dependency problems of version 3.4.2-1ubuntu3

[Xu Zhen]

Have both libffi8ubuntu1:amd64 and libffi8ubuntu1:i386 installed previously. Got these after upgrading to 3.4.2-1ubuntu3

dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libffi8:amd64:
 libffi8:i386 (3.4.2-1ubuntu3) breaks libffi8ubuntu1 and is unpacked but not configured.
  libffi8:amd64 (3.4.2-1ubuntu3) provides libffi8ubuntu1.

dpkg: error processing package libffi8:amd64 (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libffi8:i386:
 libffi8:amd64 (3.4.2-1ubuntu3) breaks libffi8ubuntu1 and is unpacked but not configured.
  libffi8:i386 (3.4.2-1ubuntu3) provides libffi8ubuntu1.

dpkg: error processing package libffi8:i386 (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please execute the following command only once, as it will automatically gather debugging information, in a terminal:

apport-collect 1943312

When reporting bugs in the future please use apport by using 'ubuntu-bug' and the name of the package affected. You can learn more about this functionality at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs.

(looks like impish, but fields aren't populated because ubuntu-bug wasn't used)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Malcolm Priestley (tvboxspy)]

I have same problem reinstalling libffi8ubuntu1 wants to remove the entire ubuntu-desktop in impish.

I am sure it's just waiting for an update to this package.

[surajvinay (surajvinay)]

Failed to boot after executing partial upgrade prompts.

"oh no something has gone wrong a problem has occurred and the system can't recover "

Tried some solutions resolving partially upgraded files in

Got these prompts related to libffi8 , libp11-kit0
Picture in attachment. Kindly provide resolution. System don't boot. No startx either

[Xu Zhen (xuzhen666)]

The control file in libffi8_3.4.2-1ubuntu3_{i386,amd64}.deb has these fields
Breaks: libffi8ubuntu1
Replaces: libffi8ubuntu1
Provides: libffi8ubuntu1 (= 3.4~20200819gead65ca871-0ubuntu5)

a version clause should be added to the Breaks field to avoid the conflict between the i386 and amd64 libraries
Breaks: libffi8ubuntu1 (<= 3.4~20200819gead65ca871-0ubuntu5)

[Andrew (katoteshi)]

Replace Breaks: libffi8ubuntu1 with Breaks: libffi8ubuntu1 (<= 3.4~20200819gead65ca871-0ubuntu5) doesn't help. Bug still present.

[Xu Zhen (xuzhen666)]

Andrew, you did it wrong.

apt download libffi8 libffi8:i386
for d in libffi8*.deb; do
  dpkg-deb -x $d $d.dir;
  dpkg-deb -e $d $d.dir/DEBIAN;
  sed -i 's/Breaks: libffi8ubuntu1/Breaks: libffi8ubuntu1 (<= 3.4~20200819gead65ca871-0ubuntu5)/' $d/DEBIAN/control;
  dpkg-deb -b $d.dir $d;
done
sudo dpkg -i libffi8*.deb

And after the installation, do not update libffi8 again until a new version out.
sudo apt-mark hold libffi8 libffi8:i386

[Andrew (katoteshi)]

I'm newbie in this. Can you write actions by steps?

for d in libffi8*.deb; do
  dpkg-deb -x $d $d.dir;
  dpkg-deb -e $d $d.dir/DEBIAN;
  sed -i 's/Breaks: libffi8ubuntu1/Breaks: libffi8ubuntu1 (<= 3.4~20200819gead65ca871-0ubuntu5)/' $d/DEBIAN/control;
  dpkg-deb -b $d.dir $d;
done

Is it script?

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

working on fixing this, but please note that libffi8 is only in impish-proposed. You should not be installing packages from impish-proposed.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

libffi 3.4.2-1ubuntu4 has been uploaded to impish-proposed and has built on all architectures. Since this bug was only ever present in -proposed, I'm closing this bug report.

[Nyarko Daniel (dannynyarko)]

Hello Steve,
I am also encountering the same probelem. Seems like your
I have tried reinstalling libffi8 but the latest update (ver =3.4.2-1ubuntu4)but that version is still not available for download newest version is still 3.4.2-1ubuntu3.

Kindly assist.

[Andrew (katoteshi)]

It's already in repository

libffi8/impish-proposed 3.4.2-1ubuntu4 amd64 [can be updated from: 3.4.2-1ubuntu3]
  Foreign Function Interface library runtime

libffi8ubuntu1/hirsute,impish 3.4~20200819gead65ca871-0ubuntu5 amd64
  Foreign Function Interface library runtime

[Nadya Sarankhova (nadiasarankhova)]

I have a fresh install from USB on partition 4 of a dual boot system. partition 5 is also running 21.10, but that partition is a backup which does NOT update. it was last updated 9/5 manually.

