[SOLVED] Error: 'Fix broken packages first!' But no broken..

[mattyd.24]

Mint 8 (Helena) main, Gnome.

I've been trying to fix this problem for a few days now and have done a lot of searching on these forums, UbuntuForums and some others Google lead me to and have has some success, but am now stuck.
Originally I received error messages when trying to update involving certain repositories which couldn't be accessed (because they either didn't exist or had been moved) and I hunted these down and changed or removed them.

Then I received simply:
E: Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock - open (11 Resource temporarily unavailable)
which I somehow managed to fix along the way.

Now I simply receive this:
Could not apply changes!
Fix broken packages first.

I have done much searching, etc. and cannot find any broken packages. I have tried many many different commands which have mostly done nothing.
I seem to be in a similar boat to this person: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=44949
Please help!

[proxima_centauri]

What happens when you run this in terminal?

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apt install -f

[linuxviolin]

After a search for just about 1 minute I found: http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-580428.html and Update Manager stops updating from repositories. You should read both...

[beefstu]

I had this message recently, not sure if it was caused by adding a PPA or by the medibuntu repositories being down or both. It seems that I managed to follow a very similar route to you.

If you want to temporarily fix it, goto your software sources (in mint menu) and untick the medibuntu one. Click close then reload. Try what you were doing again, if you still get the error try typing

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apt update

in the terminal and try it again.

REMEMBER: you need to re-tick the medibuntu repos when they come back online otherwise you'lliss out on updates. What I have said is probably best to follow if the previous methods others have describe fail.

[mattyd.24]

Thanks all for your replies.

I had this message recently, not sure if it was caused by adding a PPA or by the medibuntu repositories being down or both. It seems that I managed to follow a very similar route to you.

If you want to temporarily fix it, goto your software sources (in mint menu) and untick the medibuntu one. Click close then reload. Try what you were doing again, if you still get the error try typing

Code: Select all

apt update

in the terminal and try it again.

REMEMBER: you need to re-tick the medibuntu repos when they come back online otherwise you'lliss out on updates. What I have said is probably best to follow if the previous methods others have describe fail.

Thanks beefstu, I had to remove at least one PPA repository. I checked the medibuntu repository with my browser and found it was down, and found another article/thread recommending a different repository for medibuntu which I added. I will try removing medibuntu repositories altogether as you suggest, but what will I lose?

After a search for just about 1 minute I found: http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-580428.html and Update Manager stops updating from repositories. You should read both...

Thanks linuxviolin, I'd seen the first one and tried all of those options, but none helped.
Just read through the bug report and from what I can find it doesn't seem to have a solution (correct me if I'm wrong..)

What happens when you run this in terminal?

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apt install -f

apt-install -f
No command 'apt-install' found, did you mean:
Command 'gpt-install' from package 'grid-packaging-tools' (universe)
apt-install: command not found

Although I know what you mean, and have tried this before:
sudo apt-get install -f
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 10 not upgraded.

[mattyd.24]

If you want to temporarily fix it, goto your software sources (in mint menu) and untick the medibuntu one. Click close then reload. Try what you were doing again, if you still get the error try typing

Code: Select all

apt update

in the terminal and try it again.

REMEMBER: you need to re-tick the medibuntu repos when they come back online otherwise you'lliss out on updates. What I have said is probably best to follow if the previous methods others have describe fail.

Tried this, as well as removing all PPA repositories. No luck

[linuxviolin]

Thanks linuxviolin, I'd seen the first one and tried all of those options, but none helped.
Just read through the bug report and from what I can find it doesn't seem to have a solution (correct me if I'm wrong..)

Have you verified if there were not several identical packaging processes running at the same time?

You can also see at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Troubleshooting#Software%20Management.

[mattyd.24]

Have you verified if there were not several identical packaging processes running at the same time?

You can also see at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Troubleshooting#Software%20Management.

Yes, many of the forum threads/articles suggested this as well, suggesting to try:
sudo killall apt-get
sudo killall synaptic
and I also tried
sudo killall updateManager

I did these and found that no others were running ('no process killed' message).
None other than your link suggested to killall dpkg though, I will try this.

[mattyd.24]

Tried killall dpkg, as well as the others (synaptic, apt-get) but no luck.

[linuxviolin]

Let's stop just a minute. The error message you have now is:

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E: Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock - open (11 Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the list directory

or:

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Could not apply changes!
Fix broken packages first.

?

If the last, maybe you can try: sudo dpkg --configure -a in the terminal...

