Upgrade problem, dpkg error & apt-get update leads to error message: libapt-pkg.so.4.12: file too

[Christopher Forster]

Hi, I get an error whenever I try to open an application using apt or try to install anything & now I want to finding a way to update Lubuntu 12.04 with apt. apt-get update leads to error message: libapt-pkg.so.4.12: file too short. I'm running Lubuntu 12.04 from a DELTACO USB SATA/IDE adapter kit from an USB port. I have tried to repair the file system with the fsck tool. I know that running the ext4 file system without a journal can cause problems. Other than that the system works very well.

From Terminal:
Code:
dmesg | grep EXT4
[ 3.033062] EXT4-fs (sdb1): mounted filesystem without journal. Opts: (null)
[ 9.255690] EXT4-fs (sdb1): re-mounted. Opts: errors=remount-ro

Update from Terminal:
Code:
sudo apt-get update
apt-get: error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libapt-pkg.so.4.12: file too short

Code:
sudo apt-get install <package>
apt-get: error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libapt-pkg.so.4.12: file too short

Code:
sudo synaptic
synaptic: error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libapt-pkg.so.4.12: file too short

Code:
sudo update-manager
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/update-manager", line 33, in <module>
from UpdateManager.UpdateManager import UpdateManager
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/UpdateManager/UpdateManager.py", line 39, in <module>
import apt_pkg
ImportError: /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libapt-pkg.so.4.12: fil för kort
Error in sys.excepthook:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apport_python_hook.py", line 64, in apport_excepthook
from apport.fileutils import likely_packaged, get_recent_crashes
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apport/__init__.py", line 1, in <module>
from apport.report import Report
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apport/report.py", line 20, in <module>
import apport.fileutils
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apport/fileutils.py", line 22, in <module>
from apport.packaging_impl import impl as packaging
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apport/packaging_impl.py", line 20, in <module>
import apt
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/apt/__init__.py", line 21, in <module>
import apt_pkg
ImportError: /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libapt-pkg.so.4.12: fil för kort

Original exception was:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/update-manager", line 33, in <module>
from UpdateManager.UpdateManager import UpdateManager
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/UpdateManager/UpdateManager.py", line 39, in <module>
import apt_pkg
ImportError: /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libapt-pkg.so.4.12: fil för kort

"fil för kort" which means file too short in Swedish.

I also got: "Ett problem inträffade vid kontroll av uppdateringar." which means: A problem occurred when checking for updates.

Running fsck & e2fsck from Debian 7 "Wheezy" testing, output in Swedish:
Code:
root@debian:/# fsck /dev/sdc1
fsck från util-linux 2.20.1
e2fsck 1.42.4 (12-Jun-2012)
/dev/sdc1 var inte fläckfritt avmonterat, kontroll framtvingad.
Pass 1: Kontrollerar inoder, block och storlekar
Pass 2: Kontrollerar katalogstruktur
Pass 3: Kontrollerar katalogförbindelser
Pass 4: Kontrollerar referensräknare
Pass 5: Kontrollerar gruppsammanfattningsinformation
/dev/sdc1: 157422/5431296 filer (0.2% ej sammanhängande), 1632724/21717248 block

Code:
root@debian:/# e2fsck -f /dev/sdc1
e2fsck 1.42.4 (12-Jun-2012)
Pass 1: Kontrollerar inoder, block och storlekar
Pass 2: Kontrollerar katalogstruktur
Pass 3: Kontrollerar katalogförbindelser
Pass 4: Kontrollerar referensräknare
Pass 5: Kontrollerar gruppsammanfattningsinformation
/dev/sdc1: 157422/5431296 filer (0.2% ej sammanhängande), 1632724/21717248 block

Running from Terminal in Lubuntu 12.04, output in Swedish:

Code:
sudo dpkg -i libapt-pkg4.12_0.8.16~exp12ubuntu10_i386.deb
dpkg: fel: läser paketinfofilen "/var/lib/dpkg/available": Är en katalog

Source: http://pkgs.org/ubuntu-12.04/ubuntu-main-i386/libapt-pkg4.12_0.8.16~exp12ubuntu10_i386.deb/download/

Code:
sudo dpkg -i libapt-pkg4.12_0.8.16~exp12ubuntu10.2_i386.deb
dpkg: fel: läser paketinfofilen "/var/lib/dpkg/available": Är en katalog

Source: http://packages.ubuntu.com/sv/precise/i386/libapt-pkg4.12/download

Original source by Lyfang (aka Christopher Forster): http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2020530

[Christopher Forster (christopherforster)]

[SOLVED] Extract libapt-pkg4.12_0.8.16~exp12ubuntu10.2_i386.deb with File Roller. Backup all files mentioned with the cp command. In my case only libapt-pkg.so.4.12.

Or locate files with PCManFM as a superuser to backup file(s) and backup file(s):

Run from (LX)Terminal:
gksudo pcmanfm

Copy both libapt-pkg.so.4.12 & libapt-pkg.so.4.12.0 to the directory /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu i.e.:
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libapt-pkg.so.4.12
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libapt-pkg.so.4.12.0

The apt-get command now works great!

[Christopher Forster (christopherforster)]

update-manager error:

"installArchives() failed: Could not exec dpkg!
Error in function:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/aptdaemon/progress.py", line 428, in run
    self._child(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/aptdaemon/progress.py", line 748, in _child
    os.execlp(apt_pkg.config["Dir::Bin::DPkg"], *args)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/os.py", line 327, in execlp
    execvp(file, args)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/os.py", line 344, in execvp
    _execvpe(file, args)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/os.py", line 368, in _execvpe
    func(file, *argrest)
OSError: [Errno 13] Permission denied"

[Adam Conrad (adconrad)]

This looks like filesystem corruption or dying hardware. The part where bits of it were solved by re-extracting the relevant libraries seems to back this up. Marking invalid, as it's not a dpkg bug.

[Christopher Forster (christopherforster)]

Thanks for responding. Adam Conrad (adconrad), most likely filesystem corruption. However software reliability with program closer to the main operating system layer/parts such as libraries are more vital to the OS experience. I don't think a file system without a journal should be able to break dpkg or apt. This issue has not been specifically addressed?

[Svartalf (frank-earlconsult)]

Most likely filesystem corruption?

Not lookinng like it guys. Fresh install. New laptop. Works fine until I try to do a package migration.

Canonical...hint from one distribution dev (embedded) to a fellow distribution dev- it does NO good whatsoever to make it "easy to use" and "pretty" if it does stupid things like this. Worse, you're not helping end users when you do a brushoff like this.

[Christopher Forster (christopherforster)]

If trying to update the repository with apt and one gets a bunch of error messages: Is there a way to debug apt? I have now reinstalled Lubuntu though. @Svartalf (frank-earlconsult) comment #5, if this bug affects you could you please confirm this bug? ("This bug affects 1 person. Does this bug affect you? Yes, it affects me")