dselect error message

[Jeff French <frenche@telalink.net>]

Attempting install of slink
AMD K-5 PR-166, 49152K ram
Install media on CD

After [I]nstall begins, a message appears on screen:
...
Scanning available packages...Cannot open /var/lib/dpkg
/methods/multicd/available: No such file or directory.

installation script returned error exit status 1.
...

What does this mean? How do I overcome this problem?
Thanks for your help,

Jeff French, frenche@telalink.net

          This is a link to Eric S. Raymond's
  http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Reading-List-HOWTO.html