Update failed due to problem with ubuntu-desktop

[Tommy Trussell]

I launched software-updater as I usually do, and I was informed I needed to perform a "partial upgrade," and I agreed to the dist upgrade.

The indicator showed various packages being downloaded, but next thing I knew a dialog appeared saying:

"Can't install 'ubuntu-desktop' It was impossible to install a required package. Please report this as a bug using 'ubuntu-bug ubuntu-release-upgrader-core' in a terminal."

So I did.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: ubuntu-release-upgrader-core 1:16.04.23
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-112.135-generic 4.4.98
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-112-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15
Architecture: amd64
CrashDB: ubuntu
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Thu Feb 15 16:33:08 2018
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: ubuntu-release-upgrader
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
VarLogDistupgradeTermlog:

[Tommy Trussell (tommy-trussell)]

started using a terminal and it looks like it's going to finish

twt@Dimension1:~$ sudo apt update
[sudo] password for twt:
Get:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease [102 kB]
Hit:2 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:3 http://screenshots.getdeb.net xenial-getdeb InRelease
Get:4 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/main amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [67.4 kB]
Hit:5 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Get:6 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/main DEP-11 64x64 Icons [66.9 kB]
Get:7 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/universe amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [51.3 kB]
Get:8 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/universe DEP-11 64x64 Icons [80.2 kB]
Get:9 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease [102 kB]
Get:10 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease [102 kB]
Get:11 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease [102 kB]
Get:12 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main Sources [296 kB]
Get:13 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 Packages [724 kB]
Get:14 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main i386 Packages [674 kB]
Get:15 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [317 kB]
Get:16 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main DEP-11 64x64 Icons [217 kB]
Get:17 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/universe amd64 Packages [588 kB]
Get:18 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/universe i386 Packages [545 kB]
Get:19 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/universe amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [190 kB]
Get:20 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/universe DEP-11 64x64 Icons [272 kB]
Get:21 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/multiverse amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [5,888 B]
Get:22 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/main amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [67.4 kB]
Get:23 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/main DEP-11 64x64 Icons [66.9 kB]
Get:24 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/universe amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [51.3 kB]
Get:25 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/universe DEP-11 64x64 Icons [80.2 kB]
Fetched 4,768 kB in 7s (651 kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
37 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
twt@Dimension1:~$ sudo apt upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following packages have been kept back:
  compiz compiz-core compiz-gnome compiz-plugins-default libcompizconfig0
  libdecoration0
The following packages will be upgraded:
  apt apt-transport-https apt-utils bsdutils gnome-disk-utility libapt-inst2.0
  libapt-pkg5.0 libblkid1 libegl1-mesa libfdisk1 libgbm1 libgl1-mesa-dev
  libgl1-mesa-dri libgl1-mesa-glx libglapi-mesa libgles2-mesa libmount1
  libsmartcols1 libunity-control-center1 lib...

[Tommy Trussell (tommy-trussell)]

[I accidentally interrupted the previous apt upgrade. It DID finish with the packages kept back.]

twt@Dimension1:~$ sudo apt upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following packages have been kept back:
  compiz compiz-core compiz-gnome compiz-plugins-default libcompizconfig0
  libdecoration0
The following packages will be upgraded:
  apt apt-transport-https apt-utils bsdutils gnome-disk-utility libapt-inst2.0
  libapt-pkg5.0 libblkid1 libegl1-mesa libfdisk1 libgbm1 libgl1-mesa-dev
  libgl1-mesa-dri libgl1-mesa-glx libglapi-mesa libgles2-mesa libmount1
  libsmartcols1 libunity-control-center1 libuuid1 libwayland-egl1-mesa
  libxatracker2 linux-firmware mesa-common-dev mesa-vdpau-drivers mount
  resolvconf unity-control-center unity-control-center-faces util-linux
  uuid-runtime
31 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 6 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/59.8 MB of archives.
After this operation, 21.5 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
Extracting templates from packages: 100%
Preconfiguring packages ...
(Reading database ... 281278 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../bsdutils_1%3a2.27.1-6ubuntu3.4_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking bsdutils (1:2.27.1-6ubuntu3.4) over (1:2.27.1-6ubuntu3.3) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ...
Setting up bsdutils (1:2.27.1-6ubuntu3.4) ...
(Reading database ... 281278 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../util-linux_2.27.1-6ubuntu3.4_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking util-linux (2.27.1-6ubuntu3.4) over (2.27.1-6ubuntu3.3) ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-19) ...
ureadahead will be reprofiled on next reboot
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.59ubuntu1) ...
Setting up util-linux (2.27.1-6ubuntu3.4) ...
Processing triggers for systemd (229-4ubuntu21.1) ...
(Reading database ... 281278 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../mount_2.27.1-6ubuntu3.4_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking mount (2.27.1-6ubuntu3.4) over (2.27.1-6ubuntu3.3) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ...
Setting up mount (2.27.1-6ubuntu3.4) ...
(Reading database ... 281278 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libapt-pkg5.0_1.2.25_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libapt-pkg5.0:amd64 (1.2.25) over (1.2.24) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.23-0ubuntu10) ...
Setting up libapt-pkg5.0:amd64 (1.2.25) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.23-0ubuntu10) ...
(Reading database ... 281278 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libapt-inst2.0_1.2.25_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libapt-inst2.0:amd64 (1.2.25) over (1.2.24) ...
Preparing to unpack .../archives/apt_1.2.25_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking apt (1.2.25) over (1.2.24) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.23-0ubuntu10) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ...
Setting up apt (1.2.25) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.23-0ubuntu10) ...
(Reading database ... 281278 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../apt-utils_1.2.25_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking apt-ut...

[Tommy Trussell (tommy-trussell)]

twt@Dimension1:~$ sudo apt full-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
  session-shortcuts
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove it.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  ubuntu-desktop unity unity-tweak-tool
The following packages will be upgraded:
  compiz compiz-core compiz-gnome compiz-plugins-default libcompizconfig0
  libdecoration0
6 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 3 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 1,469 kB of archives.
After this operation, 9,604 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] n
Abort.
twt@Dimension1:~$

[Tommy Trussell (tommy-trussell)]

I am assuming there's no good reason my system is telling me to ditch Unity so I'm holding off for now

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Drew R. (drew-rosoff)]

I just ran into the identical problem. Upgraded normally this morning, no problems. Went to upgrade again tonight, and got the dialog offering me a partial upgrade due to problems. When I tried instead on the command line, it claimed the same set of packages would be help back (i.e., compiz related packages). I did not let it proceed, because I do not understand why they are being held back nor what state I would be left in after an upgrade. Any advice?

[Daniel Davies (ddavies0001)]

I ran into the same problem this morning.

So far as I can tell, ubuntu-desktop depends on unity. unity depends on
compiz-core-abiversion20151010. compiz-core-abiversion20161010 is a virtual
package which is made available from compiz-core.
Two versions of compiz-core are available, one of them provides
compiz-core-abiversion20151010. So far, so good. Unfortunately, the
compiz-core package is intertwined with a bunch of other packages in the
compiz metapackage. There are two versions of the compiz metapackage available, but both
reference newer versions of compiz-core than the one that provides
compiz-core-abiversion20151010.