apt-get upgrade failure

["Nic Ferrier" <nferrier@tapsellferrier.co.uk>]

When using:
  apt-get upgrade

on the potato distribution I get an error running the upgrade as soon
as I have finished the configuration questions.


The error is this:

  Syntax error at /tmp/sometmpfile line 263:
  E: sub-process dpkg-preconfig --apt returned an error code (2)
  E: failure running script dpkg-preconfig --apt

I don't seem to be able to do anything about this...

I realise that the potato distrib is unstable and that I have to
accept the thing being a bit wobbly but this seems to be more than
just wobbly packages... it seems to be the apt system itself.

Can anyone help please?


Nic Ferrier