Can't Install Anything

Have you opened up a terminal and typed sudo "dpkg --configure-a" yet?

OK sorry I thought I initially tried that and I thought it didn't work but I tried it again and it worked but now I am getting a new error. I'll start by giving extensive background though. I am running Ubuntu on my PS3 and I recently installed a new kernel to utilize the PS3's wifi card. I found that kernel from here: http://psubuntu.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=342 And that kernel was the first kernel in that thread without the UDF 2.5 support. Once I got that kernel installed I figured that I wouldn't need the .deb package anymore so I deleted it from the desktop. I then started to get the error that I previously solved but now I am getting a new error when I scroll my mouse over the update manager and it says:

A error occured, please run Package Manager from the right-click menu or apt-get on a terminal to see what is wrong. The error message was: 'Unknown Error:'<type 'exceptions:SystemError'>'(E:The package linux-image-2.6.22-rc2-ge5de73bc-dirty needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an archive for it.)'

There is no Update Manager option in my right-click toolbar and when I typed in apt-get at the terminal it gave me what looked like a normal and generic response:

apt 0.6.46.4ubuntu10 for linux powerpc compiled on Mar 14 2007 17:43:00
Usage: apt-get [options] command
       apt-get [options] install|remove pkg1 [pkg2 ...]
       apt-get [options] source pkg1 [pkg2 ...]

apt-get is a simple command line interface for downloading and
installing packages. The most frequently used commands are update
and install.

Commands:
   update - Retrieve new lists of packages
   upgrade - Perform an upgrade
   install - Install new packages (pkg is libc6 not libc6.deb)
   remove - Remove packages
   source - Download source archives
   build-dep - Configure build-dependencies for source packages
   dist-upgrade - Distribution upgrade, see apt-get(8)
   dselect-upgrade - Follow dselect selections
   clean - Erase downloaded archive files
   autoclean - Erase old downloaded archive files
   check - Verify that there are no broken dependencies

Options:
  -h This help text.
  -q Loggable output - no progress indicator
  -qq No output except for errors
  -d Download only - do NOT install or unpack archives
  -s No-act. Perform ordering simulation
  -y Assume Yes to all queries and do not prompt
  -f Attempt to continue if the integrity check fails
  -m Attempt to continue if archives are unlocatable
  -u Show a list of upgraded packages as well
  -b Build the source package after fetching it
  -V Show verbose version numbers
  -c=? Read this configuration file
  -o=? Set an arbitrary configuration option, eg -o dir::cache=/tmp
See the apt-get(8), sources.list(5) and apt.conf(5) manual
pages for more information and options.
                       This APT has Super Cow Powers.

When the update manager actually opened it gave me this error message:

A unresolvabel problem occured while initializing the package information.

Please report this bug against the 'update-manager' package and include the following error message:

'E:The package linux-image-2.6.22-rc2-ge5de73bc-dirty needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an archive for it.'

After I saw this message I figured I could just update the kernel to the other kernel on that website above that includes UDF 2.5 support so I installed that and it still gives me that error message. I'm sorry if my post is too long but I just wanted to give you as much information as possible. How do I get rid of this error message so I can install things again?

Sorry that things aren't going too well.
Try "apt-get check" to try to identify what all is broken.
The package manager is probably Synaptic, which is found on your application dock under "System" then "Administration" then "Synaptic Package Manager." After entering your password, and once Synaptic opens, click on "Edit." Then, click on "Fix Broken Packages."
Either apt-get or Synaptic should fix anything that's broken.
If not, I'm assuming that you have internet for your PS3. If so at the terminal try
"apt-get install linux-image-2.6.22-rc2-ge5de73bc-dirty" (I'm guessing on the exact name, as I'm running a PC, and I don't need a customized kernel. if that doesn't work, try "apt-get install linux-generic" which brings you back to the old kernel, and might kill your wifi, but would get you back to a workable system."

When I typed in apt-get check at the terminal it said this:

E: Could not open lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (13 Permission denied)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), are you root?

I only have one user/account on Ubuntu so that means it is root right? When I type in Y to answer that question it says no command found. Then when I tried typing in apt-get install linux-image........ it said the same thing, like I don't have the authority to make that command. I guess I will try apt-get install linux-generic now.

