Can't update or install new software: package system is broken

[dimitri6]

Hi all,

I'm experiencing an issue with my Ubuntu 14.04 64-bit system. I'm unable to install neither updates nor new software. I get an error message: "The package system is broken". I tried pressing the "repair option" but the error persists. I was even instructed to run apt-get install -f in the terminal, again, to no avail.

I would appreciate any assistance to solve it.

Thank you in advance.

[slickymaster]

Can you please post back here, using the code tags for the effect, the output you get when in a terminal you run the following:

sudo apt-get -f install

and

sudo dpkg --configure -a

[dimitri6]

pa1067@Linux-Main:~$ sudo apt-get -f install
[sudo] password for pa1067: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  blt gstreamer0.10-gnonlin libamd2.2.0 libboost-filesystem1.53.0
  libboost-python1.53.0 libboost-regex1.53.0 libboost-signals1.53.0
  libboost-thread1.53.0 libdb5.1:i386 libdb5.1-java-jni libebml3 libfftw3-3
  libfftw3-long3 libgsoap3 libkdcraw22 liblavfile-2.0-0 liblavjpeg-2.0-0
  liblavplay-2.0-0 liblcms1:i386 libllvm3.3:i386 liblua5.1-0 libmarblewidget16
  libmatroska5 libmng1:i386 libmpeg2encpp-2.0-0 libmplex2-2.0-0 libplot2c2
  libpthread-stubs0 libtasn1-3:i386 libtcl8.5 libtk8.5 libumfpack5.4.0
  libwebp4 linux-headers-3.11.0-19 linux-headers-3.11.0-19-generic
  nvidia-settings-319 python-central python-xkit tcl8.5 tk8.5 wine-gecko1.4
  wine-gecko1.4:i386
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
The following extra packages will be installed:
  tzdata
The following packages will be upgraded:
  tzdata
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 96 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/181 kB of archives.
After this operation, 2,048 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Preconfiguring packages ...
(Reading database ... 351200 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../tzdata_2014c-0ubuntu0.14.04_all.deb ...
Unpacking tzdata (2014c-0ubuntu0.14.04) over (2014b-1) ...
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/tzdata_2014c-0ubuntu0.14.04_all.deb (--unpack):
 unable to make backup link of `./usr/share/zoneinfo/Australia/West' before installing new version: Operation not permitted
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/tzdata_2014c-0ubuntu0.14.04_all.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
pa1067@Linux-Main:~$

[dimitri6]

pa1067@Linux-Main:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
[sudo] password for pa1067: 
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of tzdata-java:
 tzdata-java depends on tzdata (= 2014c-0ubuntu0.14.04); however:
  Version of tzdata on system is 2014b-1.

dpkg: error processing package tzdata-java (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 tzdata-java
pa1067@Linux-Main:~$

[slickymaster]

Try to run the following

sudo dpkg-reconfigure tzdata --force

and again post back the output you get.

[dimitri6]

pa1067@Linux-Main:~$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure tzdata --force
[sudo] password for pa1067:

Current default time zone: 'America/Montreal'
Local time is now: Fri May 23 13:14:17 EDT 2014.
Universal Time is now: Fri May 23 17:14:17 UTC 2014.

pa1067@Linux-Main:~$

[slickymaster]

Now try to run

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get update

Once again post the output you get.

[dimitri6]

I ran sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get update

But it still get "The package system is broken" when I try to update the system or attempt to install software.

[slickymaster]

Ok, let's try this:

wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/t/tzdata/tzdata_2014c-0ubuntu0.14.04_all.deb

Then cd into the folder where you download it and run

sudo dpkg -i tzdata_2014c-0ubuntu0.14.04_all.deb

and afterwards

sudo apt-get install -f

Please post back the output you get.

[dimitri6]

pa1067@Linux-Main:~$ sudo dpkg -i tzdata_2014c-0ubuntu0.14.04_all.deb
[sudo] password for pa1067:
(Reading database ... 351200 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack tzdata_2014c-0ubuntu0.14.04_all.deb ...
Unpacking tzdata (2014c-0ubuntu0.14.04) over (2014b-1) ...
dpkg: error processing archive tzdata_2014c-0ubuntu0.14.04_all.deb (--install):
unable to make backup link of `./usr/share/zoneinfo/Australia/West' before installing new version: Operation not permitted
Errors were encountered while processing:
tzdata_2014c-0ubuntu0.14.04_all.deb
pa1067@Linux-Main:~$