Software center, etc. says downloads failed , but they didn't.

I tried posting at the 'ask ubuntu forum but didn't get any suggested fixes;

When I download from the software center or do a system update I am getting error messages. The downloads and updates seem to be installed and operate OK in spite of the error messages.

The error messages pretty much say the download center can't find refind and that the ESP seems to be lost. None the less I can boot Ubuntu and windows 8 so I suspect there is an ESP. I've no idea why they want refind.

I sure hope someone here can offer suggestions for a fix.

To start, I'm running Ubuntu 14.04 on my Dell Inspiron 6605 desktop, with Windows 8 on another partition.

The problem, detailed below, started when I tried to upgrade from Ubuntu 13.04 to 13.10; I had all sorts of trouble and went back to 13.04. I was hoping that an installation of 14.04 would correct my problem, but it do not.

So, here's the problem: When I try to download software (via either the software center or Sysnaptic) or try to update using the Software Updater, I always get a message that the update or download failed. The programs are (apparently) actually loaded the the error message says installation failed.

Here is the failure message:

***
installArchives() failed: (Reading database ...
(Reading database ... 5%
(Reading database ... 10%

[...deleted % increases to save space in this post]

(Reading database ... 95%
(Reading database ... 100%
(Reading database ... 316143 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing bovo (4:4.13.0-0ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.6.7.1-1) ...
Processing triggers for menu (2.1.46ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.13-1) ...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon (0.5.1+14.04.20140409-0ubuntu1) ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf-2.index...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.22-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.10.1-0ubuntu2) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.54ubuntu1) ...
Setting up refind (0.7.7-1) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/refind.postinst: line 4: efibootmgr: command not found
Installing rEFInd on Linux....
The ESP doesn't seem to be mounted! Trying to find it....
./install.sh: line 704: dmraid: command not found
// doesn't seem to be on a VFAT filesystem. The ESP must be
mounted at //boot or //boot/efi and it must be VFAT! Aborting!
dpkg: error processing package refind (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 refind
Error in function:
Setting up refind (0.7.7-1) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/refind.postinst: line 4: efibootmgr: command not found
Installing rEFInd on Linux....
The ESP doesn't seem to be mounted! Trying to find it....
./install.sh: line 704: dmraid: command not found
// doesn't seem to be on a VFAT filesystem. The ESP must be
mounted at //boot or //boot/efi and it must be VFAT! Aborting!
dpkg: error processing package refind (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
***

So! Then I tried installing refind via terminal and got pretty much the same error message:

***
jim@jim-Inspiron-660s:~$ $ sudo apt-add-repository ppa:rodsmith/refind
$: command not found
jim@jim-Inspiron-660s:~$ sudo apt-add-repository ppa:rodsmith/refind
[sudo] password for jim:
 A graphical boot manager for EFI- and UEFI-based computers, such as all Intel-based Macs and recent (most 2011 and later) PCs.
 More info: https://launchpad.net/~rodsmith/+archive/refind
Press [ENTER] to continue or ctrl-c to cancel adding it

gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmpdoqf82gq/secring.gpg' created
gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmpdoqf82gq/pubring.gpg' created
gpg: requesting key 9122E0C2 from hkp server keyserver.ubuntu.com
gpg: /tmp/tmpdoqf82gq/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
gpg: key 9122E0C2: public key "Launchpad PPA for Roderick Smith" imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg: imported: 1 (RSA: 1)
OK
jim@jim-Inspiron-660s:~$ sudo apt-get update
Ign http://dl.google.com stable InRelease
Hit http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg

[Again I'm deleting much of the download log from this post to save space but I still have it all on file.]

Preparing to unpack .../sbsigntool_0.6-0ubuntu7_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking sbsigntool (0.6-0ubuntu7) ...
Preparing to unpack .../refind_0.8.2-0ppa3_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking refind (0.8.2-0ppa3) over (0.7.7-1) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.6.7.1-1) ...
Setting up efibootmgr (0.5.4-7ubuntu1) ...
Setting up sbsigntool (0.6-0ubuntu7) ...
Setting up refind (0.8.2-0ppa3) ...
Fatal: Couldn't open either sysfs or procfs directories for accessing EFI variables.
Try 'modprobe efivars' as root.

Installing rEFInd on Linux....
The ESP doesn't seem to be mounted! Trying to find it....
// doesn't seem to be on a VFAT filesystem. The ESP must be
mounted at //boot or //boot/efi and it must be VFAT! Aborting!
dpkg: error processing package refind (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 refind
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
jim@jim-Inspiron-660s:~$

***
Now I've downloaded the iso 'boot-repair=disk- 64 bit' and I'm tempted to try that and see what happens, if I regain ESP, refind, etc.

I did try running boot repair but it din't help.

Even though ESP is apparently lost I am still able to start the computer and choose Ubuntu or windows.

