DebuggingInstallationIssues

Differences between revisions 15 and 16

This page is part of the debugging series — pages with debugging details for a variety of Ubuntu packages.

Contents

Contents

Introduction
Known issues
Non-bugs

Introduction

This page lists some general issues that users might encounter while performing updates of their system. Apport will usually detect these failures and file a bug in Launchpad. These bugs can be identified by the bug tag 'apport-package' and can occur on nearly any package.

There are usually log file attached to the report which differs depending on the kind of install/upgrade:

* Package install/upgrade: DpkgTerminalLog * Distribution upgrade: VarLogDistupgradeMain and VarLogDistupgradeApttermlog

Detailed informations about debugging updatemanager can be found at DebuggingUpdateManager.

Documented below are the most commonly reported issues. For each case there is a description and a sample report and when applicable there is a workaround or fix and the master report it should be marked a duplicate of.

Known issues

Corrupted package archive

These errors indicates a corrupted archive (.deb or files on disk) The root cause of the corruption may be a bad network connection, faulty hardware, hardware shutdown,...

For those report the common workaround and stock response is:

||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee">Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. It seems that there was an error caused by a corrupted archive. Please execute the following commands, as it will clear your package cache, in a terminal ( Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal ) : sudo apt-get clean sudo apt-get update Then try performing the update again. This will likely resolve your issue. If so please set the bug's status to Invalid. Thanks in advance!||

Not a Debian format archive

* Bug : provide a master report

dpkg-deb: `/var/cache/apt/archives/libswscale0_4%3a0.5+svn20090706-2ubuntu2_i386.deb' is not a debian format archive 
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libswscale0_4%3a0.5+svn20090706-2ubuntu2_i386.deb (--unpack): 
 subprocess dpkg-deb --control returned error exit status 2

Corrupted filesystem tarfile

* Bug 320743

Unpacking libaccess-bridge-java (from .../libaccess-bridge-java_1.24.0-0ubuntu2_all.deb) ...

dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libaccess-bridge-java_1.24.0-0ubuntu2_all.deb (--unpack):

 corrupted filesystem tarfile - corrupted package archive
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)

--fsys-tarfile

* Bug : provide a master report

Unpacking replacement audacity-data ...
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/audacity-data_1.3.7-2ubuntu1_all.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess dpkg-deb --fsys-tarfile returned error exit status 2
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/audacity-data_1.3.7-2ubuntu1_all.deb

short read - Input/output error

This is either caused by no space left on hard disk, a faulty device or a corrupted archive

* Bug : provide a master report

Unpacking linux-image-2.6.27-11-generic (from .../linux-image-2.6.27-11-generic_2.6.27-11.24_i386.deb) ...

Done.

dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)

dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-2.6.27-11-generic_2.6.27-11.24_i386.deb (--unpack):

 short read in buffer_copy (backend dpkg-deb during `./lib/modules/2.6.27-11-generic/kernel/drivers/infiniband/core/ib_uverbs.ko')

Unpacking replacement libfreetype6 ...
dpkg-deb (subprocess): error in buffer_read(stream): failed to write to pipe in copy: Input/output error
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste returned error exit status 2
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libfreetype6_2.3.9-4ubuntu0.1_i386.deb (--unpack):
 short read in buffer_copy (backend dpkg-deb during `./usr/lib/libfreetype.so.6.3.20')

TODO: Not the standard workaround. Provide one.

