Help! Cant install updates anymore! Error message

[jannen]

Dear all

Please could someone help me. My ubuntu 7.10 always started to give an error when I try to install updates (cant install anything at moment!):

"E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report."


When I run the "sudo dpkg --configure -a" I get this response:

Setting up libxml2-utils (2.6.31.dfsg-2ubuntu1.2) ...
Setting up deskbar-applet (2.22.3.1-0ubuntu1) ...

(gconftool-2:6747): GConf-CRITICAL **: Failed to load file "/var/lib/gconf/defaults/%gconf-tree-eu.xml": Error on line 5836 char 54: '<' is not a valid character following the close element name 'en'; the allowed character is '>'
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/sbin/gconf-schemas", line 70, in <module>
shutil.rmtree(tmp_home)
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/shutil.py", line 178, in rmtree
onerror(os.rmdir, path, sys.exc_info())
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/shutil.py", line 176, in rmtree
os.rmdir(path)
OSError: [Errno 30] Read-only file system: '/tmp/gconf-rQBQCt'
dpkg: error processing deskbar-applet (--configure):
subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: error processing compiz-fusion-plugins-main (--configure):
Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should
reinstall it before attempting configuration.
Setting up rdesktop (1.5.0-3+cvs20071006ubuntu0.1) ...
dpkg: error processing rdesktop (--configure):
unable to flush updated status of `rdesktop': Read-only file system
dpkg: ../../src/packages.c:252: process_queue: Assertion `!queuelen' failed.
Aborted

Nothing happens.. please help me to sort this out! Thanks!!! :(

[Elfy]

At a guess I would say that there is something wrong with the .xml file.

Have you opened it to see if it makes any sense


gedit /var/lib/gconf/defaults/%gconf-tree-eu.xml

If you go to preferences you can enable line numbering which will make it a bit easier to find line 5836 :)

I am not sure the following errors are caused by the problem in the xml file.

[jannen]

Line 5836 get this stuff: No idea what this stands for! (and why its not in english...) any idea where to go next?


<dir name="deskbar">
<entry name="ui_name">
<local_schema short_desc="Erabiltzailearen interfazea hautatzen du erabiltzeko, &quot;Window&quot; edo &quot;Button&quot; izan daiteke.">
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="max_history_items">
<local_schema short_desc="Historian gordetako gehienezko elementuen kopurua">
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="hide_after_action">
<local_schema short_desc="Leihoa itxi ondoren ekintza aktibatzen den ala ez">
<longdesc>Gaitzen bada leihoa itxi egingo da ekintza bat aktibatutakoan</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="window_y">

etc...

[Elfy]

It's the foreign bit of the file mine is similar - is that the whole line? You need to find char 54 -

If that is not just line 5836 then post just the one line.

[jannen]

Hi there... I tried to find any problem on the line 5836... didnt spot anything weird. Mind helping? This is the whole rest of the script - first line is 5836

