Bug #827942 “package dselect (not installed) failed to install/u...” : Bugs : linux-lts-backport-natty package : Ubuntu

Revision history for this message

aklimatizer (nate78) wrote on 2011-08-17:

#1

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Dmesg.txt Edit (84.4 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")

Revision history for this message

Raphaël Hertzog (hertzog) wrote on 2011-08-18:

#2

What filesystem are you using? This error message means that a simple open fails:

    fd= open(fnamenewvb.buf, (O_CREAT|O_EXCL|O_WRONLY), 0);
    if (fd < 0)
      ohshite(_("unable to create `%.255s' (while processing `%.255s')"),
              fnamenewvb.buf, ti->name);

And those arguments O_CREAT|O_EXCL|O_WRONLY are very common and should not result in the error you gave.

Can you show us the output of "ls -al /etc/dpkg/" and "mount" ?

Revision history for this message

aklimatizer (nate78) wrote on 2011-08-19: Re: [Bug 827942] Re: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument

#3

Download full text (4.5 KiB)

Hi,

I'm using a macbook 4.1 that has Mac OS X Leopard on it as well as
Ubuntu Natty (Dual boot). I was using the Ubuntu OS when I received
this error. The two OS' are partitioned on the same drive, and rEFIt
is a third partition on the same drive. The Mac partition is labeled
Mac HD and the Linux partition is labeled Linux HD.

I also have an external drive (USB) attached, which contains the
partitions "Mac Backup" and "Win Backup" as well as "WD Smartware".

Here is the output of ls -al /etc/dpkg:

total 32
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 2011-04-25 19:07 .
drwxr-xr-x 138 root root 8192 2011-08-19 09:10 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 446 2011-03-01 17:07 dpkg.cfg
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2011-04-25 19:11 dpkg.cfg.d
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2011-04-25 18:51 origins
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 260 2011-03-01 17:07 shlibs.default
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 253 2011-03-01 17:07 shlibs.override

Here is the output of "mount":

/dev/sda3 on / type ext2 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
proc on /proc type proc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
none on /sys type sysfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
fusectl on /sys/fs/fuse/connections type fusectl (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/debug type debugfs (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/security type securityfs (rw)
none on /dev type devtmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
none on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,noexec,nosuid,gid=5,mode=0620)
none on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
none on /var/run type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
none on /var/lock type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
binfmt_misc on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc type binfmt_misc
(rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
gvfs-fuse-daemon on /home/nate/.gvfs type fuse.gvfs-fuse-daemon
(rw,nosuid,nodev,user=nate)
/dev/sdb1 on /media/Mac Backup type hfsplus (rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=udisks)
/dev/sdb2 on /media/WINBACKUP type vfat
(rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=udisks,uid=1000,gid=1000,shortname=mixed,dmask=0077,utf8=1,showexec,flush)
/dev/sda2 on /media/Mac HD type hfsplus (rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=udisks)

If you need anything else, just let me know.

Thanks,

Nate

2011/8/18 Raphaël Hertzog <email address hidden>:
> What filesystem are you using? This error message means that a simple
> open fails:
>
> fd= open(fnamenewvb.buf, (O_CREAT|O_EXCL|O_WRONLY), 0);
> if (fd < 0)
> ohshite(_("unable to create `%.255s' (while processing `%.255s')"),
> fnamenewvb.buf, ti->name);
>
> And those arguments O_CREAT|O_EXCL|O_WRONLY are very common and should
> not result in the error you gave.
>
> Can you show us the output of "ls -al /etc/dpkg/" and "mount" ?
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/827942
>
> Title:
> package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to
> create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing
> `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>
> Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
> New
>
> Bug description:
> I don't know a great deal about linux/ubuntu. I was trying to update
> a library file libc6 to a newer version, and could not see a way to do
> this using apt, so I went through some man pages, found dselect, tried
> to use it, found it was not installed, and tried to in...

Hi,

I'm using a macbook 4.1 that has Mac OS X Leopard on it as well as
Ubuntu Natty (Dual boot).  I was using the Ubuntu OS when I received
this error.  The two OS' are partitioned on the same drive, and rEFIt
is a third partition on the same drive.  The Mac partition is labeled
Mac HD and the Linux partition is labeled Linux HD.

I also have an external drive (USB) attached, which contains the
partitions "Mac Backup" and "Win Backup" as well as "WD Smartware".

Here is the output of ls -al /etc/dpkg:

total 32
drwxr-xr-x   4 root root 4096 2011-04-25 19:07 .
drwxr-xr-x 138 root root 8192 2011-08-19 09:10 ..
-rw-r--r--   1 root root  446 2011-03-01 17:07 dpkg.cfg
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root 4096 2011-04-25 19:11 dpkg.cfg.d
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root 4096 2011-04-25 18:51 origins
-rw-r--r--   1 root root  260 2011-03-01 17:07 shlibs.default
-rw-r--r--   1 root root  253 2011-03-01 17:07 shlibs.override

Here is the output of "mount":

/dev/sda3 on / type ext2 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
proc on /proc type proc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
none on /sys type sysfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
fusectl on /sys/fs/fuse/connections type fusectl (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/debug type debugfs (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/security type securityfs (rw)
none on /dev type devtmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
none on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,noexec,nosuid,gid=5,mode=0620)
none on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
none on /var/run type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
none on /var/lock type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
binfmt_misc on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc type binfmt_misc
(rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
gvfs-fuse-daemon on /home/nate/.gvfs type fuse.gvfs-fuse-daemon
(rw,nosuid,nodev,user=nate)
/dev/sdb1 on /media/Mac Backup type hfsplus (rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=udisks)
/dev/sdb2 on /media/WINBACKUP type vfat
(rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=udisks,uid=1000,gid=1000,shortname=mixed,dmask=0077,utf8=1,showexec,flush)
/dev/sda2 on /media/Mac HD type hfsplus (rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=udisks)

If you need anything else, just let me know.