Exec format error

During installation of a package

Setting up flashplugin-installer (10.0.32.18ubuntu1) ...
dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script: Exec format error
dpkg: error processing flashplugin-installer (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2

During removal of a package

Removing gnome-do ...

dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed pre-removal script: Exec format error

dpkg: error processing gnome-do (--purge):

 subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2

Workaround A: Finish the install ||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee"> $ sudo apt-get clean $ sudo aptitude download python-libvirt $ sudo dpkg --unpack ./python-libvirt*.deb $ sudo dpkg --configure python-libvirt ||

Workaround B: Remove the package and reinstall ||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee"> $ sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/flashplugin-installer.{postinst,prerm,postrm} $ sudo apt-get remove --purge flashplugin-installer $ sudo apt-get clean $ sudo apt-get update

Then reinstall the package ||

Note: Change the package by the one which failed (check the log file)

lzma : decoder error

Unpacking openjdk-6-jre-lib (from .../openjdk-6-jre-lib_6b12-0ubuntu6_all.deb) ...

lzma: Decoder error

dpkg-deb: subprocess <decompress> returned error exit status 1

dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/openjdk-6-jre-lib_6b12-0ubuntu6_all.deb (--unpack):

 short read in buffer_copy (backend dpkg-deb during `./usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk/jre/lib/ext/localedata.jar')

files list file missing final newline / contains empty filename

Typically these errors take the form : files list file for package packagename contains empty filename or files list file for package packagename is missing final newline

* Bug 108189

Selecting previously deselected package linux-source-2.6.27.
(Reading database ... dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-source-2.6.27_2.6.27-9.19_all.deb (--unpack):
 files list file for package `libpoppler-glib3' is missing final newline

Workaround: ||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee"> This can be fixed, with a little work. If you have the .deb file for the offending package currently available on your system, then check its integrity by running: dpkg --contents /var/cache/apt/archive/libgnome2-0_2.24.1-0ubuntu3_i386.deb or get a .deb file by running : sudo apt-get install --reinstall --download-only libgnome2-0

Once you have a valid .deb file, then you can reconstitute the file. First become root by using sudo -s (enter your administrative user password if necessary), and then use the following command: dpkg -c /var/cache/apt/archive/libgnome2-0_2.24.1-0ubuntu3_i386.deb | awk \ '{if ($6 == "./") { print "/."; } \ else if (substr($6, length($6), 1) == "/") \ {print substr($6, 2, length($6) - 2); } \ else { print substr($6, 2, length($6) - 1);}}' \ > /var/lib/dpkg/info/libgnome2-0.list ||

Inconsistent state

Package in bad inconsistent state

I get error message that said E:'dpkg--configure-a' E:_cache->open[] failed package is in very bad inconsistent state - you should reinstall it before attempting to configureing

Workaround A: ||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee"> Please open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal and type or copy and paste the row below:

sudo apt-get --reinstall install cupsys sudo dpkg --configure -a sudo apt-get -f install

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter. ||

Workaround B: ||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee"> Try the command below to purge the offending packages : $ sudo dpkg --purge --force-remove-reinstreq flashplugin-installer flashplugin-nonfree

Then to reinstall : $ sudo apt-get install flashplugin-installer ||

package is already installed and configured

dpkg: error processing language-pack-ar (--configure):
 package language-pack-ar is already installed and configured

Workaround A: ||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee"> sudo dpkg --configure -a || Workaround B ||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee"> apt-get install --reinstall language-pack-ar ||

Other issues

Can't access archive

dpkg: error processing /media/cdrom0//pool/main/g/gcc-4.4/libstdc++6-4.4-dev_4.4.1-4ubuntu8_i386.deb (--unpack):
 cannot access archive: No such file or directory
dpkg: error processing /media/cdrom0//pool/main/g/gcc-4.4/g++-4.4_4.4.1-4ubuntu8_i386.deb (--unpack):
 cannot access archive: No such file or directory

No space left on device

* Bug 312491

Unpacking replacement perl-base ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/perl-base_5.10.0-11.1ubuntu2.2_i386.deb (--unpack):
 failed in buffer_write(fd) (10, ret=-1): backend dpkg-deb during `./usr/lib/perl/5.10.0/IO.pm': No space left on device

DbDriver "config" is locked

* Bug 349469

debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/349469

fuser -v will return the locking process if any. Kill it and try performing the upgrade again. If none then try performing the update again.

