10.04 package refuses to update/remove

[cap_tain]

Hello

I have been using Ubuntu for about four years now, but was stuck on an older version, kubuntu 8.10, for most of that time due to unresolvable graphics card issues. I resently found work arounds for my issues with ubuntu 10.04 and reinstalled my system after about a week and a half of careful research.

after finishing the os installation the package "humanity-icon-theme" would not upgrade to version 0.5.2 and it would not allow me to remove it. If I try to install anything other package dpkg will first try to update "humanity-icon-theme" and fail. the package manager dies and tells me to run "sudo dpkg --configure -a" The system will often not allow this command to run until I reboot my system.

I can't use my computer if I cannot install and update programs.

My computer is a Gateway MT3705 laptop

the commands that I have tried to use to remove this package are
sudo dpkg --clear-avail && sudo apt-get update
sudo dpkg purge --force-all humanity-icon-package
And a few others. I will post them as I remember them.

please help.

thanks

---If this is in the wrong place on the forums please let me know where I should have created it. thanks

[cap_tain]

Hello? Help?

[drs305]

Please give us the exact error message you get when you try to run "sudo apt-get update", "sudo apt-get upgrade" or whatever the command is that generates the message.

[cap_tain]

on running "apt-get upgrade"

dpkg: error while cleaning up:
unable to restore backup version of `/usr/share/icons/Humanity/apps/32/system-users.svg': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
unable to restore backup version of `/usr/share/icons/Humanity/apps/32/xfce4-weather.png': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
unable to restore backup version of `/usr/share/icons/Humanity/apps/32/invest-applet.svg': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
unable to restore backup version of `/usr/share/icons/Humanity/apps/32/application-community.svg': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
unable to restore backup version of `/usr/share/icons/Humanity/apps/32/gnome-panel-notification-area.svg': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
unable to securely remove '/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
unable to securely remove '/var/lib/dpkg/reassemble.deb': Read-only file system
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libpam-modules_1.1.1-2ubuntu5_i386.deb (--unpack):
error ensuring `/var/lib/dpkg/reassemble.deb' doesn't exist: Read-only file system
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
dpkg: failed to open `/var/lib/dpkg/status' for writing status information: Read-only file system
touch: cannot touch `/var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp': Read-only file system
Segmentation fault

there is more above this but it disapears once the command line gets to here.

[drs305]

Try running the command with "more":

sudo apt-get upgrade | more

If all your other hard drive and root functions are working ok, here is one thing you can try. Normally there are other steps and I use these last if the others aren't successful, but in those cases we know what the exact error message is.

Make a backup copy first so we can get things back they way they were if necessary, and then trying updating again.

Run these and see if the last command will run without errors. Note you can start with the command "sudo -i" and run all these commands without using sudo again. To exit the root shell, type exit.

sudo mv /var/lib/dpkg/status /var/lib/dpkg/status-original
sudo mv /var/lib/dpkg/status-old /var/lib/dpkg/status
sudo apt-get update

If not, restore the originals, leaving a backup copy of the original status file:

sudo mv /var/lib/dpkg/status /var/lib/dpkg/status-old
sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/status-original /var/lib/dpkg/status

If this doesn't restore it, we can try removing the entry from the statusfile itself, but see if you can get the original error message before trying this.

[cap_tain]

Ok I tried to use apt-get | more

it gave out a responce that was 20 or more pages long so I tried to copy it to gedit first. after starting apt-get the system will not save anything, when trying to save the file in gedit the program said that I was attempting to save on a read only file system. I tried to plug in a usb-key to save the file to and the system refused to mount it, also because it was a 'read only file system'.

also most programs that I try to start after running apt-get (including new instances of Terminal, firefox, gedit, or calculator) only display the top menu bar and a blank box. I can instill use the programs but I cannot see anything.

In trying to copy apt-gets error all I saw were more errors like the ones posted above for more of the packages files. many of these files were under /usr/share/icons/Humanity/animations

[drs305]

Can you change themes via System, Preferences, Appearance, Themes tab?

You might be able to see what is going on by viewing the log files via System, Administration, Log File viewer. Take a look at the dpkg log.

I don't like recommending a reinstall, but often it ends up being quicker than trying to troubleshoot something like this. If you don't have a lot of customizations or data files in your Ubuntu partition, it's something to start considering. Not yet, perhaps, but at some point...

[cap_tain]

I can change themes. I am currently using a customized version of the standard theme with a different icon package.

I checked the dpkg log. the only thing it says from the last 6 days that I tried to fix this on my own is
----startup archives unpack
----upgrade humanity-icon-theme 0.5.2 0.5.2.1
----status half-installed humanity-icon-theme 0.5.2
it then repeats itself several times.

the log entry from before this is from one of about 3 times that when I ran apt-get upgrade it first installed the other packages before trying to upgrade Humanity-icon-theme. I don't know of anything that I did differently those few times, that allowed it to install.

[drs305]

Although this circumvents APT to a degree, it may restore your system by removing the Humanity theme from APT's list.

You should still have a backup copy of /var/lib/dpkg/status from the previous set of commands. If not, make a copy of it before accomplishing the following.

Open /var/lib/dpkg/status:

gksu gedit /var/lib/dpkg/status

Find the section(s) that start(s) with:

Package: humanity-icon-theme

Remove the entire section (about 12 lines).

Make sure you don't have two listings, since it failed to upgrade the package.

Save the file, then try running 'sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade'.

[cap_tain]

That Last suggestion appeared to work. I was able to update.

Thanks! now I can finally have an up to date OS.