SOLVED! Can't install software

[otlichnik73]

Hi!
Can anyone help solve the problem - why I can't install; here is an example:

Code: Select all

sudo apt install vlc
[sudo] password for ****:                  
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 vlc : Depends: vlc-bin (= 3.0.9.2-1) but it is not going to be installed
       Depends: vlc-plugin-base (= 3.0.9.2-1) but it is not going to be installed
       Depends: vlc-plugin-qt (= 3.0.9.2-1) but it is not going to be installed
       Depends: vlc-plugin-video-output (= 3.0.9.2-1) but it is not going to be installed
       Recommends: vlc-plugin-notify (= 3.0.9.2-1) but it is not going to be installed
       Recommends: vlc-plugin-samba (= 3.0.9.2-1) but it is not going to be installed
       Recommends: vlc-plugin-skins2 (= 3.0.9.2-1) but it is not going to be installed
       Recommends: vlc-plugin-video-splitter (= 3.0.9.2-1) but it is not going to be installed
       Recommends: vlc-plugin-visualization (= 3.0.9.2-1) but it is not going to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

I can install from Flatpac, but not with package manager
Thanks!

[RIH]

Menu - Synaptic Package Manager - Edit Tab - Fix Broken Packages - Apply

[otlichnik73]

Menu - Synaptic Package Manager - Edit Tab - Fix Broken Packages - Apply

thanks for this, but it did not work
actually, the message "fixed" appeared almost instantly, so seems like nothing was happening

[RIH]

How did you install vlc (as that seems to be the issue application)?
Have you tried removing it completely & running an update??

[otlichnik73]

How did you install vlc (as that seems to be the issue application)?
Have you tried removing it completely & running an update??

VLC came pre-installed
Then it actually just disappeared completely from the menu, for some reason!
the same happened with Gimp
in software manager, they appear with "not available" grey button (but the flatpak version is available in software manager, so I just now installed it that way so I can use it right now)
so seems like an issue with - ??? repositories? or what??
thanks...

[RIH]

VLC came pre-installed

You are not running Mint 20.x then??
Maybe the output from

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxxxrz

in a terminal would be a good addition to your next post..

[otlichnik73]

VLC came pre-installed

You are not running Mint 20.x then??
Maybe the output from

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxxxrz

in a terminal would be a good addition to your next post..

here it is

Code: Select all

$ inxi -Fxxxrz
System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-91-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 
  Desktop: Cinnamon 4.8.6 wm: muffin 4.8.1 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 
  Distro: Linux Mint 20.1 Ulyssa base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: Dell product: OptiPlex 9020 v: 01 serial: <filter> 
  Chassis: type: 15 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Dell model: 0XCR8D v: A03 serial: <filter> UEFI: Dell v: A07 
  date: 04/25/2014 
CPU:
  Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i7-4770 bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Haswell rev: 3 L2 cache: 8192 KiB 
  flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx 
  bogomips: 54273 
  Speed: 798 MHz min/max: 800/3900 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 798 2: 798 
  3: 798 4: 798 5: 798 6: 799 7: 798 8: 798 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics 
  vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:0412 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: modesetting 
  unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 4600 (HSW GT2) 
  v: 4.5 Mesa 21.0.3 compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio 
  vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:03.0 
  chip ID: 8086:0c0c 
  Device-2: Intel 8 Series/C220 Series High Definition Audio vendor: Dell 
  driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 chip ID: 8086:8c20 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-91-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Ethernet I217-LM vendor: Dell driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k 
  port: f080 bus ID: 00:19.0 chip ID: 8086:153a 
  IF: eno1 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
  Device-2: Broadcom and subsidiaries BCM43228 802.11a/b/g/n vendor: Dell 
  driver: wl v: kernel port: f040 bus ID: 02:00.0 chip ID: 14e4:4359 
  IF: wlp2s0 state: down mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 465.76 GiB used: 142.16 GiB (30.5%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Western Digital model: WD5000AAKX-75U6AA0 
  size: 465.76 GiB speed: 6.0 Gb/s rotation: 7200 rpm serial: <filter> 
  rev: 1H19 scheme: GPT 
RAID:
  Hardware-1: Intel SATA Controller [RAID mode] driver: ahci v: 3.0 
  port: f060 bus ID: 00:1f.2 chip ID: 8086.2822 rev: 04 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 456.96 GiB used: 142.16 GiB (31.1%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 35.0 C mobo: N/A 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bablu-boy-nutty-daily-focal.list 
  1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/bablu-boy/nutty-daily/ubuntu focal main
  2: deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/bablu-boy/nutty-daily/ubuntu focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bablu-boy-nutty-focal.list 
  1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/bablu-boy/nutty/ubuntu focal main
  2: deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/bablu-boy/nutty/ubuntu focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bablu-boy-nutty_0_1-focal.list 
  1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/bablu-boy/nutty.0.1/ubuntu focal main
  2: deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/bablu-boy/nutty.0.1/ubuntu focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/multimedia.list 
  1: deb http://www.deb-multimedia.org buster main non-free
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
  1: deb https://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/linuxmint-packages ulyssa main upstream import backport
  2: deb http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal main restricted universe multiverse
  3: deb http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
  4: deb http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
  5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
  6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/signal-xenial.list 
  1: deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/signal-desktop-keyring.gpg] https://updates.signal.org/desktop/apt xenial main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/skype-stable.list 
  1: deb [arch=amd64] https://repo.skype.com/deb stable main
Info:
  Processes: 348 Uptime: 1d 41m Memory: 15.55 GiB used: 6.19 GiB (39.8%) 
  Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 alt: 9 Shell: bash 
  v: 5.0.17 running in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.0.38 

