libc6 dependencies

[Curtis Vaughan <curtis@npc-usa.com>]

I was updating an etch server when I ran into the following error:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  libc6-dev: Depends: libc6 (= 2.3.6.ds1-13etch2) but 2.3.6.ds1-13  
is installed

I ran apt-get -f install which yielded:

Preparing to replace libc6 2.3.6.ds1-13 (using .../ 
libc6_2.3.6.ds1-13etch2_i386.deb) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/preinst: line 130: ls: command not found
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/preinst: line 130: ls: command not found
Unpacking replacement libc6 ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/ 
libc6_2.3.6.ds1-13etch2_i386.deb (--unpack):
unable to create `./usr/sbin/zic': Permission denied
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Errors were encountered while processing:
/var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.3.6.ds1-13etch2_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

I am root, so I don't understand the permission denied. Why certain  
commands aren't found is even more perplexing.
Any ideas?

BTW, I found one post that the person said he fixed his problem by  
removing something called virtualbox and then reinstalling it. I  
don't have virtualbox installed.


Thanks for any ideas.

Curtis