Ubuntu 10.04LTS Upgrade failure

> E: The package libc6-dev needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an archive for it.

I'd remove libc6-dev, update package list and reinstall.

I'm a novice at this.... How do I...
 Remove package "libc6-dev"?
 Update package list?
 reinstall package "libc6-dev"?
Thanks.

On Sun, 03 Jul 2011 12:31:08 -0400, Sam_
<email address hidden> wrote:

> Your question #163620 on eglibc in Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/eglibc/+question/163620
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Sam_ proposed the following answer:
>> E: The package libc6-dev needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an
> archive for it.
>
> I'd remove libc6-dev, update package list and reinstall.

Thanks for asking, I've got the impression you knew what commands actually do since you obviously ran it according to your topic post.

When removing libc6-dev you need to note which packages will also be removed, in case they don't get reinstalled, while installing libc6-dev again.
You can find out by simulating the removal:
sudo apt-get -s remove libc6-dev

## e.g. on Natty (11.04) it would remove also: build-essential g++ g++-4.5 libstdc++6-4.5-dev

> Remove package "libc6-dev"?

sudo apt-get remove libc6-dev

> Update package list?

sudo apt-get update

> reinstall package "libc6-dev"?

sudo apt-get install libc6-dev

In case of error messages post outputs please.
Please rather use direct link to post answer in your web browser, thanks.
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/eglibc/+question/163620

Reference about commands can be reviewed in a terminal.
e.g.
man apt-get
man dpkg

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AptGet/Howto

Failed. Isn't libc-bin the real problem? Output as follows:
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$ sudo apt-get remove libc6-dev
[sudo] password for xget76:
Sorry, try again.
[sudo] password for xget76:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run `apt-get -f install' to correct these:
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  libc6: Depends: libc-bin (= 2.11.1-0ubuntu7) but 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8 is to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$ sudo apt-get update
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid Release.gpg
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates Release.gpg
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-security Release.gpg
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-security/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-security/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-security/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-security/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid Release
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates Release
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-security Release
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid/main Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid/restricted Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid/main Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid/restricted Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid/universe Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid/universe Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid/multiverse Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid/multiverse Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/main Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/restricted Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/main Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/restricted Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/universe Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/universe Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/multiverse Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-updates/multiverse Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-security/main Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-security/restricted Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-security/main Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-security/restricted Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-security/universe Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-security/universe Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-security/multiverse Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com lucid-security/multiverse Sources
Reading package lists... Done
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$ sudo apt-get install libc6-dev
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run `apt-get -f install' to correct these:
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  libc6: Depends: libc-bin (= 2.11.1-0ubuntu7) but 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8 is to be installed
  libc6-dev: Depends: libc6 (= 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8) but 2.11.1-0ubuntu7 is to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$

Obviously there is a problem with dependencies.

To show more details please open a terminal and issue the following command:

apt-cache policy libc6 libc-bin libc6-dev libc-dev-bin

and then select all output and cop/paste it into a new message of this question thread.

xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$ apt-cache policy libc6 libc-bin libc6-dev libc-dev-bin
libc6:
  Installed: 2.11.1-0ubuntu7
  Candidate: 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8
  Version table:
     2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main Packages
     2.11.1-0ubuntu7.7 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-security/main Packages
 *** 2.11.1-0ubuntu7 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
libc-bin:
  Installed: 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8
  Candidate: 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8
  Version table:
 *** 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.11.1-0ubuntu7.7 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-security/main Packages
     2.11.1-0ubuntu7 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages
libc6-dev:
  Installed: 2.11.1-0ubuntu7
  Candidate: 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8
  Version table:
     2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main Packages
     2.11.1-0ubuntu7.7 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-security/main Packages
 *** 2.11.1-0ubuntu7 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
libc-dev-bin:
  Installed: 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8
  Candidate: 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8
  Version table:
 *** 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.11.1-0ubuntu7.7 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-security/main Packages
     2.11.1-0ubuntu7 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$

From your output I do not see any unsolvable problem with dependencies.

Try the following:
Open a terminal and issue the following command:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall libc-bin libc6 libc-dev-bin libc6-dev

and then select all output and cop/paste it into a new message of this question thread.