Non-bugs

Common issues arising from hardware failures, common invalid bugs for this category.

CategoryBugSquad CategoryDebugging

DebuggingInstallationIssues (last edited 2014-11-17 18:12:57 by mail)

-  ⇤ ← Revision 15 as of 2009-12-26 00:37:52 → 
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  Editor: roa76-3-82-225-116-110
  Comment: ## page was copied from DebuggingTemplate
+   ← Revision 16 as of 2009-12-26 00:42:46 → ⇥
  Size: 9934
  Editor: roa76-3-82-225-116-110
  Comment:
-Deletions are marked like this.
+Additions are marked like this.
 Line 1:
-## page was copied from DebuggingTemplate
-Line 7:
+Line 6:
-Bugs relating to <package name/category> typically fall into X categories:
 1. User interface bugs - require a detailed description of the issue, steps to reproduce and screen captures where appropriate. 
 1. Crasher bugs - Log files from the crash incident are required to track down these.
 1. Hardware specific bugs - The developers may not have access to the hardware that triggers this bug. Certain log files and command outputs can help
 1. Package selection - Help to find the right package (may be specific to category -- a bug filed as ubiquity may in fact be a casper d-i bug, an xorg bug may be an xorg-driver bug, etc.)

= How to file =

Useful for bug-filers and as a boiler-plate advice for triagers.  This is the minimum information required for a bug report.

= Bug tags =

Bug tags specific to the package or area should be included here for reporters so they can tag their bug report.  It will also be useful for triagers.  The Bugs/Tags wiki page should then be modified to include these tags.

= Debugging procedure =

In depth debugging procedures for this particular package or subsystem.  This usually is information about the log files to gather and what to look for in them.

= How to Triage =

Information that will facilitate the triaging of bugs for this package or subsystem.  Remind triagers of the bug tags in use for this particular package.

== Stock Reply ==

A stock reply to be used for initial bug reports basically asking for the stuff in "How to file".  The Bugs/Responses page should include this reply.

== How to Forward ==

In the event that the package or subsystem has an upstream bug tracker this section should contain detailed steps to forward a bug to that tracker.  Some packages may just link to the general "How to Forward" page for another bug tracker like Gnome's bugzilla or freedesktop.org's bug tracker.

= Known bugs =

Description of known bug reports that may receive duplicates and how to recognise them.  This information should be obtained by looking for bugs tagged as 'metabug'. 

'''Open'''
||<rowbgcolor="#eeeeee"> '''Bug''' || '''Subject''' || '''Symptom''' ||
|| [[https://launchpad.net/bugs/8896|8896]] || The subject from LP || This bug can be identified by ... ||

'''Closed'''
||<rowbgcolor="#eeeeee"> '''Bug''' || '''Subject''' || '''Symptom''' ||
|| [[https://launchpad.net/bugs/8896|8896]] || The subject from LP || This bug can be identified by ... ||
+This page lists some general issues that users might encounter while performing updates of their system. Apport will usually detect these failures and file a bug in Launchpad. These bugs can be identified by the bug tag 'apport-package' and can occur on nearly any package. 

There are usually log file attached to the report which differs depending on the kind of install/upgrade: 

* Package install/upgrade: !DpkgTerminalLog
* Distribution upgrade: !VarLogDistupgradeMain and !VarLogDistupgradeApttermlog

Detailed informations about debugging updatemanager can be found at DebuggingUpdateManager.

Documented below are the most commonly reported issues. For each case there is a description and a sample report and when applicable there is a workaround or fix and the master report it should be marked a duplicate of. 

= Known issues =
== Corrupted package archive ==
These errors indicates a  corrupted archive (.deb or files on disk) The root cause of the corruption may be a bad network connection, faulty hardware, hardware shutdown,...
 