Someone at 'Ask Ubuntu suggested I include the following info:

***
lsblk output:

jim@jim-Inspiron-660s:~$ lsblk
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sda 8:0 0 931.5G 0 disk
├─sda1 8:1 0 350M 0 part
├─sda2 8:2 0 194.9G 0 part
├─sda3 8:3 0 1K 0 part
├─sda5 8:5 0 451.2G 0 part /
├─sda6 8:6 0 3.9G 0 part [SWAP]
└─sda7 8:7 0 281.3G 0 part
sr0 11:0 1 1024M 0 rom
jim@jim-Inspiron-660s:~$
..

jim@jim-Inspiron-660s:~$ df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda5 444G 45G 377G 11% /
none 4.0K 0 4.0K 0% /sys/fs/cgroup
udev 1.9G 12K 1.9G 1% /dev
tmpfs 383M 1.2M 382M 1% /run
none 5.0M 0 5.0M 0% /run/lock
none 1.9G 19M 1.9G 1% /run/shm
none 100M 36K 100M 1% /run/user
jim@jim-Inspiron-660s:~$
***

Also I ran fdisk which presented the following information:

***

jim@jim-Inspiron-660s:~$ fdisk -l
jim@jim-Inspiron-660s:~$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for jim:

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xb5ea334f

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 718847 358400 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 718848 409310767 204295960 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3 409311230 1953523711 772106241 5 Extended
Partition 3 does not start on physical sector boundary.
/dev/sda5 999247872 1945399295 473075712 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 1945401344 1953523711 4061184 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7 409311232 999247871 294968320 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order
jim@jim-Inspiron-660s:~$

***

dev/sda5 is, to the best of my knowledge, where Ubuntu 14.04 resides.

Bottom line: I want to get rid of the error messages. I would like to understand why I am receiving them.

addendum:
It was suggested by actionparsnip in a message below that I get install dmraid as the error code included an unfulfilled dmraid command. I tried but again, I get an installation failed at processing refind notice. Here's the terminal run to try to install it:
**
jim@jim-Inspiron-660s:~$ sudo apt-get install dmraid
[sudo] password for jim:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  cabextract gnome-video-effects libboost-program-options1.53.0 libcolamd2.7.1
  libdee-qt5-3 libdns99 libebackend-1.2-6 libechonest2.0 libedata-book-1.2-17
  libedata-cal-1.2-20 libfftw3-3 libfftw3-long3 libgweather-3-3 libhud-client2
  libjs-jquery libllvm3.3 libpoppler43 libprotobuf-lite7 libqt53d5
  libqt5location5 libqt5v8-5 librhythmbox-core7 libwebp4 libx264-123
  libxcb-sync0 linux-headers-3.11.0-23 linux-headers-3.11.0-23-generic
  linux-image-3.11.0-23-generic linux-image-extra-3.11.0-23-generic
  python-apport python-keyring python-launchpadlib python-lazr.restfulclient
  python-lazr.uri python-oauth python-problem-report python-secretstorage
  python-simplejson python-wadllib
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
The following extra packages will be installed:
  kpartx kpartx-boot libdmraid1.0.0.rc16
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  dmraid kpartx kpartx-boot libdmraid1.0.0.rc16
0 upgraded, 4 newly installed, 0 to remove and 65 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 135 kB of archives.
After this operation, 569 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main libdmraid1.0.0.rc16 amd64 1.0.0.rc16-4.2ubuntu3 [84.8 kB]
Get:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main kpartx amd64 0.4.9-3ubuntu7 [25.0 kB]
Get:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main kpartx-boot all 0.4.9-3ubuntu7 [2,076 B]
Get:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main dmraid amd64 1.0.0.rc16-4.2ubuntu3 [22.9 kB]
Fetched 135 kB in 3s (41.8 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package libdmraid1.0.0.rc16.
(Reading database ... 315691 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libdmraid1.0.0.rc16_1.0.0.rc16-4.2ubuntu3_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libdmraid1.0.0.rc16 (1.0.0.rc16-4.2ubuntu3) ...
Selecting previously unselected package kpartx.
Preparing to unpack .../kpartx_0.4.9-3ubuntu7_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking kpartx (0.4.9-3ubuntu7) ...
Selecting previously unselected package kpartx-boot.
Preparing to unpack .../kpartx-boot_0.4.9-3ubuntu7_all.deb ...
Unpacking kpartx-boot (0.4.9-3ubuntu7) ...
Selecting previously unselected package dmraid.
Preparing to unpack .../dmraid_1.0.0.rc16-4.2ubuntu3_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking dmraid (1.0.0.rc16-4.2ubuntu3) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.6.7.1-1) ...
Setting up refind (0.8.2-0ppa3) ...
Fatal: Couldn't open either sysfs or procfs directories for accessing EFI variables.
Try 'modprobe efivars' as root.
Installing rEFInd on Linux....
The ESP doesn't seem to be mounted! Trying to find it....
// doesn't seem to be on a VFAT filesystem. The ESP must be
mounted at //boot or //boot/efi and it must be VFAT! Aborting!
dpkg: error processing package refind (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up libdmraid1.0.0.rc16 (1.0.0.rc16-4.2ubuntu3) ...
Setting up kpartx (0.4.9-3ubuntu7) ...
Setting up kpartx-boot (0.4.9-3ubuntu7) ...
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
Setting up dmraid (1.0.0.rc16-4.2ubuntu3) ...
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.19-0ubuntu6) ...
Processing triggers for initramfs-tools (0.103ubuntu4.2) ...
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-30-generic
Errors were encountered while processing:
 refind
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
jim@jim-Inspiron-660s:~$
**
The problem still seems to be not finding ESP (EFI System Partition (ESP)). Admittedly I'm a tyro, don't know much about linux systems and am feeling my way as I go along, but as I'm able to start the computer and boot either Ubuntu or Windows 8, I would think the ESP partition is there but, for some reason, after loading, Ubuntu can't find it.

Addendum II:

I wonder if this is where my problem lies, When checking the error reports I notice they all say:
“The ESP doesn't seem to be mounted! Trying to find it....
// doesn't seem to be on a VFAT filesystem. The ESP must be
mounted at //boot or //boot/efi and it must be VFAT! Aborting! “

But when I ran from terminal fdisk -l (run is included above)I got
“ Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 718847 358400 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT “

which to me suggests perhaps the ESP is somewhere in exFAT and not accessible because it's not VFAT???