Results:

xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall libc-bin libc6 libc-dev-bin libc6-dev
[sudo] password for xget76:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run `apt-get -f install' to correct these:
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  libc6-i686: PreDepends: libc6 (= 2.11.1-0ubuntu7) but 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8 is to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$

ok, new error message, new commands to try:

please issue:

apt-cache policy libc6-i686
sudo apt-get install --reinstall libc-bin libc6 libc6-i686 libc-dev-bin libc6-dev

and copy/paste the output as done before

Results: (I hope we are not going down the rabbit hole...)

xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$ apt-cache policy libc6-i686
libc6-i686:
  Installed: 2.11.1-0ubuntu7
  Candidate: 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8
  Version table:
     2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8 0

 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libmemusage.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libm-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libdl-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libcrypt-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libcidn-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libc-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libBrokenLocale-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libanl-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/ld-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to remove newly-extracted version of `/etc/ld.so.conf.d/i486-linux-gnu.conf': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to securely remove '/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to securely remove '/var/lib/dpkg/reassemble.deb': Read-only file system
dpkg: failed to open `/var/lib/dpkg/status' for writing status information: Read-only file system
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
touch: cannot touch `/var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp': Read-only file system
Segmentation fault
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$

System crashed after that and I see from the message a portion of the copied text never made it to you. I entered the commands exactly as directed, and then answered Y to the question of continue to fetch and upgrade.

The errors shown in your last message are weird, it seems that your laptop just experienced a strange event.
It might be that the status of your system does not allow you to continue, but requires a reboot before it is usable again.

In any case I still think that the "sudo apt-get install --reinstall libc-bin libc6 libc6-i686 libc-dev-bin libc6-dev" command should solve the dependency problem, so please try again.

Retried as requested. Failed on first command as follows:
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall libc-bin libc6 libc6-i686 libc-dev-bin libc6-dev
[sudo] password for xget76:
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'sudo dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$

just do as the error message tells:

sudo dpkg --configure -a

and then again

sudo apt-get install --reinstall libc-bin libc6 libc6-i686 libc-dev-bin libc6-dev

Including previous command and stopping at point of question just in case it crashes again....
Will add another comment if can after next step.

xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall libc-bin libc6 libc6-i686 libc-dev-bin libc6-dev
[sudo] password for xget76:
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'sudo dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libc6-dev:
 libc6-dev depends on libc6 (= 2.11.1-0ubuntu7); however:
  Package libc6 is not installed.
 libc6-dev depends on libc-dev-bin (= 2.11.1-0ubuntu7); however:
  Version of libc-dev-bin on system is 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8.
dpkg: error processing libc6-dev (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 libc6-dev
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall libc-bin libc6 libc6-i686 libc-dev-bin libc6-dev
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Suggested packages:
  glibc-doc
The following packages will be upgraded:
  libc6 libc6-dev libc6-i686
3 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 2 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 423 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B/10.8MB of archives.
After this operation, 4,096B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

problems now come....
Answered Y to question and ....

Preparing to replace libc6 2.11.1-0ubuntu7 (using .../libc6_2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libc6 ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8_i386.deb (--unpack):
 failed in buffer_write(fd) (10, ret=-1): backend dpkg-deb during `./usr/lib/gconv/ARMSCII-8.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to remove newly-extracted version of `/usr/lib/gconv/ARMSCII-8.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/usr/lib/gconv/ANSI_X3.110.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libutil-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libthread_db-1.0.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libSegFault.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/librt-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libresolv-touch: cannot touch `/var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp': Read-only file system
Segmentation fault
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$

Sorry to see that your system shows such strange behaviour.

I do not know what the reason behind that crash is.
As far as I can see your main disk gets changed from a read-write to a readonly medium - apparently somehow triggered by the dpkg command.

I would assume that your system log might provide more information - can you check if there is anything in it?

If there is something wrong with your disk, you should perform a file system check (execute the command "sudo touch /forcefsck" and reboot the computer).

Another (although unlikely) possibility could be that something is wrong with the downloaded package, you might issue the command
sudo rm /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8_i386.deb
and retry the sudo apt-get install... command.