OK it still gives me that very same message.

And when I go into synaptic it says:

E: The package linux-image-2.6.22-rc2-ge5de73bc-dirty needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an archive for it.
E: Internal error opening cache (1). Please report.

OK sorry for being so dumb but I realized that I wasn't entering sudo when I was typing those commands so I redid them and every command that I typed gave me:

E: The package linux-image-2.6.22-rc2-ge5de73bc-dirty needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an archive for it.

I just tried isudo dpkg -i '/home/brady/Desktop/linux-image-2.6.22-rc2-ge5de73bc-dirty_2.6.22-rc2-ge5de73bc-dirty-10.00.Custom_powerpc.deb' And it gave me this message:

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 You are attempting to install a kernel image (version ?
 ? 2.6.22-rc2-ge5de73bc-dirty) However, the directory ?
 ? /lib/modules/2.6.22-rc2-ge5de73bc-dirty/kernel still exists. If this ?
 ? directory belongs to a previous linux-image-2.6.22-rc2-ge5de73bc-dirty ?
 ? package, and if you have deselected some modules, or installed ?
 ? standalone modules packages, this could be bad. ?
 ? ?
 ? If /lib/modules/2.6.22-rc2-ge5de73bc-dirty/kernel belongs to a old ?
 ? install of linux-image-2.6.22-rc2-ge5de73bc-dirty, then this is your ?
 ? last chance to abort the installation of this kernel image (nothing has ?
 ? been changed yet). ?
 ? ?
 ? If you know what you are doing, and if you feel that this image should ?
 ? be installed despite this anomaly, Please answer n to the question.

When I tried typing n it did nothing. I am just going to completely reinstall ubuntu altogether. I hope this isn't too tedious.

Technically you don't have the authority to install any package
without a password. you have to type in sudo apt-get install (the
package you want). This is because even though you are the
administrator account on your computer (as the original Ubuntu account
takes this role), you will not be able to use root privileges by
default. For any risky options and sytem configuration where you would
normally use su or root privileges, you type in sudo. This protects
your system in the long run, as some distros will allow you to merely
type in su at the terminal, and no password is required. It can be a
real nightmare on multi-user systems.

On 6/30/07, mavsman4457 <email address hidden> wrote:
> Question #8872 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/8872
>
> Status: Answered => Open
>
> mavsman4457 is still having a problem:
> When I typed in apt-get check at the terminal it said this:
>
> E: Could not open lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (13 Permission denied)
> E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), are you
> root?
>
> I only have one user/account on Ubuntu so that means it is root right?
> When I type in Y to answer that question it says no command found. Then
> when I tried typing in apt-get install linux-image........ it said the
> same thing, like I don't have the authority to make that command. I
> guess I will try apt-get install linux-generic now.
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Hello,

I am a total Linux newbie trying out Ubuntu 10.10 and am trying to install a Flash plug-in and then get the error report that I haven't sufficient privileges. How do I log into root so that I can carrying out this operation? Is there any way to view Flash pages from Ubuntu?
 recognizable
Do I need to use 'root' to try and get access to my recognizableh/d space that I've been using in Windows mode too 'cos I click on Places -> Computer but then don't find anything as such, yet when I successfully did so from running Ubuntu off the CD.

Thank you.

Hello,

I am a total Linux newbie trying out Ubuntu 10.10 and am trying to install a Flash plug-in and then get the error report that I haven't sufficient privileges. How do I log into root so that I can carrying out this operation? Is there any way to view Flash pages from Ubuntu?
 recognizable
Do I need to use 'root' to try and get access to my h/d space that I've been using in Windows mode too 'cos I click on Places -> Computer but then don't find anything as such, yet when I successfully did so from running Ubuntu off the CD.

Thank you.

Sorry for the duplicate message, there don't seem to be a way to edit or delete erroneous posts.

Launchpad is not the fastest updater and many users get impatient and end up duplicating posts. It happens.

Since this question is 4 years old and solved, nearly no one will ever see this double posting :)

Please create a new question with your issues. Also include exact details of what your doing, attempting, and the errors reported.
Installing the flash plugin may require 'sudo' but without knowing exactly what you are attempting, we cannot offer accurate advise.

Good luck.