<dir name="deskbar">
<entry name="ui_name">
<local_schema short_desc="Erabiltzailearen interfazea hautatzen du erabiltzeko, &quot;Window&quot; edo &quot;Button&quot; izan daiteke.">
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="max_history_items">
<local_schema short_desc="Historian gordetako gehienezko elementuen kopurua">
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="hide_after_action">
<local_schema short_desc="Leihoa itxi ondoren ekintza aktibatzen den ala ez">
<longdesc>Gaitzen bada leihoa itxi egingo da ekintza bat aktibatutakoan</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="window_y">
<local_schema short_desc="Leihoaren Y koordenatua">
<longdesc>Leihoaren posizio lehenetsia pantailan (y koordenatua)</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="window_x">
<local_schema short_desc="Leihoaren X koordenatua">
<longdesc>Leihoaren posizio lehenetsia pantailan (x koordenatua)</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="window_height">
<local_schema short_desc="Leihoaren altuera">
<longdesc>Leihoaren altuera lehenetsia (pixeletan)</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="window_width">
<local_schema short_desc="Leihoaren zabalera">
<longdesc>Leihoaren zabalera lehenetsia (pixeletan)</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="clear_entry">
<local_schema short_desc="Garbitu sarrera bilaketako emaitza hautatu ondoren">
<longdesc>Gaitzen bada sarrera garbituko du bilaketako emaitza hautatu ondoren</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="collapsed_cat">
<local_schema short_desc="Tolestutako kategoriak">
<longdesc>Kategorien zerrenda bistaratzean tolestatzeko. Baliozko kategoriak: lehenetsia, historia, dokumentuak, posta, berriketak, fitxategiak, pertsonak, lekuak, ekintzak, web guneak, web bilaketak, berriak eta oharrak.</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="enabled_handlers">
<local_schema short_desc="Gaitu kudeatzaileak">
<longdesc>Gaitutako kudeatzaileen esportatutako klase-izenen zerrenda lehentasunaren arabera ordenatutz. Ezkerrenen dagoenak lehentasun handiagoa du.</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="keybinding">
<local_schema short_desc="Laster-teklak">
<longdesc>Tekla-sekuentziak deskbar-appletean fokua jarriko du, azkar idaztea eskainiz</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="use_selection">
<local_schema short_desc="Deskbar-appleta abiaraztean uneko hautapena itsatsiko den edo ez">
<longdesc>Aukeratu laste-teklak uneko hautapena itsatsiko duen edo ez bilaketako koadroan.</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="typingdelay">
<local_schema short_desc="Bilaketa hasi aurretik igaroko diren milisegundoak">
<longdesc>Denbora (milisegundotan) bilaketako sarreran tekla sakatu eta uneko bilaketa hasieraren artekoa</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="minchars">
<local_schema short_desc="Behar den gutxiengo karaktere-kopurua bilaketa hasteko">
<longdesc>Idatzi beharreko gutxiengo karaktere-kopurua applet-ak bat datozenak erakusten hasteko</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<dir name="mozilla">
<entry name="show_only_primary_search">
<local_schema>
<longdesc>Hobetsitako bilaketako motorra soilik edo motor guztiak erakutsi. Honek Mozilla-n oinarritutako web arakatzaileei soilik eragiten die: adib. firefox.</longdesc>
</local_schema>
</entry>
</dir>
</dir>
<dir name="gweather">
<dir name="prefs">
<entry name="coordinates">
<local_schema>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="location4">
<local_schema>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="location3">
<local_schema>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="location2">
<local_schema>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="location1">
<local_schema>
</local_schema>
</entry>
<entry name="location0">
<local_schema>
</local_schema>
</entry>
</dir>
</dir>
<dir name="clock_applet">
<dir name="prefs">
<entry name="format">
<local_schema>
</local_schema>
</entry>
</dir>
</dir>
</dir>
</dir>
</gconf>

[jannen]

Continuing from above message.... I run the sudo dpkg --configure -a
message again. This time I got different reply, it says

dpkg: error processing compiz-fusion-plugins-main (--configure):
Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should
reinstall it before attempting configuration.
Errors were encountered while processing:
compiz-fusion-plugins-main

Please advice... how can I fix this?
Many thanks.

[Elfy]

Try
sudo apt-get install -f Please whole of any error message

[jannen]

Hi. Here it is:

janne@Burrito:~$ sudo apt-get install -f
[sudo] password for janne:
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.

Again running the:

janne@Burrito:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
dpkg: error processing compiz-fusion-plugins-main (--configure):
Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should
reinstall it before attempting configuration.
Errors were encountered while processing:
compiz-fusion-plugins-main

[jannen]

Wish I knew more about this stuff...

Any suggestion how to porceed? Ubuntu doesnt now allow to run the dpkg --configure -a... its in read only state.

Help... !

[jannen]

I tried it again today the dpkg --configure -a

Now the issue is the following:

janne@Burrito:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
dpkg: unable to access dpkg status area: Read-only file system


How can I proceed now, please advice! Im stuck with the whole issue, cant do any updates or installations!

Thanks (getting desperate!):confused:

[Elfy]

I've talked on the beg team channel - suggestion is to run fsck on your drive

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=422307 should help

I'm a bit confused/concerned that the error appears to change each time you run the command.

[bobpaul]

I'm in a very similar state. I'm running Intrepid beta and hadn't updated in a couple of weeks. After running them today I've seen the same general error, but for a number of default gconf xml files. Attached is the output of "apt-get install -f". Now metacity returns a segfault when it runs... not sure if that's related.

Edit: Installed xfce4 and am using that instead of gnome for the time being.

[bobpaul]

Not sure if the gconf2 or gconf2-common packages installs the xml files, but the following worked:


sudo apt-get purge gconf2 gconf2-common
sudo apt-get install -f
sudo apg-get install ubuntu-desktop

Please note that when you do the purge that ubuntu will remove a LOT of packages, including some applications you installed after installing ubuntu. When you reinstall ubuntu-desktop you will get back things like gnome and firefox, but not anything you installed after the fact that needed gconf2. It's a good idea to make note of the packages that are removed in the purge step. 'remove' might work instead of purge, but since 'aptitude reinstall' didn't work for me, I didn't bother trying it.