For those report the common workaround and stock response is:

||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee">Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. It seems that there was an error caused by a corrupted archive. Please execute the following commands, as it will clear your package cache, in a terminal ( Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal ) :
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get update
Then try performing the update again. This will likely resolve your issue. If so please set the bug's status to Invalid. Thanks in advance!||

=== Not a Debian format archive ===
* Bug : provide a master report
{{{
dpkg-deb: `/var/cache/apt/archives/libswscale0_4%3a0.5+svn20090706-2ubuntu2_i386.deb' is not a debian format archive 
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libswscale0_4%3a0.5+svn20090706-2ubuntu2_i386.deb (--unpack): 
 subprocess dpkg-deb --control returned error exit status 2
}}}

=== Corrupted filesystem tarfile ===
* Bug Bug:320743

{{{
Unpacking libaccess-bridge-java (from .../libaccess-bridge-java_1.24.0-0ubuntu2_all.deb) ...

dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libaccess-bridge-java_1.24.0-0ubuntu2_all.deb (--unpack):

 corrupted filesystem tarfile - corrupted package archive
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
}}}

=== --fsys-tarfile ===
* Bug : provide a master report

{{{
Unpacking replacement audacity-data ...
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/audacity-data_1.3.7-2ubuntu1_all.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess dpkg-deb --fsys-tarfile returned error exit status 2
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/audacity-data_1.3.7-2ubuntu1_all.deb
}}}

=== short read - Input/output error ===
This is either caused by no space left on hard disk, a faulty device or a corrupted archive

* Bug : provide a master report

{{{
Unpacking linux-image-2.6.27-11-generic (from .../linux-image-2.6.27-11-generic_2.6.27-11.24_i386.deb) ...

Done.

dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)

dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-2.6.27-11-generic_2.6.27-11.24_i386.deb (--unpack):

 short read in buffer_copy (backend dpkg-deb during `./lib/modules/2.6.27-11-generic/kernel/drivers/infiniband/core/ib_uverbs.ko')
}}}

or 

{{{
Unpacking replacement libfreetype6 ...
dpkg-deb (subprocess): error in buffer_read(stream): failed to write to pipe in copy: Input/output error
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste returned error exit status 2
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libfreetype6_2.3.9-4ubuntu0.1_i386.deb (--unpack):
 short read in buffer_copy (backend dpkg-deb during `./usr/lib/libfreetype.so.6.3.20')
}}}

''TODO: Not the standard workaround. Provide one.''
=== Exec format error ===
During installation of a package
{{{
Setting up flashplugin-installer (10.0.32.18ubuntu1) ...
dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script: Exec format error
dpkg: error processing flashplugin-installer (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
}}}

During removal of a package
{{{
Removing gnome-do ...

dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed pre-removal script: Exec format error

dpkg: error processing gnome-do (--purge):

 subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
}}}


Workaround A: Finish the install
||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee">
$ sudo apt-get clean
$ sudo aptitude download python-libvirt 
$ sudo dpkg --unpack ./python-libvirt*.deb
$ sudo dpkg --configure python-libvirt
||


Workaround B: Remove the package and reinstall
||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee">
$ sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/flashplugin-installer.{postinst,prerm,postrm}
$ sudo apt-get remove --purge flashplugin-installer
$ sudo apt-get clean
$ sudo apt-get update

Then reinstall the package
||

''Note: Change the package by the one which failed (check the log file)''

=== lzma : decoder error ===
{{{
Unpacking openjdk-6-jre-lib (from .../openjdk-6-jre-lib_6b12-0ubuntu6_all.deb) ...

lzma: Decoder error

dpkg-deb: subprocess <decompress> returned error exit status 1

dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/openjdk-6-jre-lib_6b12-0ubuntu6_all.deb (--unpack):

 short read in buffer_copy (backend dpkg-deb during `./usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk/jre/lib/ext/localedata.jar')
}}}

=== files list file missing final newline / contains empty filename ===
Typically these errors take the form :
files list file for package packagename contains empty filename
or
files list file for package packagename is missing final newline

