.4-1ubuntu4) ...
Linking and byte-compiling packages for runtime python2.5...
update-binfmts: /var/lib/binfmts/jar corrupt: out of binfmt data reading
package
dpkg: error processing python2.5-minimal (--configure):
subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
python2.5-minimal
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
I've searched the forums and didn't come up with a solution
Help please?
Edit: forgot to mention for what it's worth I'm using Jaunty 64amd with ext4

[pytheas22]

What is the output of:


cat /var/lib/binfmts/jar
ls -l /var/lib/binfmts/jar

[Oded]

Here:

oded@oded-laptop:~$ cat /var/lib/binfmts/jar
oded@oded-laptop:~$ ls -l /var/lib/binfmts/jar
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 2009-05-23 01:15 /var/lib/binfmts/jar
Thanks

[pytheas22]

It looks like your /var/lib/binfmts/jar file is empty, which is probably the problem. Please open it up in a text editor by typing:


sudo gedit /var/lib/binfmts/jar

Then paste this into it:


sun-java6
magic
0
PK\x03\x04

/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun-1.6.0.13/jre/lib/jexec

Then save the file, and try installing your program again.

I have no idea what the contents of the file do, but on my system (also 64-bit Jaunty) that's what I have inside /var/lib/binfmts/jar, and I assume it's not supposed to be empty.

[Oded]

I've done as you suggested and it didn't work (gave the same error),
I then thought I'd go ahead and reinstall java but now the problem got worse:
oded@oded-laptop:~$ sudo apt-get autoremove
[sudo] password for oded:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
5 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up sun-java6-bin (6-13-1) ...
update-alternatives: error or eof reading /var/lib/dpkg/alternatives/ControlPanel for update_mode ()
dpkg: error processing sun-java6-bin (--configure):
subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Setting up openjdk-6-jre (6b14-1.4.1-0ubuntu7) ...
update-alternatives: error or eof reading /var/lib/dpkg/alternatives/pluginappletviewer for update_mode ()
dpkg: error processing openjdk-6-jre (--configure):
subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of icedtea6-plugin:
icedtea6-plugin depends on openjdk-6-jre (= 6b14-1.4.1-0ubuntu7); however:
Package openjdk-6-jre is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing icedtea6-plugin (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Setting up python2.5-minimal (2.5.2-2ubuntu4.1) ...
No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a previous failure.
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/encodings/cp863.py", line 411
REEK SMALL LETTER DELTA
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
Linking and byte-compiling packages for runtime python2.5...
update-binfmts: /var/lib/binfmts/jar~ corrupt: out of binfmt data reading
package
dpkg: error processing python2.5-minimal (--configure):
subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Setting up rhino (1.7R1-2) ...
No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
update-alternatives: error or eof reading /var/lib/dpkg/alternatives/js for update_mode ()
dpkg: error processing rhino (--configure):
subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
Errors were encountered while processing:
sun-java6-bin
openjdk-6-jre
icedtea6-plugin
python2.5-minimal
rhino
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
At this point I guess I'm leaning towards a complete Ubuntu reinstall unless someone can come up with a solution

[pytheas22]

hmmm, I'm sorry but I don't know how to make sense out of that. A reinstallation might be your best option at this point...

[Oded]

Thanks for trying either way

[freakalad]

I'm getting similar issues on my 64-bit Hardy LTS system.
Started with my last KVM update, and since then nothing quite been able to install or upgrade properly.

Details posted here (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1169061)

At first I thought it was a bad patch (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1157830) from KVM, but since the problem/errors/bug is growing in scope to include other apps/installers, I'm starting to suspect it may lie in the package manager itself.

Of course I don't know enough behind-the-curtains magic to make a authoritative determination one way or another, so I can only provide "symptoms"

I really hope there's a simple solution to this, cause I'd rather prefer not to do an install from scratch.