Cannot remove package vim, using purge or remove

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sudo apt-get install -f

?

Isak,

Thanks for the answer, unfortunately I tried that get the same output.

Craig

$ sudo apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
3 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up vim (2:7.2.079-1ubuntu5) ...
dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute post-installation script: Exec format error
dpkg: error processing vim (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Setting up vim-gnome (2:7.2.079-1ubuntu5) ...
update-alternatives: error or eof reading
/var/lib/dpkg/alternatives/vim for sname ()
dpkg: error processing vim-gnome (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of vim-full:
 vim-full depends on vim-gnome (>= 1:7.1-135+1); however:
  Package vim-gnome is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing vim-full (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
No apport report written because the error message indicates its a
followup error from a previous failure.
                          Errors were encountered while processing:
 vim
 vim-gnome
 vim-full
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

On Fri, Jul 10, 2009 at 3:24 PM, Isak
Frants<email address hidden> wrote:
> Your question #76549 on vim in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vim/+question/76549
>
>    Status: Open => Answered
>
> Isak Frants proposed the following answer:
> sudo apt-get install -f
>
> ?
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vim/+question/76549/+confirm?answer_id=1
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vim/+question/76549
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Someone did successfully this:
cd /var/cache/apt/archives
sudo dpkg --force-all -i vim*.deb

There are no .deb packages in that directory.

So I downloaded vim-full, vim and vim-gnome

vim-full installed but got the following

$ sudo dpkg --force-all -i vim*.deb
(Reading database ... 127765 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace vim 2:7.2.079-1ubuntu5 (using
vim_7.2.079-1ubuntu5_amd64.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement vim ...
Preparing to replace vim-gnome 2:7.2.079-1ubuntu5 (using
vim-gnome_7.2.079-1ubuntu5_amd64.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement vim-gnome ...
Setting up vim (2:7.2.079-1ubuntu5) ...
update-alternatives: error or eof reading
/var/lib/dpkg/alternatives/vim for sname ()
dpkg: error processing vim (--install):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Setting up vim-gnome (2:7.2.079-1ubuntu5) ...
update-alternatives: error or eof reading
/var/lib/dpkg/alternatives/vim for sname ()
dpkg: error processing vim-gnome (--install):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
 vim
 vim-gnome

On Fri, Jul 10, 2009 at 4:21 PM, Isak
Frants<email address hidden> wrote:
> Your question #76549 on vim in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vim/+question/76549
>
>    Status: Open => Answered
>
> Isak Frants proposed the following answer:
> Someone did successfully this:
> cd /var/cache/apt/archives
> sudo dpkg --force-all -i vim*.deb
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vim/+question/76549/+confirm?answer_id=3
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vim/+question/76549
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Yes, but its all good learning, just posted again

On Fri, Jul 10, 2009 at 5:24 PM,
surfless<email address hidden> wrote:
> Your question #76549 on vim in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vim/+question/76549
>
>    Status: Answered => Open
>
> You are still having a problem:
> There are no .deb packages in that directory.
>
> So I downloaded vim-full, vim and vim-gnome
>
> vim-full installed but got the following
>
> $ sudo dpkg --force-all -i vim*.deb
> (Reading database ... 127765 files and directories currently installed.)
> Preparing to replace vim 2:7.2.079-1ubuntu5 (using
> vim_7.2.079-1ubuntu5_amd64.deb) ...
> Unpacking replacement vim ...
> Preparing to replace vim-gnome 2:7.2.079-1ubuntu5 (using
> vim-gnome_7.2.079-1ubuntu5_amd64.deb) ...
> Unpacking replacement vim-gnome ...
> Setting up vim (2:7.2.079-1ubuntu5) ...
> update-alternatives: error or eof reading
> /var/lib/dpkg/alternatives/vim for sname ()
> dpkg: error processing vim (--install):
>  subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
> Setting up vim-gnome (2:7.2.079-1ubuntu5) ...
> update-alternatives: error or eof reading
> /var/lib/dpkg/alternatives/vim for sname ()
> dpkg: error processing vim-gnome (--install):
>  subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
> Errors were encountered while processing:
>  vim
>  vim-gnome
>
>
> On Fri, Jul 10, 2009 at 4:21 PM, Isak
> Frants<email address hidden> wrote:
>> Your question #76549 on vim in ubuntu changed:
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vim/+question/76549
>>
>>    Status: Open => Answered
>>
>> Isak Frants proposed the following answer:
>> Someone did successfully this:
>> cd /var/cache/apt/archives
>> sudo dpkg --force-all -i vim*.deb
>>
>> --
>> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
>> know that it is solved:
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vim/+question/76549/+confirm?answer_id=3
>>
>> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
>> following page to enter your feedback:
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vim/+question/76549
>>
>> You received this question notification because you are a direct
>> subscriber of the question.
>>
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Hm there should have been a couple of .debs in /var/cache/apt/archives :O

Make first backups, and then try to delete these files. Delete everything with "vim" and "vim-gnome".
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/vim*.postrm
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/vim*.postinst

After that you could try to do a
sudo apt-get clean
(this deletes all your .debs in /var/cache/apt/archives)
sudo apt-get install vim

What do you get?

Oh thank you, that works perfectly.

$ sudo apt-get install vim
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
vim is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up vim (2:7.2.079-1ubuntu5) ...
Setting up vim-gnome (2:7.2.079-1ubuntu5) ...

excellent!

For my reference what does .postrm and .postinst contain?

On Fri, Jul 10, 2009 at 6:16 PM, Isak
Frants<email address hidden> wrote:
> Your question #76549 on vim in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vim/+question/76549
>
>    Status: Open => Needs information
>
> Isak Frants requested for more information:
> Hm there should have been a couple of .debs in /var/cache/apt/archives
> :O
>
> Make first backups, and then try to delete these files. Delete everything with "vim" and "vim-gnome".
> sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/vim*.postrm
> sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/vim*.postinst
>
> After that you could try to do a
> sudo apt-get clean
> (this deletes all your .debs in /var/cache/apt/archives)
> sudo apt-get install vim
>
> What do you get?
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vim/+question/76549
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

"dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute post-installation script: Exec format error"

The script used was corrupted, you deleted the corrupted and it was replaced with new ones. Put the question as status solved and everyone is happy!