Thanks,

Nate

2011/8/18 Raphaël Hertzog <hertzog@debian.org>:
> What filesystem are you using? This error message means that a simple
> open fails:
>
>    fd= open(fnamenewvb.buf, (O_CREAT|O_EXCL|O_WRONLY), 0);
>    if (fd < 0)
>      ohshite(_("unable to create `%.255s' (while processing `%.255s')"),
>              fnamenewvb.buf, ti->name);
>
> And those arguments O_CREAT|O_EXCL|O_WRONLY are very common and should
> not result in the error you gave.
>
> Can you show us the output of "ls -al /etc/dpkg/" and "mount" ?
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/827942
>
> Title:
>  package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to
>  create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing
>  `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>
> Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
>  New
>
> Bug description:
>  I don't know a great deal about linux/ubuntu.  I was trying to update
>  a library file libc6 to a newer version, and could not see a way to do
>  this using apt, so I went through some man pages, found dselect, tried
>  to use it, found it was not installed, and tried to install it using
>  apt-get....this is when I received this error.  I don't know if it's a
>  bug or not, I don't know if I can't use dselect when apt is already
>  installed due to some sort of conflict.
>
>  ProblemType: Package
>  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
>  Package: dselect (not installed)
>  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
>  Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic i686
>  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
>  AptOrdering:
>   dselect: Install
>   dselect: Configure
>  Architecture: i386
>  Date: Wed Aug 17 07:00:16 2011
>  DpkgTerminalLog:
>   Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
>   dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb (--unpack):
>    unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  ErrorMessage: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
>  SourcePackage: dpkg
>  Title: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dpkg/+bug/827942/+subscriptions
>

Revision history for this message

aklimatizer (nate78) wrote on 2011-08-19:

#4

Hi,

I don't know if this is relevant or not, but in addition to the setup
I described in my previous email, I also am running VirtualBox with
Windows XP as the guest OS. I do believe VirtualBox was running in
the background at the time of this error message.

2011/8/18 Raphaël Hertzog <email address hidden>:
> What filesystem are you using? This error message means that a simple
> open fails:
>
> fd= open(fnamenewvb.buf, (O_CREAT|O_EXCL|O_WRONLY), 0);
> if (fd < 0)
> ohshite(_("unable to create `%.255s' (while processing `%.255s')"),
> fnamenewvb.buf, ti->name);
>
> And those arguments O_CREAT|O_EXCL|O_WRONLY are very common and should
> not result in the error you gave.
>
> Can you show us the output of "ls -al /etc/dpkg/" and "mount" ?
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/827942
>
> Title:
> package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to
> create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing
> `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>
> Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
> New
>
> Bug description:
> I don't know a great deal about linux/ubuntu. I was trying to update
> a library file libc6 to a newer version, and could not see a way to do
> this using apt, so I went through some man pages, found dselect, tried
> to use it, found it was not installed, and tried to install it using
> apt-get....this is when I received this error. I don't know if it's a
> bug or not, I don't know if I can't use dselect when apt is already
> installed due to some sort of conflict.
>
> ProblemType: Package
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
> Package: dselect (not installed)
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
> Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic i686
> NonfreeKernelModules: wl
> AptOrdering:
> dselect: Install
> dselect: Configure
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Wed Aug 17 07:00:16 2011
> DpkgTerminalLog:
> Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
> dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb (--unpack):
> unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
> ErrorMessage: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
> SourcePackage: dpkg
> Title: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dpkg/+bug/827942/+subscriptions
>

Hi,

I don't know if this is relevant or not, but in addition to the setup
I described in my previous email, I also am running VirtualBox with
Windows XP as the guest OS.  I do believe VirtualBox was running in
the background at the time of this error message.

2011/8/18 Raphaël Hertzog <hertzog@debian.org>:
> What filesystem are you using? This error message means that a simple
> open fails:
>
>    fd= open(fnamenewvb.buf, (O_CREAT|O_EXCL|O_WRONLY), 0);
>    if (fd < 0)
>      ohshite(_("unable to create `%.255s' (while processing `%.255s')"),
>              fnamenewvb.buf, ti->name);
>
> And those arguments O_CREAT|O_EXCL|O_WRONLY are very common and should
> not result in the error you gave.
>
> Can you show us the output of "ls -al /etc/dpkg/" and "mount" ?
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/827942
>
> Title:
>  package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to
>  create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing
>  `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>
> Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
>  New
>
> Bug description:
>  I don't know a great deal about linux/ubuntu.  I was trying to update
>  a library file libc6 to a newer version, and could not see a way to do
>  this using apt, so I went through some man pages, found dselect, tried
>  to use it, found it was not installed, and tried to install it using
>  apt-get....this is when I received this error.  I don't know if it's a
>  bug or not, I don't know if I can't use dselect when apt is already
>  installed due to some sort of conflict.
>
>  ProblemType: Package
>  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
>  Package: dselect (not installed)
>  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
>  Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic i686
>  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
>  AptOrdering:
>   dselect: Install
>   dselect: Configure
>  Architecture: i386
>  Date: Wed Aug 17 07:00:16 2011
>  DpkgTerminalLog:
>   Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
>   dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb (--unpack):
>    unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  ErrorMessage: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
>  SourcePackage: dpkg
>  Title: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dpkg/+bug/827942/+subscriptions
>

Revision history for this message

Raphaël Hertzog (hertzog) wrote on 2011-08-20: Re: [Bug 827942] Re: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument

#5

Hello,

On Fri, 19 Aug 2011, Nathan Neal wrote:
> /dev/sda3 on / type ext2 (rw,errors=remount-ro)

ext2 is a strange choice, did you pick that explicitly? If not, how did
you install Ubuntu?

Are you able to install other packages (i.e. different from dselect)?
Or do you have the same problem with all packages?

Cheers,
--
Raphaël Hertzog ◈ Debian Developer

Follow my Debian News ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.com (English)
▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.fr (Français)

Revision history for this message

aklimatizer (nate78) wrote on 2011-08-20: Re: [Bug 827942] Re: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument

#6

Download full text (3.2 KiB)

Hi,

Well, I installed ext specifically because after doing some research
(and having previously installed Ubuntu under ext3), I found that I
could have read/write access to hfs+ disks (which is what my Mac HD
is). That is why I chose to install Ubuntu under ext2 formatting
scheme.