[RIH]

Strange, I thought that Mint stopped using vlc in Mint 20.x & that it was replaced with Celluloid.

You could try entering the following, 1 line at a time, in terminal.

Code: Select all

sudo apt --fix-missing update
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -f

If that doesn't work then

Code: Select all

sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo dpkg -l | grep ^..r
sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq
sudo apt clean
sudo apt update

If neither of those work then I am at a bit of a loss.

[otlichnik73]

Strange, I thought that Mint stopped using vlc in Mint 20.x & that it was replaced with Celluloid.

You could try entering the following, 1 line at a time, in terminal.

Code: Select all

sudo apt --fix-missing update
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -f

If that doesn't work then

Code: Select all

sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo dpkg -l | grep ^..r
sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq
sudo apt clean
sudo apt update

If neither of those work then I am at a bit of a loss.

sorry, was there a typo:

Code: Select all

sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq
dpkg: error: --remove needs at least one package name argument

Type dpkg --help for help about installing and deinstalling packages [*];
Use 'apt' 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;

Options marked [*] produce a lot of output - pipe it through 'less' or 'more' !

[RIH]

Oops, sorry, should be

Code: Select all

sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq vlc

Didn't the apt commands do anything for you??

[otlichnik73]

Oops, sorry, should be

Code: Select all

sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq vlc

Didn't the apt commands do anything for you??

nothing from apt

Code: Select all

sudo apt --fix-missing update
[sudo] password for ****:                  
Hit:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease
Ign:2 https://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/linuxmint-packages ulyssa InRelease
Hit:3 https://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/linuxmint-packages ulyssa Release
Hit:5 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal InRelease
Hit:6 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal-updates InRelease
Hit:7 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal-backports InRelease
Hit:8 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
Reading package lists... Done                           
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
All packages are up to date.
***@******:~$ sudo apt update
Ign:1 https://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/linuxmint-packages ulyssa InRelease
Hit:2 https://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/linuxmint-packages ulyssa Release
Hit:4 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal InRelease
Hit:5 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal-updates InRelease
Hit:6 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal-backports InRelease
Hit:7 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease
Hit:8 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
All packages are up to date.
****@*****:~$ sudo apt install -f
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
0 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 0 to remove and 0 not to upgrade.

but I am thinking- there must be somewhat drastically wrong
you were right about celluloid - it WAS there, and now GONE from the app menu! so weird!
and, of course, if I look in Software manager - it appears as "not available"!
so it's like it banned me from apps available from certain repos
what the...

[sleeper12]

Maybe reinstall Software Manager? Do one line at a time:

Code: Select all

apt reinstall mintinstall 
mintinstall 

[otlichnik73]

Maybe reinstall Software Manager? Do one line at a time:

Code: Select all

apt reinstall mintinstall 
mintinstall 

nope, nothing changed
what I noticed is the missing software all has to do with video/sound (Celloloid, Vlc, K3B, but also Gimp...)

[RIH]

Apt worked just fine for you... it says

All packages are up to date.

I notice that you have another thread running on the same problem..
viewtopic.php?f=47&t=362761

It is not sensible for you to be following actions on 2 threads at the same time when people giving you advice don't know that you are also receiving additional advice..
Sorry, I am out of this thread..

[sleeper12]

Are there any broken packages you can fix in Synaptic, Status?

[spamegg]

This is just a hunch... probably nothing to it. I see that vlc has recursive dependencies libc6 and libglib, both of which had some version bugs in the past affecting other people. It's possible that the issue is buried deep under several layers of dependencies that "but it is not going to be installed" is not able to tell us about it.

