Re: dpkg error while purging latex

["LeRoy D. Cressy" <ldc@netaxs.com>]

Ralf Mueller wrote:
> 
> Executing "dpkg --purge latex" caused an error message as follows:
> ------------Begin -------------
> (Reading database ... 15186 files and directories currently installed.)
> Removing latex ...
> Removing latex format(s) using install-fmt-base(8)
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/latex.prerm: install-fmt-base: command not found
> dpkg: error processing latex (--purge):
>  subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
> Building new latex format(s) using install-fmt-base(8)
> dpkg: error while cleaning up:
>  subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
> Errors were encountered while processing:
>  latex
> -----------End----------------
> 
> So at the moment I can't install auctex, because some packages of another
> Tex-Distribution are installed and won't go. (The same problem occurs
> while executung "dpkg --purge babel". What is the "install-fmt-base"-file,
> in which package is it in?
> 
> --------------------------------------
> Ralf Mueller
> Aachen, Germany
> --------------------------------------
> 
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Hi Ralf,

I had the same problem and the source was that
/usr/sbin/install-fmt-base had already been removed by dselect.  dpkg
--purge latex requires install-fmt-base in the
/var/lib/dpkg/info/latex.prerm script.  I edited this script commenting
out the 
set -e line as follows:

-#! /bin/sh
# Copyright (c) 1996 Erick Branderhorst <branderh@debian.org>; GPL'd.

# set -e

ini=/usr/lib/texmf/ini

if [ "$1" = "remove" -o "$1" = "purge" ];
then
  echo "Removing latex format(s) using install-fmt-base(8)"
  for f in ${ini}/*latex*.initex; do 
    if [ -f ${ini}/`basename $f .initex`.fmt ];
    then
      install-fmt-base --remove `basename $f .initex`
    fi
  done
fi

When I ran this script by hand that is when I found that
install-fmt-base was already deleated.  If you need a copy of
install-fmt-base write to me and I will post it on my ftp site.

-- 
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           "       http://www.netaxs.com/~ldc/
_______ooO ~ Ooo_______________________________________________

LeRoy D. Cressy     	 /\_/\		ldc@netaxs.com
Computer Consulting 	( o.o )		(215) 389-5870
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