As for other packages being installed, I have not tried to install
dselect or use it manually before or since this error. I always use
APT or Synaptic Package Manager (which I think calls the dselect
process), and all the other installations I've done have completed
without any errors.

Thanks,

Nate

2011/8/20 Raphaël Hertzog <email address hidden>:
> Hello,
>
> On Fri, 19 Aug 2011, Nathan Neal wrote:
>> /dev/sda3 on / type ext2 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
>
> ext2 is a strange choice, did you pick that explicitly? If not, how did
> you install Ubuntu?
>
> Are you able to install other packages (i.e. different from dselect)?
> Or do you have the same problem with all packages?
>
> Cheers,
> --
> Raphaël Hertzog ◈ Debian Developer
>
> Follow my Debian News ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.com (English)
> ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.fr (Français)
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/827942
>
> Title:
> package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to
> create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing
> `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>
> Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
> New
>
> Bug description:
> I don't know a great deal about linux/ubuntu. I was trying to update
> a library file libc6 to a newer version, and could not see a way to do
> this using apt, so I went through some man pages, found dselect, tried
> to use it, found it was not installed, and tried to install it using
> apt-get....this is when I received this error. I don't know if it's a
> bug or not, I don't know if I can't use dselect when apt is already
> installed due to some sort of conflict.
>
> ProblemType: Package
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
> Package: dselect (not installed)
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
> Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic i686
> NonfreeKernelModules: wl
> AptOrdering:
> dselect: Install
> dselect: Configure
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Wed Aug 17 07:00:16 2011
> DpkgTerminalLog:
> Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
> dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb (--unpack):
> unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
> ErrorMessage: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
> SourcePackage: dpkg
> Title: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs....

Hi,

Well, I installed ext specifically because after doing some research
(and having previously installed Ubuntu under ext3), I found that I
could have read/write access to hfs+ disks (which is what my Mac HD
is).  That is why I chose to install Ubuntu under ext2 formatting
scheme.

As for other packages being installed, I have not tried to install
dselect or use it manually before or since this error.  I always use
APT or Synaptic Package Manager (which I think calls the dselect
process), and all the other installations I've done have completed
without any errors.

Thanks,

Nate

2011/8/20 Raphaël Hertzog <hertzog@debian.org>:
> Hello,
>
> On Fri, 19 Aug 2011, Nathan Neal wrote:
>> /dev/sda3 on / type ext2 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
>
> ext2 is a strange choice, did you pick that explicitly? If not, how did
> you install Ubuntu?
>
> Are you able to install other packages (i.e. different from dselect)?
> Or do you have the same problem with all packages?
>
> Cheers,
> --
> Raphaël Hertzog ◈ Debian Developer
>
> Follow my Debian News ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.com (English)
>                      ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.fr (Français)
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/827942
>
> Title:
>  package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to
>  create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing
>  `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>
> Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
>  New
>
> Bug description:
>  I don't know a great deal about linux/ubuntu.  I was trying to update
>  a library file libc6 to a newer version, and could not see a way to do
>  this using apt, so I went through some man pages, found dselect, tried
>  to use it, found it was not installed, and tried to install it using
>  apt-get....this is when I received this error.  I don't know if it's a
>  bug or not, I don't know if I can't use dselect when apt is already
>  installed due to some sort of conflict.
>
>  ProblemType: Package
>  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
>  Package: dselect (not installed)
>  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
>  Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic i686
>  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
>  AptOrdering:
>   dselect: Install
>   dselect: Configure
>  Architecture: i386
>  Date: Wed Aug 17 07:00:16 2011
>  DpkgTerminalLog:
>   Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
>   dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb (--unpack):
>    unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  ErrorMessage: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
>  SourcePackage: dpkg
>  Title: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dpkg/+bug/827942/+subscriptions
>

Revision history for this message

Raphaël Hertzog (hertzog) wrote on 2011-08-21: Re: [Bug 827942] Re: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument

#7

On Sat, 20 Aug 2011, Nathan Neal wrote:
> Well, I installed ext specifically because after doing some research
> (and having previously installed Ubuntu under ext3), I found that I
> could have read/write access to hfs+ disks (which is what my Mac HD
> is). That is why I chose to install Ubuntu under ext2 formatting
> scheme.

Hum, I don't see the relationship unless you mean that MacOS can
read/write ext2 while it doesn't for ext3.

Otherwise if linux is able to access hfs+ it has nothing to do with the
choice of filesystem for Linux's root filesystem.

> As for other packages being installed, I have not tried to install
> dselect or use it manually before or since this error. I always use
> APT or Synaptic Package Manager (which I think calls the dselect
> process), and all the other installations I've done have completed
> without any errors.

dselect is not used by APT or Synaptic, only "dpkg" is used as underlying
package manager.

Can you try to install dselect again and see if you can reproduce the
error?

sudo apt-get install dselect

If yes I would like you to do "sudo strace -f -o log dpkg -i
/var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_*.deb" and to attach the resulting "log"
file. You might have to install strace first (apt-get install strace).
You might want to compress the log file before sending it ("gzip log" and
you send the log.gz file).

Cheers,
--
Raphaël Hertzog ◈ Debian Developer

Follow my Debian News ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.com (English)
▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.fr (Français)

Revision history for this message

aklimatizer (nate78) wrote on 2011-08-21: Re: [Bug 827942] Re: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument

#8

Download full text (5.3 KiB)

Well, I had originally installed Ubuntu under ext3, but could not
write to it under Mac OS X, and did some searching online, and I seem
to remember reading that MOSX works better with ext2 formatting than
ext3, so I wiped my Linux partition, reformatted as ext2, and
reinstalled Ubuntu. MOSX does now allow read/write to the Linux
partition, whereas under ext3 it did not. Anyway, all that is just
some background as why I chose ext2.

