Re: Several packages fail to install, exit status 10

[Kent West <westk@nicanor.acu.edu>]

Jerome Acks Jr wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 22, 2002 at 04:18:32PM -0600, Kent West wrote:
>
> > Several weeks ago I had a failure trying to uninstall gdm on a sid box. 
> > Since then, I've been unable to install or uninstall [x|w|g]dm, and 
> > several other packages have started failing on install. I've been doing 
> > a dselect update/install just about every day, hoping that whatever's 
> > broken will get fixed, but so far nothing, and I haven't found any 
> > helpful information via dogpile or google. Anyone have a solution?
> > Thanks!
> >
> >
> > Here's an example of the error:
> >
> > .
> > .
> > .
> >
> > Removing xdm ...
> > dpkg: error processing xdm (--purge):
> > subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit status 10
> > Errors were encountered while processing:
> > gdm
> > wdm
> > xdm
>
> Does dselect report reinst-required for [g|w|x]dm? If so, you have to
> use dpkg with option  --force-rein­streq to remove the packages. See
> man dpkg.

No, in verbose mode it says:
  failed config  purge  purge  optional  x11  gdm

Thought I'd try it anyway, with:

sudo dpkg --force-reinstreq --purge 
/var/cache/apt/archives/xdm_4.1.0-14_i368.deb

which returns

dpkg: unknown force/refuse option "reinstreq"

Thanks anyway!

Kent