installing packages. (E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg received a segmentat...)

[fridgecow]

When trying to install packages or just generally do an upgrade:

istom@isToms-PC:~$ sudo apt-get install bum[sudo] password for istom:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
menu
Suggested packages:
menu-l10n
The following NEW packages will be installed
bum menu
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 32 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/531 kB of archives.
After this operation, 2,328 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Y
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg received a segmentation fault.

Results of dpkg --configure -a: just "Segmentation fault"

Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, was fresh installed only a few weeks ago.

[Bashing-om]

fridgecow;
I have never had experience with a seg fault on my own system, But I will try and assist, if nothing else get some info for others to look at.
Before attacking the file system at large, let's see what condition the package manager is in: terminal codes:

dpkg --audit
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

just try'n to help

[fridgecow]

istom@isToms-PC:~$ sudo dpkg --audit
istom@isToms-PC:~$ dpkg --audit
Segmentation fault

"sudo apt-get update" goes like usual, no errors at all. "sudo apt-get upgrade":

istom@isToms-PC:~$ The following packages have been kept back: linux-headers-generic-lts-quantal linux-image-generic-lts-quantal
The following packages will be upgraded:
bash firefox firefox-globalmenu firefox-gnome-support firefox-locale-en
flashplugin-installer gir1.2-dee-1.0 libavcodec53 libavformat53
libavutil-extra-51 libdee-1.0-4 libgnomekbd-common libgnomekbd7
libjack-jackd2-0 libnautilus-extension1a libnm-gtk-common libnm-gtk0
libpostproc52 libswscale2 linux-generic-lts-quantal linux-libc-dev nautilus
nautilus-data network-manager-gnome simple-scan thunderbird
thunderbird-globalmenu thunderbird-gnome-support thunderbird-locale-en
thunderbird-locale-en-us
30 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 2 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/59.4 MB of archives.
After this operation, 1,914 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Preconfiguring packages ...
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg received a segmentation fault.

And that's all.

[Bashing-om]

fridgecow;
We know the system it's self is operational thus maybe only dpkg has a problem;
See what results:

sudo dpkg --clear-avail
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

does clearing the cache help ?

regards

[fridgecow]

Well my system must be REALLY messed up, because that doesn't help either. Exactly the same output as before

[Bashing-om]

fridgecow;
Doesn't seem too messed up. Your system is operational with the exception of package management. However, a seg-fault to me is reason for concern.
Firstly, let's see if we can get the kernel to upgrade.
terminal code:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

"dist-upgrade" uses the package manager's smart mode to resolve dependencies.
Now what is the package manager's complaint and of what ?

try'n to help

[fridgecow]

 [sudo] password for istom: Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed
  linux-headers-3.5.0-27 linux-headers-3.5.0-27-generic
  linux-image-3.5.0-27-generic
The following packages will be upgraded:
  bash firefox firefox-globalmenu firefox-gnome-support firefox-locale-en
  flashplugin-installer gir1.2-dee-1.0 libavcodec53 libavformat53
  libavutil-extra-51 libdee-1.0-4 libgnomekbd-common libgnomekbd7
  libjack-jackd2-0 libnautilus-extension1a libnm-gtk-common libnm-gtk0
  libpostproc52 libswscale2 linux-generic-lts-quantal
  linux-headers-generic-lts-quantal linux-image-generic-lts-quantal
  linux-libc-dev nautilus nautilus-data network-manager-gnome simple-scan
  thunderbird thunderbird-globalmenu thunderbird-gnome-support
  thunderbird-locale-en thunderbird-locale-en-us
32 upgraded, 3 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/113 MB of archives.
After this operation, 190 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? 
Extract templates from packages: 100%
Preconfiguring packages ...
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg received a segmentation fault.

Same as just "upgrade", really.

[Bashing-om]

fridgecow;
I have been unable, to this time, to find a means to determine which program is violating memory. If you were to individually install those 32 updates might get enough information to focus on the problem.

sudo apt-get install bash

Doing it the hard way is not the ubuntu way, I just do not know of a better way.
Go down the list of the remainder of the pending updates and advise what results.

hope this helps

[fridgecow]

Not even that works.

istom@isToms-PC:~$ sudo apt-get install bash[sudo] password for istom:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Suggested packages:
bash-doc
The following packages will be upgraded:
bash
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 40 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/616 kB of archives.
After this operation, 12.3 kB disk space will be freed.
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg exited unexpectedly

[Bashing-om]

fridgecow;
First try and see what state dpkg is in:

sudo dpkg --configure -a

Then let's try this approach to identify the offending package:

sudo dpkg -l | grep -v ^ii

The "dpkg -l" part of the command lists all of the installed packages in a table format. The first column of the table outlines the status of the package, for example if it is installed correctly etc. The second part of the command "grep -v ^ii" outputs any line that does not start with the letters ii. By passing the output of the "dpkg -l" command to the grep command I was able to get a list of all packages that were listed as not being correctly installed. That is, those packages that didn't have a status of "ii". I was then able to use this command to remove the offending package where [package-name] was the name of the package.

Then if identified:

sudo dpkg --purge remove [package-name]

see what results