I did as as you suggested, and tried installing dselect again, and
this time it worked. I'm copying/pasting the text of the terminal
window:

nate@nne-macbook:~$ sudo apt-get install dselect
[sudo] password for nate:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
dselect
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/186 kB of archives.
After this operation, 1,077 kB of additional disk space will be used.
(Reading database ... 189711 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up dselect (1.16.0~ubuntu7) ...
nate@nne-macbook:~$

I should mention that I have installed some packages related to APT
and some compilers since we started this discussion. I don't know if
that might be why this is now working or not. If you'd like, I could
try to track down exactly what packages, and dependent files, I
installed in the last few days and give you a list....or if you know
of an easier way (maybe a cache of some sort), then you could instruct
me on how to access it.

Thanks

2011/8/21 Raphaël Hertzog <email address hidden>:
> On Sat, 20 Aug 2011, Nathan Neal wrote:
>> Well, I installed ext specifically because after doing some research
>> (and having previously installed Ubuntu under ext3), I found that I
>> could have read/write access to hfs+ disks (which is what my Mac HD
>> is). That is why I chose to install Ubuntu under ext2 formatting
>> scheme.
>
> Hum, I don't see the relationship unless you mean that MacOS can
> read/write ext2 while it doesn't for ext3.
>
> Otherwise if linux is able to access hfs+ it has nothing to do with the
> choice of filesystem for Linux's root filesystem.
>
>> As for other packages being installed, I have not tried to install
>> dselect or use it manually before or since this error. I always use
>> APT or Synaptic Package Manager (which I think calls the dselect
>> process), and all the other installations I've done have completed
>> without any errors.
>
> dselect is not used by APT or Synaptic, only "dpkg" is used as underlying
> package manager.
>
> Can you try to install dselect again and see if you can reproduce the
> error?
>
> sudo apt-get install dselect
>
> If yes I would like you to do "sudo strace -f -o log dpkg -i
> /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_*.deb" and to attach the resulting "log"
> file. You might have to install strace first (apt-get install strace).
> You might want to compress the log file before sending it ("gzip log" and
> you send the log.gz file).
>
> Cheers,
> --
> Raphaël Hertzog ◈ Debian Developer
>
> Follow my Debian News ▶ http://...

Well, I had originally installed Ubuntu under ext3, but could not
write to it under Mac OS X, and did some searching online, and I seem
to remember reading that MOSX works better with ext2 formatting than
ext3, so I wiped my Linux partition, reformatted as ext2, and
reinstalled Ubuntu.  MOSX does now allow read/write to the Linux
partition, whereas under ext3 it did not.  Anyway, all that is just
some background as why I chose ext2.

I did as as you suggested, and tried installing dselect again, and
this time it worked.  I'm copying/pasting the text of the terminal
window:

nate@nne-macbook:~$ sudo apt-get install dselect
[sudo] password for nate:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  dselect
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/186 kB of archives.
After this operation, 1,077 kB of additional disk space will be used.
(Reading database ... 189711 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up dselect (1.16.0~ubuntu7) ...
nate@nne-macbook:~$

I should mention that I have installed some packages related to APT
and some compilers since we started this discussion.  I don't know if
that might be why this is now working or not.  If you'd like, I could
try to track down exactly what packages, and dependent files, I
installed in the last few days and give you a list....or if you know
of an easier way (maybe a cache of some sort), then you could instruct
me on how to access it.

Thanks

2011/8/21 Raphaël Hertzog <hertzog@debian.org>:
> On Sat, 20 Aug 2011, Nathan Neal wrote:
>> Well, I installed ext specifically because after doing some research
>> (and having previously installed Ubuntu under ext3), I found that I
>> could have read/write access to hfs+ disks (which is what my Mac HD
>> is).  That is why I chose to install Ubuntu under ext2 formatting
>> scheme.
>
> Hum, I don't see the relationship unless you mean that MacOS can
> read/write ext2 while it doesn't for ext3.
>
> Otherwise if linux is able to access hfs+ it has nothing to do with the
> choice of filesystem for Linux's root filesystem.
>
>> As for other packages being installed, I have not tried to install
>> dselect or use it manually before or since this error.  I always use
>> APT or Synaptic Package Manager (which I think calls the dselect
>> process), and all the other installations I've done have completed
>> without any errors.
>
> dselect is not used by APT or Synaptic, only "dpkg" is used as underlying
> package manager.
>
> Can you try to install dselect again and see if you can reproduce the
> error?
>
> sudo apt-get install dselect
>
> If yes I would like you to do "sudo strace -f -o log dpkg -i
> /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_*.deb" and to attach the resulting "log"
> file. You might have to install strace first (apt-get install strace).
> You might want to compress the log file before sending it ("gzip log" and
> you send the log.gz file).
>
> Cheers,
> --
> Raphaël Hertzog ◈ Debian Developer
>
> Follow my Debian News ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.com (English)
>                      ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.fr (Français)
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/827942
>
> Title:
>  package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to
>  create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing
>  `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>
> Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
>  New
>
> Bug description:
>  I don't know a great deal about linux/ubuntu.  I was trying to update
>  a library file libc6 to a newer version, and could not see a way to do
>  this using apt, so I went through some man pages, found dselect, tried
>  to use it, found it was not installed, and tried to install it using
>  apt-get....this is when I received this error.  I don't know if it's a
>  bug or not, I don't know if I can't use dselect when apt is already
>  installed due to some sort of conflict.
>
>  ProblemType: Package
>  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
>  Package: dselect (not installed)
>  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
>  Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic i686
>  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
>  AptOrdering:
>   dselect: Install
>   dselect: Configure
>  Architecture: i386
>  Date: Wed Aug 17 07:00:16 2011
>  DpkgTerminalLog:
>   Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
>   dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb (--unpack):
>    unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  ErrorMessage: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
>  SourcePackage: dpkg
>  Title: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dpkg/+bug/827942/+subscriptions
>

Revision history for this message

aklimatizer (nate78) wrote on 2011-08-21:

#9

Download full text (5.5 KiB)

I actually did a little searching on apt-history, and found the dpkg
log file, and I'm pasting lines dealing with installs

2011-08-20 21:19:40 install bin86 <none> 0.16.17-3.1ubuntu2
2011-08-20 21:19:41 install bcc <none> 0.16.17-3.1ubuntu2
2011-08-20 21:19:41 install elks-libc <none> 0.16.17-3.1ubuntu2
2011-08-20 21:20:20 install iasl <none> 20100528-3
2011-08-20 22:35:24 install apt-show-versions <none> 0.16
2011-08-21 09:49:04 install auto-apt <none> 0.3.22
2011-08-21 09:49:05 install postfix <none> 2.8.2-1ubuntu2.1
2011-08-21 09:49:06 install bsd-mailx <none> 8.1.2-0.20100314cvs-1
2011-08-21 09:49:06 install dctrl-tools <none> 2.14.5
2011-08-21 09:49:07 install devscripts <none> 2.10.69ubuntu2
2011-08-21 09:49:08 install dput <none> 0.9.6.1ubuntu1
2011-08-21 09:49:08 install libapr1 <none> 1.4.2-7ubuntu2.1
2011-08-21 09:49:08 install libaprutil1 <none> 1.3.9+dfsg-5ubuntu3
2011-08-21 09:49:09 install libcommon-sense-perl <none> 3.3-1
2011-08-21 09:49:09 install libdevel-symdump-perl <none> 2.08-3
2011-08-21 09:49:09 install libio-stringy-perl <none> 2.110-4
2011-08-21 09:49:10 install libjson-perl <none> 2.27-1
2011-08-21 09:49:10 install libjson-xs-perl <none> 2.300-1
2011-08-21 09:49:10 install libparse-debcontrol-perl <none> 2.005-2
2011-08-21 09:49:11 install libpod-coverage-perl <none> 0.21-1
2011-08-21 09:49:11 install libsvn1 <none> 1.6.12dfsg-4ubuntu2.1
2011-08-21 09:49:11 install libterm-size-perl <none> 0.2-4build3
2011-08-21 09:49:11 install libtest-pod-perl <none> 1.42-1
2011-08-21 09:49:12 install patchutils <none> 0.3.1-2build1
2011-08-21 09:49:12 install subversion <none> 1.6.12dfsg-4ubuntu2.1
2011-08-21 09:49:13 install wdiff <none> 0.6.3-1
2011-08-21 09:49:13 install libauthen-sasl-perl <none> 2.1500-1
2011-08-21 09:54:39 install dselect <none> 1.16.0~ubuntu7

Like I said, I have no idea if any of this is even necessary, but
maybe it will help.

2011/8/21 Raphaël Hertzog <email address hidden>:
> On Sat, 20 Aug 2011, Nathan Neal wrote:
>> Well, I installed ext specifically because after doing some research
>> (and having previously installed Ubuntu under ext3), I found that I
>> could have read/write access to hfs+ disks (which is what my Mac HD
>> is). That is why I chose to install Ubuntu under ext2 formatting
>> scheme.
>
> Hum, I don't see the relationship unless you mean that MacOS can
> read/write ext2 while it doesn't for ext3.
>
> Otherwise if linux is able to access hfs+ it has nothing to do with the
> choice of filesystem for Linux's root filesystem.
>
>> As for other packages being installed, I have not tried to install
>> dselect or use it manually before or since this error. I always use
>> APT or Synaptic Package Manager (which I think calls the dselect
>> process), and all the other installations I've done have completed
>> without any errors.
>
> dselect is not used by APT or Synaptic, only "dpkg" is used as underlying
> package manager.
>
> Can you try to install dselect again and see if you can reproduce the
> error?
>
> sudo apt-get install dselect
>
> If yes I would like you to do "sudo strace -f -o log dpkg -i
> /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_*.deb" and to attach the resulting "log"
> file. You might...

I actually did a little searching on apt-history, and found the dpkg
log file, and I'm pasting lines dealing with installs

2011-08-20 21:19:40 install bin86 <none> 0.16.17-3.1ubuntu2
2011-08-20 21:19:41 install bcc <none> 0.16.17-3.1ubuntu2
2011-08-20 21:19:41 install elks-libc <none> 0.16.17-3.1ubuntu2
2011-08-20 21:20:20 install iasl <none> 20100528-3
2011-08-20 22:35:24 install apt-show-versions <none> 0.16
2011-08-21 09:49:04 install auto-apt <none> 0.3.22
2011-08-21 09:49:05 install postfix <none> 2.8.2-1ubuntu2.1
2011-08-21 09:49:06 install bsd-mailx <none> 8.1.2-0.20100314cvs-1
2011-08-21 09:49:06 install dctrl-tools <none> 2.14.5
2011-08-21 09:49:07 install devscripts <none> 2.10.69ubuntu2
2011-08-21 09:49:08 install dput <none> 0.9.6.1ubuntu1
2011-08-21 09:49:08 install libapr1 <none> 1.4.2-7ubuntu2.1
2011-08-21 09:49:08 install libaprutil1 <none> 1.3.9+dfsg-5ubuntu3
2011-08-21 09:49:09 install libcommon-sense-perl <none> 3.3-1
2011-08-21 09:49:09 install libdevel-symdump-perl <none> 2.08-3
2011-08-21 09:49:09 install libio-stringy-perl <none> 2.110-4
2011-08-21 09:49:10 install libjson-perl <none> 2.27-1
2011-08-21 09:49:10 install libjson-xs-perl <none> 2.300-1
2011-08-21 09:49:10 install libparse-debcontrol-perl <none> 2.005-2
2011-08-21 09:49:11 install libpod-coverage-perl <none> 0.21-1
2011-08-21 09:49:11 install libsvn1 <none> 1.6.12dfsg-4ubuntu2.1
2011-08-21 09:49:11 install libterm-size-perl <none> 0.2-4build3
2011-08-21 09:49:11 install libtest-pod-perl <none> 1.42-1
2011-08-21 09:49:12 install patchutils <none> 0.3.1-2build1
2011-08-21 09:49:12 install subversion <none> 1.6.12dfsg-4ubuntu2.1
2011-08-21 09:49:13 install wdiff <none> 0.6.3-1
2011-08-21 09:49:13 install libauthen-sasl-perl <none> 2.1500-1
2011-08-21 09:54:39 install dselect <none> 1.16.0~ubuntu7

Like I said, I have no idea if any of this is even necessary, but
maybe it will help.