Following fresh install, i ran update/upgrade apt commands. recieved the dpkg error messages above. After steve's fix, i was able to update the libffi8 pkg via recovery mode root shell. However, this did not fix the system. it still has the same issue.

dpkg and apt both show no broken packages and an up-to-date system as of 0700 today.

apt show reports the -ubuntu4 version now installed.
I am assuming that the crashed update to the -unubtu3 version broke something else? any ideas how to restore short of reinstalling yet again, and if i do reinstall, could there be another conflict that will break it again?
Dell laptop amd64

all yours, it you have a suggestion or need info, let me know what commands to run and where to post/send the output.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

> recieved the dpkg error messages above.

Which dpkg error messages, specifically?

[Nadya Sarankhova (nadiasarankhova)]

These, during initial install of the update to the -ubuntu3 version:

dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libffi8:amd64:
 libffi8:i386 (3.4.2-1ubuntu3) breaks libffi8ubuntu1 and is unpacked but not configured.
  libffi8:amd64 (3.4.2-1ubuntu3) provides libffi8ubuntu1.

dpkg: error processing package libffi8:amd64 (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libffi8:i386:
 libffi8:amd64 (3.4.2-1ubuntu3) breaks libffi8ubuntu1 and is unpacked but not configured.
  libffi8:i386 (3.4.2-1ubuntu3) provides libffi8ubuntu1.

dpkg: error processing package libffi8:i386 (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured

Now i get no errors of any kind anywhere. I can only boot to the recovery mode boot root shell. If booting to the desktop, either normally or via recovery mode "resume" i get a white screen that something has gone wrong, log out and retry. retrying is futile. i've tried five ties in a row and gotten the same message.

Dpkg (via root shell) finds nothing end exits.

apt --fix-broken finds nothing and shows all packages up to date as of 0700 (US, Central) this morning.

Thanks for trying to help.

[Nadya Sarankhova (nadiasarankhova)]

Oh, and if i didn't say it, i update to the -ubuntu4 version via recovery root shell "apt upgrade."

Apt show confirms the -4 version is installed.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

On Mon, Sep 13, 2021 at 03:40:23PM -0000, Nadya Sarankhova wrote:
> These, during initial install of the update to the -ubuntu3 version:

> dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libffi8:amd64:
> libffi8:i386 (3.4.2-1ubuntu3) breaks libffi8ubuntu1 and is unpacked but not configured.
> libffi8:amd64 (3.4.2-1ubuntu3) provides libffi8ubuntu1.

> dpkg: error processing package libffi8:amd64 (--configure):
> dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
> dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libffi8:i386:
> libffi8:amd64 (3.4.2-1ubuntu3) breaks libffi8ubuntu1 and is unpacked but not configured.
> libffi8:i386 (3.4.2-1ubuntu3) provides libffi8ubuntu1.

> dpkg: error processing package libffi8:i386 (--configure):
> dependency problems - leaving unconfigured

> Now i get no errors of any kind anywhere. I can only boot to the
> recovery mode boot root shell. If booting to the desktop, either
> normally or via recovery mode "resume" i get a white screen that
> something has gone wrong, log out and retry. retrying is futile. i've
> tried five ties in a row and gotten the same message.

> Dpkg (via root shell) finds nothing end exits.

> apt --fix-broken finds nothing and shows all packages up to date as of
> 0700 (US, Central) this morning.

> Thanks for trying to help.

Ok, then the remaining issues are unrelated to the package dependency
problem that was fixed, and should be tracked in the other bug that you
filed.

--
Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer https://www.debian.org/
<email address hidden> <email address hidden>

[surajvinay (surajvinay)]

Same here. The fix worked. Updated everything. But the main environment shows same error. 'Oh no! Something has gone wrong.!
I do have. Xfce session and xubuntu session which works on lightdm and hence able to work.
But doesn't work though gdm3.
Tried a reinstall of ubuntu-desktop, gnome-shell, gnome and ubuntu-gnome-desktop. Still same.
Reinstall of gdm3 not possible as it can't be downloaded. That's where I am at.

[Diego Romero (diegomartarelo)]

hey, can I upgrade or not? Last time I updated, I broke my system and had to reinstall, and now someone has already tested if you can upgrade without breaking the system? This bug has been affecting me for a long time and it's been bothering me .. No matter that I change the update settings to update normal (not under development) partial updates keep appearing, has any developer been able to fix this problem? And if you did, what sequence of commands should we use to fix these broken updates?

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

*This* bug was never present in the release pocket. It was resolved before libffi left -proposed.

As a user, you should not be installing updates from the -proposed pocket of the development release.

You should file a new bug report for the issue you're experiencing.