Entered "sudo touch..." followed by "sudo rm ..." then reboot....
Now entering "sudo apt-get install..."
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall libc-bin libc6 libc6-i686 libc-dev-bin libc6-dev
[sudo] password for xget76:
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'sudo dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libc6-dev:
 libc6-dev depends on libc6 (= 2.11.1-0ubuntu7); however:
  Package libc6 is not installed.
 libc6-dev depends on libc-dev-bin (= 2.11.1-0ubuntu7); however:
  Version of libc-dev-bin on system is 2.11.1-0ubuntu7.8.
dpkg: error processing libc6-dev (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 libc6-dev
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall libc-bin libc6 libc6-i686 libc-dev-bin libc6-dev
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Suggested packages:
  glibc-doc
The following packages will be upgraded:
  libc6 libc6-dev libc6-i686
3 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 2 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 423 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 3,780kB/10.8MB of archives.
After this operation, 4,096B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

(breaking into two pieces again just to be sure....)

yep... this time I watched carefully and you are missing quite a bit of stuff that screws up before this text appears....

 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libcrypt-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libcidn-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libc-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libBrokenLocale-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/libanl-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to restore backup version of `/lib/ld-2.11.1.so': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to remove newly-extracted version of `/etc/ld.so.conf.d/i486-linux-gnu.conf': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to securely remove '/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to securely remove '/var/lib/dpkg/reassemble.deb': Read-only file system
dpkg: failed to open `/var/lib/dpkg/status' for writing status information: Read-only file system
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
touch: cannot touch `/var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp': Read-only file system
Segmentation fault
xget76@GET-Laptop1:~$

Is there a way to "step" through the last portion. Something goes wrong right after the download completes.

when I try to restart now the restart panel is all blank... I will have to use hard reset to reboot...
(trying to be a bit preemptive....

As can be seen from the beginning of each of the failes attempts, the sudo "apt-get..." seems to be the right command for solving the dependecy problem, but sadly when executing that command the system crashes.

I have to say that I do not have any idea how to solve that problem (except the basic hints already given in message #17). Hopefully someone else can help more.

By the way: if the restart panel is blank a clean shutdown can be initiated when you open a terminal and issue the command
sudo shutdown -h now
(for reboot it is "sudo shutdown -r now")

Thanks for the help and reboot/shutdown tips... Hopefully someone else can help

This isn't trivial because it concerns libc; consider to report a bug.
There is a reason why dpkg overwhelmed by errors makes file system read only.
You still need to check out log files. Look up the time when segfault occured and also search dmesg for ext4-fs error.
User had same issue there,
http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/debian-linux/166782-constant-ext4-corruption-apt-get-dist-upgrade.html
mentioned dup of Bug #525114 in Lucid e2fsprogs.

## Seems to be only a Lucid issue, as it happens also on servers.
http://<email address hidden>/msg50702.html
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1680857

Sam, Treat me like a novice as this is completely unfamiliar territory. Which log files do you (or to whom) do you want me to fetch? Where is "dmesg" and can I simply use GREP to search for ext4-fs error? Why am I searching for ext4fs when the system is configured as ext3? I will review the threads you posted a little later. What is can I do to definitely remedy this situation (short of virgin re-install)? I may or may not be willing to just say f** it and deal with the additions as all user data is on separate partitions, but all my setups are going to get hosed?

Those links are dealing with ext4fs errors. This is an ext3 system.

If you reinstall the error might happen again.
Since dmesg has no time stamps try e.g.
dmesg | grep -i error
dmesg | grep -i fail

others need full path e.g.
grep -i error /var/log/syslog

or output last 30 lines:
tail -30 /var/log/syslog

Rather use pastebin and post the link here, (it's easier to read and lines don't get truncated).
http://paste.ubuntu.com/

I think I may have found the major contributor to this nonesense: I am running on a damaged fs. It's bad, but not horrible. The puzzle I have is why didn't "sudo touch /forcefsck" run an FSCK on boot, nor "shutdown -rF now". I always puzzled how FSCK was so bloody fast, and the reason obviously was that it did not run. I have run it from the installation CD and from "e2fsck -fn /dev/sda6" and got about the same results: lots of errors (100+). So what is the most successful method of restoring the root, and why did FSCK disappear from startup capability (maybe because fs is known bad)?

used live CD and FSCK manually accepting all recommendations.
Repeasted libc fixes and that worked properly.
Update manager now functional.
/etc/fstab showed that root was being mounted RO because of errors. We should have checked there first when the first seg-fault occurred. I'm sure you just assumed I knew better. Sorry for generating the trouble. Upgrade process now seems to be running as expected. If problems arise i will open a new ticket.

> root was being mounted RO because of errors

Which is expected, usual fstab entry example:
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=bbf85ecb-cc61-40ed-ba7b-d7b804ee845e / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1