2011/8/21 Raphaël Hertzog <hertzog@debian.org>:
> On Sat, 20 Aug 2011, Nathan Neal wrote:
>> Well, I installed ext specifically because after doing some research
>> (and having previously installed Ubuntu under ext3), I found that I
>> could have read/write access to hfs+ disks (which is what my Mac HD
>> is).  That is why I chose to install Ubuntu under ext2 formatting
>> scheme.
>
> Hum, I don't see the relationship unless you mean that MacOS can
> read/write ext2 while it doesn't for ext3.
>
> Otherwise if linux is able to access hfs+ it has nothing to do with the
> choice of filesystem for Linux's root filesystem.
>
>> As for other packages being installed, I have not tried to install
>> dselect or use it manually before or since this error.  I always use
>> APT or Synaptic Package Manager (which I think calls the dselect
>> process), and all the other installations I've done have completed
>> without any errors.
>
> dselect is not used by APT or Synaptic, only "dpkg" is used as underlying
> package manager.
>
> Can you try to install dselect again and see if you can reproduce the
> error?
>
> sudo apt-get install dselect
>
> If yes I would like you to do "sudo strace -f -o log dpkg -i
> /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_*.deb" and to attach the resulting "log"
> file. You might have to install strace first (apt-get install strace).
> You might want to compress the log file before sending it ("gzip log" and
> you send the log.gz file).
>
> Cheers,
> --
> Raphaël Hertzog ◈ Debian Developer
>
> Follow my Debian News ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.com (English)
>                      ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.fr (Français)
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/827942
>
> Title:
>  package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to
>  create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing
>  `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>
> Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
>  New
>
> Bug description:
>  I don't know a great deal about linux/ubuntu.  I was trying to update
>  a library file libc6 to a newer version, and could not see a way to do
>  this using apt, so I went through some man pages, found dselect, tried
>  to use it, found it was not installed, and tried to install it using
>  apt-get....this is when I received this error.  I don't know if it's a
>  bug or not, I don't know if I can't use dselect when apt is already
>  installed due to some sort of conflict.
>
>  ProblemType: Package
>  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
>  Package: dselect (not installed)
>  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
>  Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic i686
>  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
>  AptOrdering:
>   dselect: Install
>   dselect: Configure
>  Architecture: i386
>  Date: Wed Aug 17 07:00:16 2011
>  DpkgTerminalLog:
>   Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
>   dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb (--unpack):
>    unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  ErrorMessage: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
>  SourcePackage: dpkg
>  Title: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dpkg/+bug/827942/+subscriptions
>

Revision history for this message

Raphaël Hertzog (hertzog) wrote on 2011-08-21: Re: [Bug 827942] Re: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument

#10

On Sun, 21 Aug 2011, Nathan Neal wrote:
> Well, I had originally installed Ubuntu under ext3, but could not
> write to it under Mac OS X, and did some searching online, and I seem
> to remember reading that MOSX works better with ext2 formatting than
> ext3, so I wiped my Linux partition, reformatted as ext2, and
> reinstalled Ubuntu. MOSX does now allow read/write to the Linux
> partition, whereas under ext3 it did not. Anyway, all that is just
> some background as why I chose ext2.

It might be related under the hood. Did you write to your linux partition
from MacOS some time before the failure?

> I did as as you suggested, and tried installing dselect again, and
> this time it worked. I'm copying/pasting the text of the terminal

Weird. Did something change at the kernel level? Did you enable/disable
some security stuff (SMACK) ?

> of an easier way (maybe a cache of some sort), then you could instruct
> me on how to access it.

There's /var/log/dpkg.log but I saw your apt-history file and I don't
think the supplementary packages can explain why it works now. It's more
a kernel level issue or maybe a glibc issue. Somehow I would favor a bug
in the kernel with ext2 possibly related to some unexpected stuff done
by MacOS. But it's just a wild guess. It might also be some issue with
SMACK or similar security modules but I doubt we would get EINVAL as error
code if that was the reason.

Cheers,
--
Raphaël Hertzog ◈ Debian Developer

Follow my Debian News ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.com (English)
▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.fr (Français)

Revision history for this message

aklimatizer (nate78) wrote on 2011-08-21: Re: [Bug 827942] Re: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument

#11

dpkg.log Edit (243.3 KiB, text/x-log; charset=US-ASCII; name="dpkg.log")

Download full text (5.5 KiB)

> It might be related under the hood. Did you write to your linux partition
> from MacOS some time before the failure?

No, have not booted to MacOS for a few days at least, so I cannot
imagine that being the cause of the bug. I also had installed other
packages immediately prior to trying to install dselect (I'll copy
that history here too, in case that might give you a clue as to what
it might be).

> Weird. Did something change at the kernel level? Did you enable/disable
> some security stuff (SMACK) ?

No, not that I know of. I have not tried to manipulate the kernel
manually in any way. I have not changed anything security wise except
for installing some open vpn packages (if that counts as security). I
have not, as far as I know, done anything with SMACK, I don't even
know what it is.

> There's /var/log/dpkg.log but I saw your apt-history file and I don't
> think the supplementary packages can explain why it works now. It's more
> a kernel level issue or maybe a glibc issue. Somehow I would favor a bug
> in the kernel with ext2 possibly related to some unexpected stuff done
> by MacOS. But it's just a wild guess. It might also be some issue with
> SMACK or similar security modules but I doubt we would get EINVAL as error
> code if that was the reason.

I really don't know what the issue could be. Is there any log file on
my side that might help you resolve what was responsible for the
error?

