[HARDY] language-support-writing-en broken

[A. Broustet]

Binary package hint: apt

After updating and upgrading one hour ago, I've done one more time an update and an upgrade. Since the following package is broken : language-support-writing-en

:~$ sudo aptitude safe-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information
Initializing package states... Done
Building tag database... Done
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  language-support-writing-en: Depends: openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us but it is not installable

:~$ sudo aptitude install language-support-writing-en
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information
Initializing package states... Done
Building tag database... Done
The following NEW packages will be automatically installed:
  openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us
The following partially installed packages will be configured:
  language-support-writing-en
0 packages upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B/32.7kB of archives. After unpacking 127kB will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?]
Writing extended state information... Done
(Reading database ... 147670 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us (from .../openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us_2.3.1-1_all.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us_2.3.1-1_all.deb (--unpack):
 trying to overwrite `/usr/share/myspell/dicts/hyph_en_US.dic', which is also in package openoffice.org-hyphenation
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us_2.3.1-1_all.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of language-support-writing-en:
 language-support-writing-en depends on openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us; however:
  Package openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us is not installed.
dpkg: error processing language-support-writing-en (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 language-support-writing-en
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information
Initializing package states... Done
Writing extended state information... Done
Building tag database... Done

[David Hamm (davidthamm)]

Having same exact problem

[Magnus Lundborg (lundborg-magnus)]

I am changing the affected package from apt to language-support-writing-en.
I think the problem is the dependency on openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us that is the problem. I think it should depend on openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us or openoffice.org-hyphenation.

[Anupam Kamal (anupamkamal)]

Same problem here. Get this:

E: /var/cache/apt/archives/openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us_2.3.1-1_all.deb: trying to overwrite `/usr/share/myspell/dicts/hyph_en_US.dic', which is also in package openoffice.org-hyphenation

[Sam Williams (sam-williams)]

I am running into the exact problem as well. Mine started occurring after a dist-upgrade to hardy. It seems to also have the bad affect of preventing the gnome-settings-daemon from starting properly.

[sirjoebob (sirjoebob)]

i can confirm the exact same issue on a fresh install of alpha 5 on a dell vostro 1500.

[sirjoebob (sirjoebob)]

Sorry for the double-post but here is a screenshot of my error message

[burasa (patrick-burasa)]

Same problem her on Hardy Alpha 5 om my IBM T60... recently installed it with an encrypted LVM pv... I had started to suspect that it may have anything to do with cryptsetup but since you all have the same issue, I am a bit relieved.

[thecure (keith-k)]

confirm. 64 bit Hardy

[maKA (tmsrishi)]

confirm alpha 5 hardy fresh install

[KWierso (kwierso)]

Fresh install of Alpha 5. Same error.

[unggnu (unggnu)]

This both commands should fix the problem:

sudo dpkg -r openoffice.org-hyphenation
sudo apt-get -f install

[fuhrysteve (fuhrysteve)]

@unggnu
mom@Dell500:~$ sudo dpkg -r openoffice.org-hyphenation
[sudo] password for mom:
dpkg: dependency problems prevent removal of openoffice.org-hyphenation:
 openoffice.org-core depends on openoffice.org-hyphenation.
dpkg: error processing openoffice.org-hyphenation (--remove):
 dependency problems - not removing
Errors were encountered while processing:
 openoffice.org-hyphenation

No fix.

[Alperen Yusuf Aybar (alperen)]

confirmed on hardy alpha 5 64bit

[unggnu (unggnu)]

@fuhrysteve
Maybe a `sudo apt-get update` is needed before but it worked for me.

[Andrey Yurovsky (andrey.yurovsky)]

This is nasty but it will work:

sudo dpkg --force-all -r openoffice.org-hyphenation
sudo apt-get -f install

[Nicolas Valcarcel (nvalcarcel)]

Same error here upgrading to hardy.

(Reading database ... 119338 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us (from .../openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us_2.3.1-1_all.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us_2.3.1-1_all.deb (--unpack):
 trying to overwrite `/usr/share/myspell/dicts/hyph_en_US.dic', which is also in package openoffice.org-hyphenation
Selecting previously deselected package language-support-writing-en.
Unpacking language-support-writing-en (from .../language-support-writing-en_1%3a8.04+20080229_all.deb) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/openoffice.org-hyphenation-en-us_2.3.1-1_all.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[A. Broustet (ubuntu-amael)]

This solution did'nt work as it :

>sudo dpkg --force-all -r openoffice.org-hyphenation
>sudo apt-get -f install

I had to do
$ cd /var/cache/apt/archives
$ sudo dpkg --force-overwrite --install openoffice.org-hyphenation_0.2_all.deb

as  /usr/share/myspell/dicts/hyph_en_US.dic is overwritten by openoffice.org-hyphenation_0.2_all.deb

It's really dirty and I can't recommand such a solution (but it was the sole solution that I have found in order to get synaptic working).

[unggnu (unggnu)]

I have rechecked my workaround with a new Hardy Alpha 5 installation on a different system and it works without force. I have run the follow commands:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get -f install
sudo dpkg -r openoffice.org-hyphenation
sudo apt-get -f install

[Duncan Lithgow (duncan-lithgow)]

unggnu: thanks for trying to provide a workaround for this. I've just tried it and I end with:
duncan@ubuntu:~$ sudo dpkg -r openoffice.org-hyphenation
dpkg: dependency problems prevent removal of openoffice.org-hyphenation:
 openoffice.org-core depends on openoffice.org-hyphenation.
dpkg: error processing openoffice.org-hyphenation (--remove):
 dependency problems - not removing
Errors were encountered while processing:
 openoffice.org-hyphenation
duncan@ubuntu:~$

Of course that doesn't mean it won't work for other users - but it doesn't work for me. The full output is attached.

[Duncan Lithgow (duncan-lithgow)]

The following post on the Forum has another solution, which also uses --force-all
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=698041