package cups-browsed (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Michael Wilson]

I'm no longer able to print. I'm not sure exactly when the problem started. At some point, apt-get started listing some cups packages as no longer needed. I tried to install cups (I don't know when it was removed - I never removed it intentionally.) The installation fails.

sudo apt-get install cups
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:
 cups : Depends: libcups2 (= 2.1.3-4) but 2.1.3-4ubuntu0.2 is to be installed
        Depends: libcupscgi1 (>= 1.4.2) but it is not going to be installed
        Depends: libcupsmime1 (>= 1.4.0) but it is not going to be installed
        Depends: cups-core-drivers (>= 2.1.3-4)
        Depends: cups-daemon (>= 2.1.3-4)
        Recommends: printer-driver-gutenprint but it is not going to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: cups-browsed (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-66.87-generic 4.4.44
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-66-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.5
AptOrdering:
 cups-browsed: Install
 cups-browsed: Configure
 NULL: ConfigurePending
Architecture: amd64
CupsErrorLog:

Date: Wed Mar 29 08:50:18 2017
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-01-17 (70 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160420.1)
Lpstat: Error: command ['lpstat', '-v'] failed with exit code 1: lpstat: Bad file descriptor
MachineType: Dell Inc. Precision Tower 7810
Papersize: letter
PpdFiles:
 Hewlett-Packard-HP-LaserJet-P3010-Series: HP LaserJet P3010 Series Postscript (recommended)
 Xerox-WorkCentre-7335: Xerox WorkCentre 7335 Foomatic/Postscript (recommended)
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-66-generic root=UUID=79afa339-6674-451b-ae78-a7194535ee4d ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1.1
 apt 1.2.19
SourcePackage: cups-filters
Title: package cups-browsed (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 03/09/2016
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A12
dmi.board.name: 0GWHMW
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 7
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA12:bd03/09/2016:svnDellInc.:pnPrecisionTower7810:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0GWHMW:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct7:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Precision Tower 7810
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.