Messed up Python installation

**rsteinmetz70112** · May 13th, 2019

Try running

Code:

Sudo dpkg --configue python-debian

**utah777** · May 13th, 2019

Originally Posted by rsteinmetz70112

Try running

Code:

Sudo dpkg --configue python-debian

Code:

20:08:06 ~$ sudo dpkg --configure python-debian
Setting up python-debian (0.1.21+nmu2ubuntu2) ...
  File "/usr/bin/pycompile", line 69
    with file(join(name, fn), 'r') as lines:
            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
dpkg: error processing package python-debian (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 python-debian
20:08:18 ~$ sudo dpkg --configure python-debian
Setting up python-debian (0.1.21+nmu2ubuntu2) ...
  File "/usr/bin/pycompile", line 69
    with file(join(name, fn), 'r') as lines:
            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
dpkg: error processing package python-debian (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 python-debian
20:08:48 ~$

**rsteinmetz70112** · May 13th, 2019

OK Does this show any thing?

Code:

sudo dpkg --configure
sudo apt install -f

I think something got corrupted but I can't see what. I'm a little pressurized that reinstalling python-debian failed.

**utah777** · May 13th, 2019

Originally Posted by rsteinmetz70112

OK Does this show any thing?

Code:

sudo dpkg --configure
sudo apt install -f

I think something got corrupted but I can't see what. I'm a little pressurized that reinstalling python-debian failed.

Code:

20:39:21 ~$ sudo apt install -f
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
5 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up python-debian (0.1.21+nmu2ubuntu2) ...
  File "/usr/bin/pycompile", line 69
    with file(join(name, fn), 'r') as lines:
            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
dpkg: error processing package python-debian (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of update-notifier-common:
 update-notifier-common depends on python-debian; however:
  Package python-debian is not configured yet.


dpkg: error processing package update-notifier-common (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Setting up python-pip (1.5.4-1ubuntu4) ...
No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a previous failure.
                                                                                                          No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                                              File "/usr/bin/pycompile", line 69
    with file(join(name, fn), 'r') as lines:
            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
dpkg: error processing package python-pip (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of update-notifier:
 update-notifier depends on update-notifier-common (= 0.154.1ubuntu6); however:
  Package update-notifier-common is not configured yet.
 update-notifier depends on python-debian; however:
  Package python-debian is not configured yet.


dpkg: error processing package update-notifier (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Setting up python-lockfile (1:0.8-2ubuntu2) ...
  File "/usr/bin/pycompile", line 69
    with file(join(name, fn), 'r') as lines:
            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
dpkg: error processing package python-lockfile (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                                                              Errors were encountered while processing:
 python-debian
 update-notifier-common
 python-pip
 update-notifier
 python-lockfile
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
20:39:44 ~$

**utah777** · May 13th, 2019

Just in case it relates to bad links:

Code:

20:53:42 ~$ ls -lh /usr/bin/python*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   18 May 12 22:33 /usr/bin/python -> /usr/bin/python2.4
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root    9 Dec 21  2013 /usr/bin/python2 -> python2.7
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2.0M Jan 25  2014 /usr/bin/python2.4
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   33 Nov 13 16:59 /usr/bin/python2.7-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python2.7-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   16 Dec 21  2013 /usr/bin/python2-config -> python2.7-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root    9 Mar 23  2014 /usr/bin/python3 -> python3.4
-rwxr-xr-x 2 root root 3.6M Nov 13 03:36 /usr/bin/python3.4
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   33 Nov 13 03:36 /usr/bin/python3.4-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.4-config
-rwxr-xr-x 2 root root 3.6M Nov 13 03:36 /usr/bin/python3.4m
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   34 Nov 13 03:36 /usr/bin/python3.4m-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.4m-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   16 Mar 23  2014 /usr/bin/python3-config -> python3.4-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   10 Mar 23  2014 /usr/bin/python3m -> python3.4m
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   17 Mar 23  2014 /usr/bin/python3m-config -> python3.4m-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   16 Dec 21  2013 /usr/bin/python-config -> python2.7-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   58 Feb 20  2014 /usr/bin/pythontex -> ../share/texlive/texmf-dist/scripts/pythontex/pythontex.py
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  306 Feb 20  2014 /usr/bin/pythontex3

**rsteinmetz70112** · May 15th, 2019

/usr/bin/pycompile seems to be throwing off the error. pycompile is part of package python-minimal you might try reinstalling that

**oldfred** · May 15th, 2019

Code:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   18 May 12 22:33 /usr/bin/python -> /usr/bin/python2.4

What version of Ubuntu are you using?
I do not think 2.4 as been the default for years, and it is normally the default install of 2.7. But many programs now use python3, but must specify that.