help? dpkg db screwed up

[Iain <iain@minihub.org>]

I seem to have put the dpkg database into a bad state.

I was attempting to install phpgroupware from unstable onto a potato system.

Anyway somewhere along the installation process it screwed up so I tried to remove
it.

dpkg -r phpgroupware

gives the following:

dpkg: error processing phpgroupware (--remove):
 Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should
 reinstall it before attempting a removal.
Errors were encountered while processing:
 phpgroupware

Reinstalling it gives the following:

Selecting previously deselected package phpgroupware.
(Reading database ... 16354 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace phpgroupware 0.9.10v-6 (using phpgroupware_0.9.10v-6_all.deb)
...
Unpacking replacement phpgroupware ...
dpkg: warning - old post-removal script returned error exit status 10
dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
dpkg: error processing phpgroupware_0.9.10v-6_all.deb (--install):
 subprocess new post-removal script returned error exit status 10
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 10
Errors were encountered while processing:
 phpgroupware_0.9.10v-6_all.deb


I have tried dpkg -r --force-remove-reinstreq phpgroupware

but it doesn't work either.

Is there some way I can get things back to normal? Please help.

thanks, Iain.
-- 
public key available at http://www.minihub.org/~iain/iain.asc