Can't run apt install due to unmet dependencies

**wullig** · April 15th, 2021

I'm trying to update some packages but I keep getting the message "unmet dependencies".

What I do

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sudo apt update // All good here
    sudo apt install --only-upgrade certbot

With the apt install I get the following messages (I translated the messages so they will not be correct word by word):

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It's useful to run "apt-get -f install" to fix the following issues:
    The following packages have unmet dependencies:
         certbot : Depends: python3-certbot (= 0.31.0-2~deb10u1+ubuntu16.04.1+certbot+3) but it's not going to be installed
         linux-headers-4.4.0-179-generic : Depends: linux-headers-4.4.0-179 but it's not going to be installed
         linux-image-4.4.0-179-generic : Depends: linux-modules-4.4.0-179-generic but it's not going to be installed

The kernel right now is:

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uname -a
    Linux 4.4.0-178-generic #208-Ubuntu SMP Sun Apr 5 23:45:10 UTC 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

So I try to run `apt-get -f install`

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After this operation, 131MB will be occupiede on disk
    Continue? Y/n
    E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg exited unexpectedly

So I read it might have to do with free space in `/boot`, which indeed has A LOT of old kernels, but following all the guides I can't remove.

With `sudo apt-get autoremove --purge` I get again the unmet dependencies warning as before and suggest to run `apt-get -f install`.

If I try to remove a old kernel with `dpkg` the process get killed almost immediately:

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sudo dpkg --force-all -P linux-image-4.4.0-71-generic
    Reading database 95%
    Killed

With `sudo dpkg --configure -a` I get

So I'm quite stuck and tried almost everything out there

**Impavidus** · April 15th, 2021

The complete output of

Code:

LANG=C sudo apt install -f

may help.

The LANG=C part will switch translations off, changing all output to English. Although, as it's all standard messages, I can typically handle it as long as it's in some germanic or romance language.

**wullig** · April 15th, 2021

Ah good thing to know! Thanks.

This is the output:

Code:

root@xxx:/boot# sudo apt install -f
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  linux-headers-4.4.0-179 linux-modules-4.4.0-179-generic
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  linux-headers-4.4.0-179 linux-modules-4.4.0-179-generic
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 286 not upgraded.
6 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/22.1 MB of archives.
After this operation, 131 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg exited unexpectedly

And just before the last line the text

Code:

Reading database ... 90%

appears and then replaced by

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E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg exited unexpectedly

**wullig** · April 15th, 2021

Ah damn, solved it.

I didn't have enough RAM, since the server has only 512MB.

Made a swap file by following this guide: https://www.digitalocean.com/communi...n-ubuntu-16-04

After that all commands were running correctly.

**Impavidus** · April 16th, 2021

Well, I didn't expect that error. Good it's solved now. 512MB is tiny these days.

**ActionParsnip** · April 16th, 2021

RAM is super cheap too, is an upgrade possible? If so then it'll really really help

**wullig** · April 16th, 2021

It is an old server hosted on DigitalOcean with the basic plan.

I actually double checked and I can upgrade for the same price to 1GB ram and 5GB of extra storage. Just done that!