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 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
>