[mattyd.24]

Let's stop just a minute. The error message you have now is:

Code: Select all

E: Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock - open (11 Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the list directory

or:

Code: Select all

Could not apply changes!
Fix broken packages first.

?

For the past few days it's been the latter; Broken packages.

If the last, maybe you can try: sudo dpkg --configure -a in the terminal...

Yep, many of the forum threads suggested this command as well which I tried a few times. I also tried a variant which had 'force' in it, which also didn't work.

[linuxviolin]

In your first post you said you "hunted these down and changed or removed them". Can you try to put back these repos in your sources lists and re-try the commands given, and update? And what were these repos? Have you already installed one day some things from them before remove them?

EDIT: Maybe there are some packages that have been partially installed on the system... Can you try:

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dpkg -C (or --audit)

?

On the web, I have seen several/many people wanting to install Wine with the same problem like yours, with the same message. This is your case, maybe?

[mattyd.24]

In your first post you said you "hunted these down and changed or removed them". Can you try to put back these repos in your sources lists and re-try the commands given, and update? And what were these repos? Have you already installed one day some things from them before remove them?

ECIT: Maybe there are some packages that have been partially installed on the system... Can you try:

Code: Select all

dpkg -C (or --audit)

?

On the web, I have seen several/many people wanting to install Wine with the same problem like yours, with the same message. This is your case, maybe?

I will try re-ticking all of these and see if it helps.
I can't remember all of them, some were PPA, one was something like 'http://dl.google.com/linux/deb/' another that gave me trouble was something to do with 'akirad' (for Cinerella which I'd already tried to remove), as well as the medibuntu related ones.

I tried both dpkg - c and dpkg --audit and it didn't say anything, does this mean no partial packages?

I haven't tried installing anything for awhile, I was simply trying to update. I've had Wine installed for a long time now.
Packages trying to update are mostly Avant Window Navigator (dock program) related.

[mattyd.24]

I re-ticked the repos I removed and there are now many that it cannot connect to, making it take much longer to download packages for update.
It now says:
Could not download all repository indexes
The repository may no longer be available or could not be contacted because of network problems. If available an older version of the failed index will be used. Otherwise the repository will be ignored. Check your network connection and ensure the repository address in the preferences is correct.

Followed by:
An error occurred
E: Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock - open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the list directory

[mattyd.24]

Does anyone else have any ideas...?

[linuxviolin]

Well, like say above, in the posts and links, when you have this message:

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E: Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock - open (11 Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the list directory

it's usually there are several identical packaging processes running. So the solution already given should work.

Now about the repos, some repos were/are down, e.g. Medibuntu, hence the message... Just untick them should make the trick.

If you have still problems, well... Let's continue to think/search.

P.S.= Have you already thought about just a reinstall, after backup your personal data? Maybe this is the most simple solution... You can try also with the default repos list.

[mattyd.24]

Thanks again for your replies.

Well, like say above, in the posts and links, when you have this message:

Code: Select all

E: Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock - open (11 Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the list directory

it's usually there are several identical packaging processes running. So the solution already given should work.

Now about the repos, some repos were/are down, e.g. Medibuntu, hence the message... Just untick them should make the trick.

Alright, I've unticked Medibuntu-related repos as well as one called 'blognux' which seemed to be failing and causing it to be slower. Restarted and no changes.

If you have still problems, well... Let's continue to think/search.

P.S.= Have you already thought about just a reinstall, after backup your personal data? Maybe this is the most simple solution... You can try also with the default repos list.

Would attaching my sources.list help at all?

I've considered a reinstall, it would certainly be simple, but after being through several upgrades and all of the customisation I've done (my desktop is far from standard) I would prefer to leave this option as a last resort.

What do you mean by "You can try also with the default repos list."?

[linuxviolin]

What do you mean by "You can try also with the default repos list."?

I mean the sources/repos there were after the install before your changes, the defaults...

[mattyd.24]

I mean the sources/repos there were after the install before your changes, the defaults...

Alright, unticked everything non-standard - all that was left was the repos for Avant Window Navigator (which I need, this has replaced my gnome-panel) and the repos for Swiftfox (my current web browser), so unticked awn and swiftfox repos.
Reloaded, refreshed, now 'Your System is up to Date'. However, most of the 20 updates listed (or I guess logically all of them) were related to awn.

EDIT: missed first quote tag

[Midnighter]

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sudo apt-get install -f

will force it to resolve any breakages, or at least try really hard to. Unless things are badly screwed, should work.


If a particular repo is giving you grief, comment it out, placing # before the line, to tell apt to ignore the repo.