I'm attaching my /var/dpkg/log file so you can peruse it and see if
you see anything that might have caused the error initially. Since
the error occurred right when I was in the middle of installing a few
different packages, I'm leaning towards that being the most likely
cause, but you're the expert, and hopefully you can tell for sure from
the file.

Thanks,

Nate

2011/8/21 Raphaël Hertzog <email address hidden>:
> On Sun, 21 Aug 2011, Nathan Neal wrote:
>> Well, I had originally installed Ubuntu under ext3, but could not
>> write to it under Mac OS X, and did some searching online, and I seem
>> to remember reading that MOSX works better with ext2 formatting than
>> ext3, so I wiped my Linux partition, reformatted as ext2, and
>> reinstalled Ubuntu. MOSX does now allow read/write to the Linux
>> partition, whereas under ext3 it did not. Anyway, all that is just
>> some background as why I chose ext2.
>
> It might be related under the hood. Did you write to your linux partition
> from MacOS some time before the failure?
>
>> I did as as you suggested, and tried installing dselect again, and
>> this time it worked. I'm copying/pasting the text of the terminal
>
> Weird. Did something change at the kernel level? Did you enable/disable
> some security stuff (SMACK) ?
>
>> of an easier way (maybe a cache of some sort), then you could instruct
>> me on how to access it.
>
> There's /var/log/dpkg.log but I saw your apt-history file and I don't
> think the supplementary packages can explain why it works now. It's more
> a kernel level issue or maybe a glibc issue. Somehow I would favor a bug
> in the kernel with ext2 possibly related to some unexpected stuff done
> by MacOS. But it's just a wild guess. It might also be some issue with
> SMACK...

> It might be related under the hood. Did you write to your linux partition
> from MacOS some time before the failure?

No, have not booted to MacOS for a few days at least, so I cannot
imagine that being the cause of the bug.  I also had installed other
packages immediately prior to trying to install dselect (I'll copy
that history here too, in case that might give you a clue as to what
it might be).

> Weird. Did something change at the kernel level? Did you enable/disable
> some security stuff (SMACK) ?

No, not that I know of.  I have not tried to manipulate the kernel
manually in any way.  I have not changed anything security wise except
for installing some open vpn packages (if that counts as security).  I
have not, as far as I know, done anything with SMACK, I don't even
know what it is.

> There's /var/log/dpkg.log but I saw your apt-history file and I don't
> think the supplementary packages can explain why it works now. It's more
> a kernel level issue or maybe a glibc issue. Somehow I would favor a bug
> in the kernel with ext2 possibly related to some unexpected stuff done
> by MacOS. But it's just a wild guess. It might also be some issue with
> SMACK or similar security modules but I doubt we would get EINVAL as error
> code if that was the reason.

I really don't know what the issue could be.  Is there any log file on
my side that might help you resolve what was responsible for the
error?

I'm attaching my /var/dpkg/log file so you can peruse it and see if
you see anything that might have caused the error initially.  Since
the error occurred right when I was in the middle of installing a few
different packages, I'm leaning towards that being the most likely
cause, but you're the expert, and hopefully you can tell for sure from
the file.

Thanks,

Nate

2011/8/21 Raphaël Hertzog <hertzog@debian.org>:
> On Sun, 21 Aug 2011, Nathan Neal wrote:
>> Well, I had originally installed Ubuntu under ext3, but could not
>> write to it under Mac OS X, and did some searching online, and I seem
>> to remember reading that MOSX works better with ext2 formatting than
>> ext3, so I wiped my Linux partition, reformatted as ext2, and
>> reinstalled Ubuntu.  MOSX does now allow read/write to the Linux
>> partition, whereas under ext3 it did not.  Anyway, all that is just
>> some background as why I chose ext2.
>
> It might be related under the hood. Did you write to your linux partition
> from MacOS some time before the failure?
>
>> I did as as you suggested, and tried installing dselect again, and
>> this time it worked.  I'm copying/pasting the text of the terminal
>
> Weird. Did something change at the kernel level? Did you enable/disable
> some security stuff (SMACK) ?
>
>> of an easier way (maybe a cache of some sort), then you could instruct
>> me on how to access it.
>
> There's /var/log/dpkg.log but I saw your apt-history file and I don't
> think the supplementary packages can explain why it works now. It's more
> a kernel level issue or maybe a glibc issue. Somehow I would favor a bug
> in the kernel with ext2 possibly related to some unexpected stuff done
> by MacOS. But it's just a wild guess. It might also be some issue with
> SMACK or similar security modules but I doubt we would get EINVAL as error
> code if that was the reason.
>
> Cheers,
> --
> Raphaël Hertzog ◈ Debian Developer
>
> Follow my Debian News ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.com (English)
>                      ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.fr (Français)
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/827942
>
> Title:
>  package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to
>  create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing
>  `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>
> Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
>  New
>
> Bug description:
>  I don't know a great deal about linux/ubuntu.  I was trying to update
>  a library file libc6 to a newer version, and could not see a way to do
>  this using apt, so I went through some man pages, found dselect, tried
>  to use it, found it was not installed, and tried to install it using
>  apt-get....this is when I received this error.  I don't know if it's a
>  bug or not, I don't know if I can't use dselect when apt is already
>  installed due to some sort of conflict.
>
>  ProblemType: Package
>  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
>  Package: dselect (not installed)
>  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
>  Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic i686
>  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
>  AptOrdering:
>   dselect: Install
>   dselect: Configure
>  Architecture: i386
>  Date: Wed Aug 17 07:00:16 2011
>  DpkgTerminalLog:
>   Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
>   dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb (--unpack):
>    unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  ErrorMessage: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
>  SourcePackage: dpkg
>  Title: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dpkg/+bug/827942/+subscriptions
>

Revision history for this message

Raphaël Hertzog (hertzog) wrote on 2011-08-22:

