bugs in gconftool-2 and gtk-update-icon-cache trash apt system

[lcampagn]

Binary package hint: gconf2

On my latest upgrade in Hardy, several package installs have failed due apparently to bugs in gconftool-2 and gtk-update-icon-cache. If I now try to remove these packages, I get the following error:

# dpkg --purge compiz-gnome
dpkg: error processing compiz-gnome (--purge):
 Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should
 reinstall it before attempting a removal.
Errors were encountered while processing:
 compiz-gnome

Of course I can not install the package either, since that install failed in the first place. I've attached a log of some failures in the update process which show backtraces from gconftool-2 and gtk-update-icon-cache.

[lcampagn (luke-campagnola)]

After a reboot, I find that the latest kernel (-24) does not boot. I get some segmentation fault right around the time it's mounting root (didn't write it down). The previous kernel (-8) boots, but X no longer starts and bash crashes if I try to log in at the console:

malloc: ../bash/subst.c:3472: assertion botched
free: called with unallocated block argument
Aborting...Aborted (core dumped)

This indicates to me that there may be a much bigger problem with this system than just gconftool-2.

Methinks it may be time to wipe the Hardy partition and start again. I'll keep it around a while for forensics if other people start having similar trouble.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thanks for the bug report. This particular bug has already been reported, but feel free to report any other bugs you find.