Bug#409336: apt-get erratic (segfaults, unmet dependencies, hanging)
Package: apt
Version: 0.6.46.4
Severity: important
I'm trying to use Debian on an old laptop (32MB ram). The system appears
stable, no other software has any problems, but apt-get behaves
erratically. I've played around with a memory tester in an attempt to
rule out any hardware problems.
Sometimes I get segfaults, sometimes it will hang with
"Reading package lists... 99%", and sometimes I get a list of packages
with: "The following packages have unmet dependencies:". That in itself
might not be a bug, but the list of packages can change on successive
runs of "apt-get dist-update".
Generally "rm /var/cache/apt/*.bin" will fix things, so I'm assuming
it is a matter of corrupt cache files.
These errors appear to happen more frequently when using more sources,
and can happen with at least update and dist-upgrade commands.
There are similar bugs listed and I'm unsure if this is the same problem.
If any extra information would be useful then please tell me and I'll
try to provide it.
Thanks.
An example session:
100 root@bismuth:/etc/apt[0] apt-get dist-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
You might want to run `apt-get -f install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
liblocale-gettext-perl: PreDepends: perlapi-5.8.7 but it is not installable
libtext-charwidth-perl: Depends: perlapi-5.8.8 but it is not installable
libtext-iconv-perl: Depends: perlapi-5.8.8 but it is not installable
recode: Depends: libc6 (>= 2.3.5-1) but 2.3.6.ds1-10 is installed
Depends: librecode0 (>= 3.6) but 3.6-12 is installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try using -f.
100 root@bismuth:/etc/apt[0] rm /var/cache/apt/*.bin
rm: remove regular file `/var/cache/apt/pkgcache.bin'? y
rm: remove regular file `/var/cache/apt/srcpkgcache.bin'? y
0 root@bismuth:/etc/apt[0] apt-get dist-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
0 root@bismuth:/etc/apt[0] apt-get dist-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
You might want to run `apt-get -f install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
xserver-xorg: Depends: xserver-xorg-core (>= 2:1.1.1-11) but it is not installed
Depends: xserver-xorg-input-all but it is not installed or
xserver-xorg-input
xserver-xorg-input-synaptics: Depends: xserver-xorg-core (>= 1.0.0) but it is not installed
xserver-xorg-video-fbdev: Depends: xserver-xorg-core (>= 2:1.1.1-11) but it is not installed
xserver-xorg-video-v4l: Depends: xserver-xorg-core (>= 2:1.1.1) but it is not installed
xserver-xorg-video-vesa: Depends: xserver-xorg-core (>= 2:1.1.1-11) but it is not installed
xserver-xorg-video-vga: Depends: xserver-xorg-core (>= 2:1.1.1) but it is not installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try using -f.
-- Package-specific info:
-- apt-config dump --
APT "";
APT::Architecture "i386";
APT::Build-Essential "";
APT::Build-Essential:: "build-essential";
APT::Clean-Installed "false";
APT::Get "";
APT::Get::Assume-Yes "false";
Dir "/";
Dir::State "var/lib/apt/";
Dir::State::lists "lists/";
Dir::State::cdroms "cdroms.list";
Dir::State::userstatus "status.user";
Dir::State::status "/var/lib/dpkg/status";
Dir::Cache "var/cache/apt/";
Dir::Cache::archives "archives/";
Dir::Cache::srcpkgcache "srcpkgcache.bin";
Dir::Cache::pkgcache "pkgcache.bin";
Dir::Etc "etc/apt/";
Dir::Etc::sourcelist "sources.list";
Dir::Etc::sourceparts "sources.list.d";
Dir::Etc::vendorlist "vendors.list";
Dir::Etc::vendorparts "vendors.list.d";
Dir::Etc::main "apt.conf";
Dir::Etc::parts "apt.conf.d";
Dir::Etc::preferences "preferences";
Dir::Bin "";
Dir::Bin::methods "/usr/lib/apt/methods";
Dir::Bin::dpkg "/usr/bin/dpkg";
DPkg "";
DPkg::Pre-Install-Pkgs "";
DPkg::Pre-Install-Pkgs:: "/usr/sbin/dpkg-preconfigure --apt || true";
-- /etc/apt/preferences --
Explanation: Install from testing if possible
Package: *
Pin: release a=testing
Pin-Priority: 900
Explanation: If not in testing, or testing would be a downgrade, install from unstable.
Package: *
Pin: release a=unstable
Pin-Priority: 800
Explanation: Forget about stable
Package: *
Pin: release o=Debian
Pin-Priority: -10
-- /etc/apt/sources.list --
deb ftp://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/ unstable main
deb ftp://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/ testing main
-- System Information:
Debian Release: 4.0
APT prefers testing
APT policy: (900, 'testing'), (800, 'unstable')
Architecture: i386 (i586)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.18-3-486
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C (charmap=ANSI_X3.4-1968)
Versions of packages apt depends on:
ii debian-archive-keyring 2006.11.22 GnuPG archive keys of the Debian a
ii libc6 2.3.6.ds1-10 GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii libgcc1 1:4.1.1-21 GCC support library
ii libstdc++6 4.1.1-21 The GNU Standard C++ Library v3
apt recommends no packages.
-- debconf-show failed
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