Can you share apt-cache policy libc6 libc6:i386 libglib2.0-0 libglib2.0-0:i386? Mine looks like this on Mint 20.2:

Code: Select all

➜ apt-cache policy libc6 libc6:i386 libglib2.0-0 libglib2.0-0:i386
libc6:
  Installed: 2.31-0ubuntu9.2
  Candidate: 2.31-0ubuntu9.2
  Version table:
 *** 2.31-0ubuntu9.2 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.31-0ubuntu9 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Packages
libc6:i386:
  Installed: 2.31-0ubuntu9.2
  Candidate: 2.31-0ubuntu9.2
  Version table:
 *** 2.31-0ubuntu9.2 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.31-0ubuntu9 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main i386 Packages
libglib2.0-0:
  Installed: 2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.4
  Candidate: 2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.4
  Version table:
 *** 2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.4 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.3 500
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/main amd64 Packages
     2.64.2-1~fakesync1 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Packages
libglib2.0-0:i386:
  Installed: 2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.4
  Candidate: 2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.4
  Version table:
 *** 2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.4 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.3 500
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/main i386 Packages
     2.64.2-1~fakesync1 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main i386 Packages

[SimonPeter]

Repos:
No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bablu-boy-nutty-daily-focal.list
1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/bablu-boy/nutty-daily/ubuntu focal main
2: deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/bablu-boy/nutty-daily/ubuntu focal main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bablu-boy-nutty-focal.list
1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/bablu-boy/nutty/ubuntu focal main
2: deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/bablu-boy/nutty/ubuntu focal main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bablu-boy-nutty_0_1-focal.list
1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/bablu-boy/nutty.0.1/ubuntu focal main
2: deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/bablu-boy/nutty.0.1/ubuntu focal main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/multimedia.list
1: deb http://www.deb-multimedia.org buster main non-free
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
1: deb https://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/linuxmint-packages ulyssa main upstream import backport
2: deb http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal main restricted universe multiverse
3: deb http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
4: deb http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/signal-xenial.list
1: deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/signal-desktop-keyring.gpg] https://updates.signal.org/desktop/apt xenial main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/skype-stable.list
1: deb [arch=amd64] https://repo.skype.com/deb stable main

Try cleaning up your software sources.
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... urces.html

From my post on the other thread.

[otlichnik73]

This is just a hunch... probably nothing to it. I see that vlc has recursive dependencies libc6 and libglib, both of which had some version bugs in the past affecting other people. It's possible that the issue is buried deep under several layers of dependencies that "but it is not going to be installed" is not able to tell us about it.

Can you share apt-cache policy libc6 libc6:i386 libglib2.0-0 libglib2.0-0:i386?

here it is, thanks:

Code: Select all

$ apt-cache policy libc6 libc6:i386 libglib2.0-0 libglib2.0-0:i386
libc6:
  Installed: 2.31-0ubuntu9.3
  Candidate: 2.31-0ubuntu9.3
  Version table:
 *** 2.31-0ubuntu9.3 100
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.31-0ubuntu9.2 500
        500 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal-updates/main amd64 Packages
     2.31-0ubuntu9 500
        500 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal/main amd64 Packages
libc6:i386:
  Installed: 2.31-0ubuntu9.3
  Candidate: 2.31-0ubuntu9.3
  Version table:
 *** 2.31-0ubuntu9.3 100
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.31-0ubuntu9.2 500
        500 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal-updates/main i386 Packages
     2.31-0ubuntu9 500
        500 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal/main i386 Packages
libglib2.0-0:
  Installed: 2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.4
  Candidate: 2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.4
  Version table:
 *** 2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.4 500
        500 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal-updates/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.3 500
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/main amd64 Packages
     2.64.2-1~fakesync1 500
        500 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal/main amd64 Packages
libglib2.0-0:i386:
  Installed: 2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.4
  Candidate: 2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.4
  Version table:
 *** 2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.4 500
        500 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal-updates/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.3 500
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/main i386 Packages
     2.64.2-1~fakesync1 500
        500 http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/ubuntu/archive focal/main i386 Packages

[otlichnik73]

Apt worked just fine for you... it says

All packages are up to date.

I notice that you have another thread running on the same problem..
viewtopic.php?f=47&t=362761

It is not sensible for you to be following actions on 2 threads at the same time when people giving you advice don't know that you are also receiving additional advice..
Sorry, I am out of this thread..

Sorry, RIH, I just don't know how to close that first thread, I realised that I misnamed the topic, and the issue was not exactly what I thought. So I started the new one, but then realised there is no option to close the topic

[spamegg]

libc6:
Installed: 2.31-0ubuntu9.3

Yep that MIGHT be the issue, still not sure though. The correct version should be 9.2. Ubuntu released a 9.3 but then rolled it back to 9.2. Since 9.3 is technically "higher" people who have 9.3 are stuck with it, and apt refuses to do anything that would depend on 9.2 because it's lower.

Even if this is not the cause of your vlc issue, you should fix this, as it would eventually come up and give you grief anyway.

So we need to downgrade those packages. Try this (solution thanks to xenopeek)

Code: Select all

apt install --simulate $(dpkg -l | egrep '(libc|locales|nscd).* 2.31-0ubuntu9.3 ' | cut -d' ' -f3 | paste -sd ' ' | sed -r 's/( |$)/=2.31-0ubuntu9.2 /g')

Notice the --simulate option there, so this command won't do anything. It's for safety. Read the output carefully. If it does not remove anything, and only downgrades a few packages, you can safely remove --simulate and run the rest of the command to downgrade.