#12

You did upgrade your linux kernel:
2011-08-19 10:13:37 upgrade linux-generic 2.6.38.10.25 2.6.38.11.26
[...]
2011-08-19 10:13:58 configure linux-image-2.6.38-11-generic 2.6.38-11.48 <none>

But the log clearly shows that you installed lots of other packages even with the older kernel. So I don't think it would bring anything to ask you to retry with the former kernel (2.6.38-10-generic). The error was transient and it will be next to impossible to track it... and it's really not in dpkg. I'm tentatively reassigning it to the kernel but I doubt this will go further unfortunately.

affects:

dpkg (Ubuntu) → linux-lts-backport-natty (Ubuntu)

Revision history for this message

aklimatizer (nate78) wrote on 2011-08-22:

#13

Download full text (3.6 KiB)

> You did upgrade your linux kernel:
> 2011-08-19 10:13:37 upgrade linux-generic 2.6.38.10.25 2.6.38.11.26
> [...]
> 2011-08-19 10:13:58 configure linux-image-2.6.38-11-generic 2.6.38-11.48 <none>

Ok, the upgrade must have been part of the process the update manager
called one time.

> But the log clearly shows that you installed lots of other packages even
> with the older kernel. So I don't think it would bring anything to ask
> you to retry with the former kernel (2.6.38-10-generic). The error was
> transient and it will be next to impossible to track it... and it's
> really not in dpkg. I'm tentatively reassigning it to the kernel but I
> doubt this will go further unfortunately.

Well, thanks for all your help anyway. If I can be of any further
assistance just let me know.

Thanks,

Nate

2011/8/22 Raphaël Hertzog <email address hidden>:
> You did upgrade your linux kernel:
> 2011-08-19 10:13:37 upgrade linux-generic 2.6.38.10.25 2.6.38.11.26
> [...]
> 2011-08-19 10:13:58 configure linux-image-2.6.38-11-generic 2.6.38-11.48 <none>
>
> But the log clearly shows that you installed lots of other packages even
> with the older kernel. So I don't think it would bring anything to ask
> you to retry with the former kernel (2.6.38-10-generic). The error was
> transient and it will be next to impossible to track it... and it's
> really not in dpkg. I'm tentatively reassigning it to the kernel but I
> doubt this will go further unfortunately.
>
> ** Package changed: dpkg (Ubuntu) => linux-lts-backport-natty (Ubuntu)
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/827942
>
> Title:
> package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to
> create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing
> `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>
> Status in “linux-lts-backport-natty” package in Ubuntu:
> New
>
> Bug description:
> I don't know a great deal about linux/ubuntu. I was trying to update
> a library file libc6 to a newer version, and could not see a way to do
> this using apt, so I went through some man pages, found dselect, tried
> to use it, found it was not installed, and tried to install it using
> apt-get....this is when I received this error. I don't know if it's a
> bug or not, I don't know if I can't use dselect when apt is already
> installed due to some sort of conflict.
>
> ProblemType: Package
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
> Package: dselect (not installed)
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
> Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic i686
> NonfreeKernelModules: wl
> AptOrdering:
> dselect: Install
> dselect: Configure
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Wed Aug 17 07:00:16 2011
> DpkgTerminalLog:
> Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
> dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb (--unpack):
> unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
> ErrorMessage: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>...

> You did upgrade your linux kernel:
> 2011-08-19 10:13:37 upgrade linux-generic 2.6.38.10.25 2.6.38.11.26
> [...]
> 2011-08-19 10:13:58 configure linux-image-2.6.38-11-generic 2.6.38-11.48 <none>

Ok, the upgrade must have been part of the process the update manager
called one time.

> But the log clearly shows that you installed lots of other packages even
> with the older kernel. So I don't think it would bring anything to ask
> you to retry with the former kernel (2.6.38-10-generic). The error was
> transient and it will be next to impossible to track it... and it's
> really not in dpkg. I'm tentatively reassigning it to the kernel but I
> doubt this will go further unfortunately.

Well, thanks for all your help anyway.  If I can be of any further
assistance just let me know.

Thanks,

Nate

2011/8/22 Raphaël Hertzog <hertzog@debian.org>:
> You did upgrade your linux kernel:
> 2011-08-19 10:13:37 upgrade linux-generic 2.6.38.10.25 2.6.38.11.26
> [...]
> 2011-08-19 10:13:58 configure linux-image-2.6.38-11-generic 2.6.38-11.48 <none>
>
> But the log clearly shows that you installed lots of other packages even
> with the older kernel. So I don't think it would bring anything to ask
> you to retry with the former kernel (2.6.38-10-generic). The error was
> transient and it will be next to impossible to track it... and it's
> really not in dpkg. I'm tentatively reassigning it to the kernel but I
> doubt this will go further unfortunately.
>
> ** Package changed: dpkg (Ubuntu) => linux-lts-backport-natty (Ubuntu)
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/827942
>
> Title:
>  package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to
>  create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing
>  `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>
> Status in “linux-lts-backport-natty” package in Ubuntu:
>  New
>
> Bug description:
>  I don't know a great deal about linux/ubuntu.  I was trying to update
>  a library file libc6 to a newer version, and could not see a way to do
>  this using apt, so I went through some man pages, found dselect, tried
>  to use it, found it was not installed, and tried to install it using
>  apt-get....this is when I received this error.  I don't know if it's a
>  bug or not, I don't know if I can't use dselect when apt is already
>  installed due to some sort of conflict.
>
>  ProblemType: Package
>  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
>  Package: dselect (not installed)
>  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
>  Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic i686
>  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
>  AptOrdering:
>   dselect: Install
>   dselect: Configure
>  Architecture: i386
>  Date: Wed Aug 17 07:00:16 2011
>  DpkgTerminalLog:
>   Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
>   dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb (--unpack):
>    unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  ErrorMessage: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
>  SourcePackage: dpkg
>  Title: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-lts-backport-natty/+bug/827942/+subscriptions
>

Ubuntu
linux-lts-backport-natty package

package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument

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Ubuntulinux-lts-backport-natty package

package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument

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Ubuntu
linux-lts-backport-natty package