[ubuntu-nz] problems updating or installing any downloaded software

[David Beale]

After trying quite a few things I've done a complete re-install.
Learnt quite a bit along the way (thanks Jeff for your suggestions).
I will be watching closely any updates from now on and will remove any
programs I am not likely to use in order to limit the amount of updates.
There does seem to be a huge amount of updates currently (almost as bad
as windows) and I wonder at the need to stay right up to the mark with
them. Maybe I should just update as and when I encounter problems.

Now to check all is as it should be.

Thanks Jeff for your help
regards
Dave 



On Mon, 2011-06-20 at 18:22 +1200, Jeff Hunt wrote:
> This is bit weird. If I understand you -  the package is already in
> with a name that it can't handle.
> 
> We get into tricky territory. Make sure you are fully backed-up and
> two options occur to me:
> 
> 1. I use 11.04 on a machine that does not support accelerated
> graphics. If you wish to continue with 11.04 you can continue to use
> the old interface by going down to the bottom line BETWEEN PUTTING IN
> YOUR NAME AND ENTERING YOUR PASSWORD. This is not clear to most people
> but it is very easy once you realise it is an option. Type name and
> enter then go down to gnome-terminal with no effects and choose it and
> enter your password.
> 
> 2. More fun will be to try to edit the offending file to cure the
> problem. I don't know how much damage if any this will do. Do an ALT
> F2 to run a programme and type gksu gedit /var/lib/dpkg/available to
> edit the file as root. Do a ctrl F to find the offending libxine1 line
> and attempt to fix the offending colon. There is no user guarantee on
> this as advice. ;-) Try to delete the whole lib-xine entry if you get
> desperate.
> In case I am not clear, you will need to run gedit as root to fix a
> system text file. You do that by using gksu (sudo for graphical
> programmes). You can use use gksu either from a terminal or from the
> ALT F2 run window. Either way you will start a text editor that can
> change a system text file.
> 
> Best of luck.
> 
> On 6/20/11, David Beale <daveandgail at xtra.co.nz> wrote:
> > hi Jeff/Group,
> > well the problem remains:
> > this is what I have tried so far:
> > Sudo apt-get clean    ....to clear out local repository
> > then run update manager, nothing showing as down loaded, so chose to
> > download and install one update only (adobe reader update). down loaded
> > and tried to install....failed with same error.
> > Run:
> > sudo apt-get purge libxine1-console
> > failed with same error
> > ERROR MESSAGE EXACTLY AS PRESENTED;
> > install archives () failed: reconfiguring packages...
> > reconfiguring packages...
> > reconfiguring packages...
> > dpkg:error:parsing file '/var/lib/dpkg/available' near line 23438
> > package 'libxine1-console':field name 'XX' must be followed by colon
> > E:sub process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (2)
> >
> > so it would seem that short of getting into libxine-console and trying
> > to manually over write the error I'm between a rock and a hard place.
> >
> > Just about at the stage of formatting and doing a complete reinstall. If
> > I do may go back to version 10.10. Preferred that GUI.
> >
> >
> > Any other suggestions I could try first?? Really would like to overcome
> > the problem as a learning exercise.
> > Cheers
> > Dave
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, 2011-06-20 at 05:24 +1200, Jeff Hunt wrote:
> >> The man apt-get page is one of the most readable in the system (which
> >> isn't saying very much). Try the command man apt-get when you feel
> >> brave.
> >>
> >> I think this may be fixed for you in time. I searched on the problem
> >> you have and couldn't find it but if the package is mis-named there
> >> will be a lot of bothered people out there.
> >>
> >> The trick will be to correctly identify the name of the package to
> >> remove and then try something like
> >> sudo apt-get purge libxine
> >> If you continue to get the same problem uninstalling then you really
> >> do have a head-scratcher.
> >>
> >> It will take a bit of time and bother but the upgrade process is very
> >> robust and once it gets this out of the way it will be fine. I would
> >> be wary of interfering with systems like update and synaptic.
> >>
> >> I had a similar problem with a package with a misnamed version number
> >> and the system rejected it until it was re-packaged and made available
> >> again.
> >>
> >> Incidentally there is a very good section in the Ubuntu help these
> >> days for getting multimedia to play using gstreamer. You can find it
> >> under playing dvd's I think and just follow through clicking on the
> >> downloads  and it works.
> >> A simple install of Audacity is also very good for multi-media.
> >>
> >> I'd be interested in how you get on.
> >>
> >> On 6/19/11, David Beale <daveandgail at xtra.co.nz> wrote:
> >> > hi Jeff/group,
> >> > 	tried to un-install as you suggested, using synaptic but got the same
> >> > error.
> >> > Libxine1 is a video media package that I am quite happy to get rid of
> >> > the whole thing but like I say it won't un-install whilst it has this
> >> > file naming error. I am reluctant to just start deleting files.
> >> > Also it is difficult to ascertain which of the various media (video)
> >> > programs use libxine
> >> > i have tried to re-install all apps within the libxine group usin
> >> > synaptic but to no avail.
> >> > I am not that good at using the command line on a terminal (know enough
> >> > to be dangerous) so any further suggestions would be welcome.
> >> > Thanks
> >> > Dave
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On Sun, 2011-06-19 at 18:09 +1200, Jeff Hunt wrote:
> >> >> A guess but libxine is not the download system so I guess that it has
> >> >> been put into the repository with a faulty name and the whole process
> >> >> is hanging because it can't get past this.
> >> >>
> >> >> If you have one of the xine family installed I would try to uninstall
> >> >> it and then redo the download process.
> >> >>
> >> >> On 6/19/11, David Beale <daveandgail at xtra.co.nz> wrote:
> >> >> > hi group,
> >> >> > 	I did try to post this with a couple of screen shots attached but
> >> >> > that
> >> >> > got hung up in the system (maybe doesn't like attachments)
> >> >> >
> >> >> > I can down load updates but when it comes to installing them it has a
> >> >> > couple of cracks at de-packaging them and then faults with the
> >> >> > following
> >> >> > error:
> >> >> > dpkg:erroe:parsing file '/var/lib/dpkg/available near line 23438
> >> >> > package
> >> >> > ' libxine1-consule feild name 'xx' must be followed by a colon
> >> >> >
> >> >> > The XX are a box with two zeros on top line with 15 underneath
> >> >> >
> >> >> > At the time 54 updates were down loaded but none of them were
> >> >> > installed
> >> >> >
> >> >> > this problem occurs also if I use either a terminal or synaptic to
> >> >> > try
> >> >> > and update
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Thought I would use Synaptic to reinstall Update Manager but it
> >> >> > informs
> >> >> > me that I already have the latest version. I guess the next step
> >> >> > would
> >> >> > be to remove update manager (not entirely sure how to do this) and
> >> >> > re-install but due to the fault occurring with synaptic and when
> >> >> > using a
> >> >> > terminal perhaps the fault lays elsewhere.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Any help would be welcome
> >> >> > Thanks
> >> >> > Dave
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > --
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> >> >> > ubuntu-nz at lists.ubuntu.com
> >> >> > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-nz
> >> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
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> >> > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-nz
> >> >
> >>
> >
> >
> >
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