Installation fails for certain amd64 packages (broken multi arch support?)

[Rüdiger Kupper]

Trying to install certain packages using apt on an amd64 system leads to an error message that looks as if multi arch support is broken.

Example. Today, I tried *on two different Ubuntu 11.10 amd64 systems*, to install the Powerpoint Viewer. This happens:

> ruediger@helge:~$ sudo apt-get install pptview
> [sudo] password for ruediger:
> Reading package lists... Done
> Building dependency tree
> Reading state information... Done
> Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
> requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
> distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
> or been moved out of Incoming.
> The following information may help to resolve the situation:
>
> The following packages have unmet dependencies:
> pptview:i386 : Depends: wine:i386
> E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

When trying to install using the Ubuntu Software Center, Powerpoint Viewer is returned as a search result, but trying to install it leads to the message: 'There isn't a software package called "pptview" in your current software sources.'

(Another package that cannot be installed on both amd64 systems is "ardesia"; I cannot determine if this is related:
> ruediger@helge:~$ sudo apt-get install ardesia
> Reading package lists... Done
> Building dependency tree
> Reading state information... Done
> Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
> requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
> distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
> or been moved out of Incoming.
> The following information may help to resolve the situation:
>
> The following packages have unmet dependencies:
> ardesia : Depends: binutils (< 2.21.53.20110806) but 2.21.53.20110810-0ubuntu5 is to be installed
> E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: apt 0.8.16~exp5ubuntu13
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-14.23-generic 3.0.9
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-14-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Dec 19 21:36:36 2011
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
SourcePackage: apt
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-14 (66 days ago)

[Sam_ (and-sam)]

Same outputs here (only in german). Same when trying to install <package>:i386 e.g.
sudo apt-get -s install ardesia:i386
outputs unmet dependencies for
 ardesia:i386 : Hängt ab: binutils:i386 (>= 2.21.53.20110805) soll aber nicht installiert werden
                Hängt ab: binutils:i386 (< 2.21.53.20110806) soll aber nicht installiert werden
                Hängt ab: libgsl0ldbl:i386 (>= 1.9) soll aber nicht installiert werden
                Hängt ab: libxml2:i386 (>= 2.7.4) soll aber nicht installiert werden
                Hängt ab: vlc:i386 soll aber nicht installiert werden
                Hängt ab: xdg-utils:i386 ist aber nicht installierbar

cat /etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg.d/multiarch
foreign-architecture i386

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Sam_ (and-sam)]

Better readable output:
LANGUAGE=C sudo apt-get -s install ardesia:i386
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 ardesia:i386 : Depends: binutils:i386 (>= 2.21.53.20110805) but it is not going to be installed
                Depends: binutils:i386 (< 2.21.53.20110806) but it is not going to be installed
                Depends: libgsl0ldbl:i386 (>= 1.9) but it is not going to be installed
                Depends: libxml2:i386 (>= 2.7.4) but it is not going to be installed
                Depends: vlc:i386 but it is not going to be installed
                Depends: xdg-utils:i386 but it is not installable

[Dave Gilbert (ubuntu-treblig)]

Hi,
  I agree that these are broken packages, as you say probably multiarch issues; however I don't think there is an apt bug here - just that there are some broken packages.

  Please report bugs against each package that won't install.

Dave

[Rüdiger Kupper (ruediger.kupper)]

Hello Dave,

thank you for your comment. I couldn't tell if this was an apt bug or not. So I will file bugs against
- pptview
- ardesia

Is that right?
Just a note: If there are two broken packages that I encountered, there are probably a lot more around with the same problem.

[Rüdiger Kupper (ruediger.kupper)]

See
- Bug #909447 (new)
- Bug #864265 (my problem regarding ardesia package is a duplicate of this bug, thank you!)