Mint Update Fails!

[srikar]

I get this error " Could not apply changes!Fix broken packages first " . I am using LMDE. When i go to synaptic i find no broken packages.

[JasonLG]

I get this error " Could not apply changes!Fix broken packages first " . I am using LMDE. When i go to synaptic i find no broken packages.

Click the reload button in synaptic.

[dawgdoc]

Same happened to me yesterday. I didn't see any broken packages in Synaptic so I ran

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install -f

Update Manager worked after that.

[srikar]

Code: Select all

srikar@freedom ~ $     sudo apt-get install -f
[sudo] password for srikar: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 40 not upgraded.

Still i get the same error with mint update.

[rivenathos]

Try this: Open Synaptic. Click on Edit, then choose Fix Broken Packages.

[rhodry]

Welcome to the update process in a rolling release based on a 'testing' base?!

Don't forget that Synaptic and Mint Update are both just front ends to the apt-get commands and I would suggest "broken" may mean something a little different to each app; therefore the error message may mean something a bit different. I also got this error message and below is how I solved it. BTW, the problem lies with a library file that is a dependency but was not picked up for upgrade by Mint Update. Can't remember its name now and it doesn't matter because the 'fix' is universal.

Background - Aptosid is a distribution based on Debian Unstable (Sid) which is not too dissimilar to LMDE; a little more bleeding edge perhaps. They are are a pretty conservative bunch over there (considering what they work on) and they have a simple, non-negotiable method for doing updates on a rolling release - do it any other way and you get no support basically. This approach has always fixed my systems when this sort of "fix broken" when there are none problems.

This is their approach:
NEVER do an upgrade with the X server running. Did I mention, NEVER do an upgrade with the X server running!!!

Log out and at the Login screen issue Ctl-Alt-F1 to go to CLI.
$ Login as root - or in our case login as user then use 'sudo sh' to get a root shell - remaining commands are issued as super user -
# init 3 - stops X server from running, becomes single user mode
You may have to press Enter a couple of times to get your # prompt back

# apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade

have a look at what it is going to do, it will be at least equivalent to a full Level 5 Mint Update, including kernel updates.

Accept the changes, and wait for completion. If nothing really major like the kernel or libc has changed to can issue this command,

# apt-get clean
# init 5 && exit

You should then return to the graphic login screen and away you go.

However, to be extra careful issue this command instead of init etc,

# reboot

Fixed it nicely here, updated the "broken" library and returned to normal operation.

I still believe that one of the main areas the Mint developers will have to pay some close attention to as LMDE moves into a more "dynamic" Debian testing environment will be this whole question of how to do updates fully and efficiently. Personally, I think the whole 'grading' system is useless in a rolling release; by its very nature a rolling release implies you keep the whole thing up to date all the time; ie it just keeps rolling along. Like that big river you have in the US?

hope this helps,
rhodry.

[Rifester]

The whole update issue in LMDE is kind of a mystery to me. I have been watching the available updates from Debian using apt but have noticed they don't show up in Mint Update. I don't want to have a Debian system that is not updated. I feel comfortable enough to update through the terminal but for those using Mint Update it may be a matter of time before they have issues. Mint Update would be wonderful as new packages come into testing (if the updates were going to be monitored by somebody). Is this going to happen? Some official word would be nice. I thought I saw some comments in a blog about this but can't seem to find the official word....

[candyman]

Hi guys, I'm new here and got the exact same error message.

Quote:

I get this error " Could not apply changes!Fix broken packages first " . I am using LMDE. When i go to synaptic i find no broken packages.

so I did this in a terminal:

code:
apt-get dist-upgrade

Now open Update Manager and click the "Refresh" button.
Done!

After reading the last post by "rhodry" I'm not sure if this will work for everyone, but it worked for me.

BTW great forum

[gotjazz]

yup a "sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade" a day keeps the doctor (and the mintupdate which can be removed from autostart then) away.

and if one wants to drop out of x to do it that surely doesn't hurt either. personally i only do that when i see xorg stuff in the list after dist-upgrade (which i cancel first then of course).