dpkg-ftp troubles

[jmr@kilimanjaro.radiology.uiowa.edu (Joe Reinhardt)]

I am having trouble with dpkg-ftp 1.4.0.  I repeatedly get this error
when trying to install:

Processing status file...

Processing Package files...
 unstable...
Argument "" isn't numeric in ncmp at /usr/lib/dpkg/methods/ftp/install
line 99,
        <PKGFILE> chunk 1441 (#1)
Argument "" isn't numeric in ncmp at /usr/lib/dpkg/methods/ftp/install
line 99, <PKGFILE> chunk 1441.
 non-free...
 contrib...

Any ideas?

-- 
Joe Reinhardt                        Division of Physiologic Imaging
joe-reinhardt@uiowa.edu              Department of Radiology, JPP-3960
Telephone: 319-353-7258              University of Iowa College of Medicine
FAX:       319-356-1503              200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA  52242