* Bug Bug:108189

 {{{
Selecting previously deselected package linux-source-2.6.27.
(Reading database ... dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-source-2.6.27_2.6.27-9.19_all.deb (--unpack):
 files list file for package `libpoppler-glib3' is missing final newline
}}}

Workaround:
||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee">
This can be fixed, with a little work. If you have the .deb file for the offending package currently available on your system, then check its integrity by running:
dpkg --contents /var/cache/apt/archive/libgnome2-0_2.24.1-0ubuntu3_i386.deb
or get a .deb file by running :
sudo apt-get install --reinstall --download-only libgnome2-0

Once you have a valid .deb file, then you can reconstitute the file. First become root by using sudo -s (enter your administrative user password if necessary), and then use the following command:
dpkg -c /var/cache/apt/archive/libgnome2-0_2.24.1-0ubuntu3_i386.deb | awk \
'{if ($6 == "./") { print "/."; } \
else if (substr($6, length($6), 1) == "/") \
{print substr($6, 2, length($6) - 2); } \
else { print substr($6, 2, length($6) - 1);}}' \
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/libgnome2-0.list
||

== Inconsistent state ==
=== Package in bad inconsistent state ===

I get error message that said E:'dpkg--configure-a'
E:_cache->open[] failed
package is in very bad inconsistent state - you should reinstall it before
attempting to configureing

Workaround A:
||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee">
Please open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal and type or copy and paste the row below:

sudo apt-get --reinstall install cupsys
sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt-get -f install

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.
||

Workaround B:
||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee">
Try the command below to purge the offending packages :
$ sudo dpkg --purge --force-remove-reinstreq flashplugin-installer flashplugin-nonfree

Then to reinstall :
$ sudo apt-get install flashplugin-installer
||
=== package is already installed and configured ===

{{{
dpkg: error processing language-pack-ar (--configure):
 package language-pack-ar is already installed and configured
}}}


Workaround A:
||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee">
sudo dpkg --configure -a
||
Workaround B
||<tablestyle="background-color: #eee">
apt-get install --reinstall language-pack-ar
||
== Other issues ==
=== Can't access archive ===
{{{
dpkg: error processing /media/cdrom0//pool/main/g/gcc-4.4/libstdc++6-4.4-dev_4.4.1-4ubuntu8_i386.deb (--unpack):
 cannot access archive: No such file or directory
dpkg: error processing /media/cdrom0//pool/main/g/gcc-4.4/g++-4.4_4.4.1-4ubuntu8_i386.deb (--unpack):
 cannot access archive: No such file or directory
}}}

=== No space left on device ===
* Bug Bug:312491

{{{
Unpacking replacement perl-base ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/perl-base_5.10.0-11.1ubuntu2.2_i386.deb (--unpack):
 failed in buffer_write(fd) (10, ret=-1): backend dpkg-deb during `./usr/lib/perl/5.10.0/IO.pm': No space left on device
}}}

=== DbDriver "config" is locked ===
* Bug Bug:349469
{{{
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/349469
}}}

fuser -v will return the locking process if any. Kill it and try performing the upgrade again. If none then try performing the update again.
-Line 51:
+Line 246:
-How to recognise common issues arising from hardware failures, common feature requests and other invalid bugs for this category. Advice how triage them and stock responses.
+Common issues arising from hardware failures, common invalid bugs for this category.

Ubuntu Wiki

DebuggingInstallationIssues

Introduction

Known issues

Corrupted package archive

Not a Debian format archive

Corrupted filesystem tarfile

--fsys-tarfile

short read - Input/output error

Exec format error

lzma : decoder error

files list file missing final newline / contains empty filename

Inconsistent state

Package in bad inconsistent state

package is already installed and configured

Other issues

Can't access archive

No space left on device

DbDriver "config" is locked

Non-bugs