[gNewSense-users] broke package management (warning long)

[Lori Nagel]

For anyone interested in how I broke my package management in gNewSense (a 
ubuntu derivative)
read on the terminal commands that I have tried. 
I still do not understand what I did that led to it not working anymore. 

address@hidden:~/Programs$ sudo apt-get install gtk-devel
[sudo] password for jastiv: 
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct 
the problem. 

address@hidden:~/Programs$ dpkg --configure
dpkg: requested operation requires superuser privilege
address@hidden:~/Programs$ sudo dpkg --configure
dpkg: --configure needs at least one package name argument

Type dpkg --help for help about installing and deinstalling packages [*];
Use `dselect' or `aptitude' for user-friendly package management;
Type dpkg -Dhelp for a list of dpkg debug flag values;
Type dpkg --force-help for a list of forcing options;
Type dpkg-deb --help for help about manipulating *.deb files;
Type dpkg --license for copyright license and lack of warranty (GNU GPL) [*].

Options marked [*] produce a lot of output - pipe it through `less' or `more' !
address@hidden:~/Programs$ dpkg --help
Usage: dpkg [<option> ...] <command>

Commands:
  -i|--install       <.deb file name> ... | -R|--recursive <directory> ...
  --unpack           <.deb file name> ... | -R|--recursive <directory> ...
  -A|--record-avail  <.deb file name> ... | -R|--recursive <directory> ...
  --configure|--triggers-only <package> ... | -a|--pending
  -r|--remove        <package> ... | -a|--pending
  -P|--purge         <package> ... | -a|--pending
  --get-selections [<pattern> ...] Get list of selections to stdout.
  --set-selections                 Set package selections from stdin.
  --clear-selections               Deselect every non-essential package.
  --update-avail <Packages-file>   Replace available packages info.
  --merge-avail <Packages-file>    Merge with info from file.
  --clear-avail                    Erase existing available info.
  --forget-old-unavail             Forget uninstalled unavailable pkgs.
  -s|--status <package> ...        Display package status details.
  -p|--print-avail <package> ...   Display available version details.
  -L|--listfiles <package> ...     List files `owned' by package(s).
  -l|--list [<pattern> ...]        List packages concisely.
  -S|--search <pattern> ...        Find package(s) owning file(s).
  -C|--audit                       Check for broken package(s).
  --print-architecture             Print dpkg architecture.
  --compare-versions <a> <op> <b>  Compare version numbers - see below.
  --force-help                     Show help on forcing.
  -Dh|--debug=help                 Show help on debugging.

  -h|--help                        Show this help message.
  --version                        Show the version.
  --license|--licence              Show the copyright licensing terms.

Use dpkg -b|--build|-c|--contents|-e|--control|-I|--info|-f|--field|
 -x|--extract|-X|--vextract|--fsys-tarfile  on archives (type dpkg-deb --help).

For internal use: dpkg --assert-support-predepends | --predep-package |
  --assert-working-epoch | --assert-long-filenames | --assert-multi-conrep.

Options:
  --admindir=<directory>     Use <directory> instead of /var/lib/dpkg.
  --root=<directory>         Install on a different root directory.
  --instdir=<directory>      Change installation dir without changing admin dir.
  -O|--selected-only         Skip packages not selected for install/upgrade.
  -E|--skip-same-version     Skip packages whose same version is installed.
  -G|--refuse-downgrade      Skip packages with earlier version than installed.
  -B|--auto-deconfigure      Install even if it would break some other package.
  [--no-]triggers            Skip or force consequential trigger processing.
  --no-debsig                Do not try to verify package signatures.
  --no-act|--dry-run|--simulate
                             Just say what we would do - don't do it.
  -D|--debug=<octal>         Enable debugging (see -Dhelp or --debug=help).
  --status-fd <n>            Send status change updates to file descriptor <n>.
  --log=<filename>           Log status changes and actions to <filename>.
  --ignore-depends=<package>,...
                             Ignore dependencies involving <package>.
  --force-...                Override problems (see --force-help).
  --no-force-...|--refuse-...
                             Stop when problems encountered.
  --abort-after <n>          Abort after encountering <n> errors.

Comparison operators for --compare-versions are:
  lt le eq ne ge gt       (treat empty version as earlier than any version);
  lt-nl le-nl ge-nl gt-nl (treat empty version as later than any version);
  < << <= = >= >> >       (only for compatibility with control file syntax).

Use `dselect' or `aptitude' for user-friendly package management.
address@hidden:~/Programs$ apt-get -f install
E: Could not open lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (13 Permission denied)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), are you root?
address@hidden:~/Programs$ sudo apt-get -f install
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct 
the problem. 

address@hidden:~/Programs$ sudo apt-get install gtk-devel
[sudo] password for jastiv: 
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct 
the problem. 

address@hidden:~/Programs$ man dh_make
No manual entry for dh_make
address@hidden:~/Programs$ man dpkg
address@hidden:~/Programs$ dpkg --configure -a
dpkg: requested operation requires superuser privilege
address@hidden:~/Programs$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
[sudo] password for jastiv: 
Setting up initramfs-tools (0.85eubuntu36) ...
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)

Processing triggers for initramfs-tools ...
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.30.7-libre-fshoppe1
Cannot find /lib/modules/2.6.30.7-libre-fshoppe1
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.30.7-libre-fshoppe1
dpkg: subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
address@hidden:~/Programs$ lspci | grep -i vga
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation Unknown device 06e4 (rev 
a1)
address@hidden:~/Programs$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
[sudo] password for jastiv: 
Setting up initramfs-tools (0.85eubuntu36) ...
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)

Processing triggers for initramfs-tools ...
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.30.7-libre-fshoppe1
Cannot find /lib/modules/2.6.30.7-libre-fshoppe1
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.30.7-libre-fshoppe1
dpkg: subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
address@hidden:~/Programs$ sudo apt-get -f install
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct 
the problem. 

address@hidden:~/Programs$ sudo apt-get -f install
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct 
the problem. 

address@hidden:~/Programs$ tail /var/log/dpkg.log
2011-01-26 21:39:56 status triggers-pending initramfs-tools 0.85eubuntu36
2011-01-26 21:39:56 trigproc initramfs-tools 0.85eubuntu36 0.85eubuntu36
2011-01-26 21:39:56 status half-configured initramfs-tools 0.85eubuntu36
2011-01-26 21:56:26 startup packages configure
2011-01-26 21:56:26 configure initramfs-tools 0.85eubuntu36 0.85eubuntu36
2011-01-26 21:56:26 status half-configured initramfs-tools 0.85eubuntu36
2011-01-26 21:56:26 status installed initramfs-tools 0.85eubuntu36
2011-01-26 21:56:26 status triggers-pending initramfs-tools 0.85eubuntu36
2011-01-26 21:56:26 trigproc initramfs-tools 0.85eubuntu36 0.85eubuntu36
2011-01-26 21:56:26 status half-configured initramfs-tools 0.85eubuntu36
address@hidden:~/Programs$