dpkg --configure python3: bad inconsistent state

[franknfurter2]

Hallo,

some days ago update manager showed up and said, that it could only do a partial update. I clicked "Yes" to do the partial update.

Update process stopped telling that python is in a bad state. Since then, no upgrade or install process via apt-get or dpkg will work anymore.

Finally I tried to installed python3 from sourcecode. Configure and make were running fine. But sudo make install failed with an error that meant that lsb_release -a has got failure.

And yes. lsb_release -a has got a python3 error. So I got stuck.

After installing python-minimal from .deb package lsb_release does work again and "sudo make install" of python3 worked.

But still: Each upgrade or install process via dpkg or apt-get fails. dpkg --configure python3 still returns

dpkg: error while editing the package python3 (--configure):
Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should
reinstall before attempting the configuration.
Errors occurred while editing:
python3

Should I do:
sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq python3

Regards

Frank

[huff2]

Was the error after updating or upgrading? If you can update with sudo apt-get update, then try sudo apt-get dist-upgrade. dist-upgrade will install and/or remove packages as necessary to complete the upgrade (upgrade will not).

Otherwise:

Yes, the command you asked about will work. You will need to reinstall python3. I recommend using apt to perform these tasks. The following link is recommended and is easy to follow regarding python3. Be sure to have the correct/recommended repository, the adding of which is detailed in this link as well: https://docs.python-guide.org/starting/install3/linux/

Be sure to do an update and upgrade after the package removal, then do the reinstall.

[franknfurter2]

Dear huff2,

thanks for your answer, but it does not lead to a solution. apt-get update is working but each upgrade will not. As I wrote, it is because the package python3 is in a bad state and so could not be configured in dpkg which is called by apt-get.

I added the output of sudo apt-get dist-upgrade to this post.

It's like a circle I am arrested in. Installing / fixing python 3 needs a working dpkg. dpkg needs a working python3. So what can one do?

HELP!!

Regards

Frank

[huff2]

Try sudo apt-get install -f

What is the output?

[franknfurter2]

Dear huff2,

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
apport-symptoms dc dh-translations gimp-help-common

....... package list ......

Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
62 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/598 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up qgis-providers (1:3.6.1+28bionic) ...
Setting up libpam-systemd:amd64 (237-3ubuntu10.19) ...
dpkg: error processing package python3 (--configure):
package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should
reinstall it before attempting configuration
Setting up libqgisgrass7-3.6.1 (1:3.6.1+28bionic) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of catfish:
catfish depends on python3:any (>= 3.3.2-2~); however:
Package python3 is not configured yet.

... and so on, see my last post.

[rsteinmetz70112]

Have you tried
# apt install --reinstall python3
That should install the package over the existing install.
Then:

# dpkg --configure -a
# apt install -f

[franknfurter2]

Dear rsteinmetz70112,

thank you so much. The apt install --reinstall python3 did the trick. I had tried apt-get install --reinstall before some days ago, before I posted the problem, but it had not worked. So there seems to be a difference between apt and apt-get.

dpkg --configure -a worked as well. On the fly I updated update-manager as well and did a update-manager run. It has installed some updates now. So it seem to work again.

Thanks a lot.

Regards

Frank

[rsteinmetz70112]

Dear rsteinmetz70112,

thank you so much. The apt install --reinstall python3 did the trick. I had tried apt-get install --reinstall before some days ago, before I posted the problem, but it had not worked. So there seems to be a difference between apt and apt-get.



Glad it worked for you.

I don't quite understand why
apt --reinstall worked and
apt-get --reinstall didn't work.

My understanding is they both do the same thing as apt is simply a different interface to dpkg than apt-get and some other commands.

Just to be sure you might want to run
apt install -f to pick up any looses ends.

[1fallen]

Dear rsteinmetz70112,

thank you so much. The apt install --reinstall python3 did the trick. I had tried apt-get install --reinstall before some days ago, before I posted the problem, but it had not worked. So there seems to be a difference between apt and apt-get.

dpkg --configure -a worked as well. On the fly I updated update-manager as well and did a update-manager run. It has installed some updates now. So it seem to work again.

Thanks a lot.

Regards

Frank

what is the difference between apt --reinstal and apt-get --reinstal


apt is a new command that supposed to merge several functions from apt-get and apt-cache into one command. It's still a little rough around the edges but here's the command listing from --help:

Basic commands:
list - list packages based on package names
search - search in package descriptions
show - show package details

update - update list of available packages

install - install packages
remove - remove packages

upgrade - upgrade the system by installing/upgrading packages
full-upgrade - upgrade the system by removing/installing/upgrading packages

edit-sources - edit the source information file

also DIFFERENCES TO APT-GET(8) section in the man apt page that's interesting:


The apt command is meant to be pleasant for end users and does
not need to be backward compatible like apt-get(8). Therefore
some options are different:

· The option DPkgPM:: Progress-Fancy is enabled.

· The option APT::Color is enabled.

· A new list command is available similar to dpkg --list.

· The option upgrade has --with-new-pkgs enabled by default.




As far as I know, apt, aptitude and apt-get/cache use the same repository configurations. Therefore, there is no difference in installations from any of them.
The main point to take note of is that these tools are front-ends, so you can use them interchangeably. The difference being their functionality and ease of use.

Essentially apt-get is "older" and apt is "newer" but both have largely the same functionality, that being they download, install, update, upgrade, and manage all your packages on your Debian install. They are interchangeable outside of a few edge cases.