Another package manager problem

[carbon_unit]

When I try to open the Package Manager I get the following errors:

E: Could not open file /var/cache/apt/pkgcache.bin - open (1 Operation not permitted)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

I get the same when I try to run apt-get update from the root console.
I am not able to change permissions, rename or delete the file /var/cache/apt/pkgcache.bin

Any ideas?

[Fred]

carbon_unit,

Are you using sudo on the command line?

sudo apt-get update

This is the command you are looking for. If this isn't the problem, open synaptic and post the error message or messages it gives you.

Fred

[carbon_unit]

I was not using sudo, I was in a root console running apt-get update. I get the same thing doing sudo from a user console. :
carbon@T60-Mint:~$ sudo apt-get update
[sudo] password for carbon:
Get:1 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security Release.gpg [191B]
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security Release
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse Packages
Get:2 http://packages.medibuntu.org gutsy Release.gpg [189B]
Get:3 http://archive.canonical.com gutsy Release.gpg [191B]
Ign http://archive.canonical.com gutsy/partner Translation-en_US
Ign http://www.linuxmint.com daryna Release.gpg
Ign http://www.linuxmint.com daryna/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://www.linuxmint.com daryna/upstream Translation-en_US
Get:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy Release.gpg [191B]
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://packages.medibuntu.org gutsy/free Translation-en_US
Ign http://packages.medibuntu.org gutsy/non-free Translation-en_US
Hit http://archive.canonical.com gutsy Release
Ign http://www.linuxmint.com daryna/import Translation-en_US
Hit http://www.linuxmint.com daryna Release
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http://archive.canonical.com gutsy/partner Packages
Get:5 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates Release.gpg [191B]
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/multiverse Translation-en_US
Ign http://www.linuxmint.com daryna/main Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy Release
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates Release
Ign http://www.linuxmint.com daryna/upstream Packages
Ign http://www.linuxmint.com daryna/import Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Packages
Hit http://packages.medibuntu.org gutsy Release
Hit http://www.linuxmint.com daryna/main Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/universe Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/multiverse Packages
Hit http://www.linuxmint.com daryna/upstream Packages
Hit http://packages.medibuntu.org gutsy/free Packages
Hit http://packages.medibuntu.org gutsy/non-free Packages
Hit http://www.linuxmint.com daryna/import Packages
Fetched 193B in 4s (47B/s)
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Could not open file /var/cache/apt/pkgcache.bin - open (1 Operation not permitted)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
carbon@T60-Mint:~$

[Fred]

carbon_unit,

The below command will usually clear a lock, depending of course on the cause.

sudo dpkg --configure -a

I would also do the below commands to clean up and start fresh.

sudo apt-get clean

sudo apt-get autoclean

Fred

[carbon_unit]

I copied and pasted the commands but it still does the same thing.

[Husse]

You can actually delete the two .bin files in /var/cache/apt

[carbon_unit]

Husse, It won't let me delete them.

root@T60-Mint:/# cd /var/cache/apt/
root@T60-Mint:/var/cache/apt# ls
archives pkgcache.bin srcpkgcache.bin
root@T60-Mint:/var/cache/apt# rm *.bin
rm: cannot remove `pkgcache.bin': Operation not permitted
root@T60-Mint:/var/cache/apt#

I suppose I will have to boot to the live cd to delete them.

[Husse]

Run

Code: Select all

sudo dpkg --configure -a

first
Then rm the files one by one

[carbon_unit]

I did as you said. It still won't let me delete the file.

[Husse]

I did as you said. It still won't let me delete the file.

What error message do you get?
Does the file have a lock (a cross of sorts on the icon)?
Completely besides the subject
carbon_unit
makes me think of an episode in the original Star Trek where a "slightly" changed Voyager 1 was about to destroy Enterprise and the carbon_units = humans

[carbon_unit]

I did not see any lock icon when in root nautilus.
When trying to rm from a cli all I get is

Code: Select all

rm: cannot remove `pkgcache.bin': Operation not permitted

The first Star Trek movie is when I got carbon_unit from.

[Fred]

carbon_unit,

Open synaptic and tell me what kind of error messages you get. Synaptic is pretty good about giving feed back on errors.

If it doesn't show any errors initially, try refreshing the data base and see what happens.

Fred

[carbon_unit]

Synaptic gives the error

E: Could not open file /var/cache/apt/pkgcache.bin - open (1 Operation not permitted)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report

[Fred]

carbon_unit,

That insicates that something is definately got it locked, ie a program. One of the package manager front ends didn't turn it loose wen it finished with it. My guess is Mintupdate. Try uninstalling it and see what happens.

sudo apt-get remove mintupdate

Then reboot and see if it is unlocked.

sudo dpkg --configure -a

sudo apt-get update

If all works, reinstall mintupdate.

sudo apt-get install mintupdate

Fred

[carbon_unit]

Nope.

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get remove mintupdate

gets me

carbon@T60-Mint:~$ sudo apt-get remove mintupdate
[sudo] password for carbon:
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Could not open file /var/cache/apt/pkgcache.bin - open (1 Operation not permitted)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
carbon@T60-Mint:~$

[Husse]

Not that it helps right now, but I'm beginning to recognize the problem
You can use your system normally (or have I misunderstood that?) so if I take a little while before I come up with the solution is OK I hope
I have to figure out what to search for....

[carbon_unit]

Yeah, I can use the system normally. Other than apt-get does not work. I will probably be moving to Mint5 when it is released anyway.
One other thing. A month or so ago my Mint stopped booting and I had to manually run fsck to get it to boot again. I don't remember exactly what it said but it only booted to a cli and told me to run fsck.

[Husse]

Ok - all disks there?
Any data loss?
Check lost+found (need sudo for that)
Could be that something was lost because of the error that forced a manual fsck

[carbon_unit]

All disks are there.
No data loss that I can tell
Lost and found is empty.

[carbon_unit]

I booted to a live cd and I could not delete the files from there either. Even as root.