[Bug 827942] Re: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument

[Nathan Neal]

Well, I had originally installed Ubuntu under ext3, but could not
write to it under Mac OS X, and did some searching online, and I seem
to remember reading that MOSX works better with ext2 formatting than
ext3, so I wiped my Linux partition, reformatted as ext2, and
reinstalled Ubuntu.  MOSX does now allow read/write to the Linux
partition, whereas under ext3 it did not.  Anyway, all that is just
some background as why I chose ext2.

I did as as you suggested, and tried installing dselect again, and
this time it worked.  I'm copying/pasting the text of the terminal
window:

nate at nne-macbook:~$ sudo apt-get install dselect
[sudo] password for nate:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  dselect
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/186 kB of archives.
After this operation, 1,077 kB of additional disk space will be used.
(Reading database ... 189711 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up dselect (1.16.0~ubuntu7) ...
nate at nne-macbook:~$

I should mention that I have installed some packages related to APT
and some compilers since we started this discussion.  I don't know if
that might be why this is now working or not.  If you'd like, I could
try to track down exactly what packages, and dependent files, I
installed in the last few days and give you a list....or if you know
of an easier way (maybe a cache of some sort), then you could instruct
me on how to access it.

Thanks

2011/8/21 Raphaël Hertzog <hertzog at debian.org>:
> On Sat, 20 Aug 2011, Nathan Neal wrote:
>> Well, I installed ext specifically because after doing some research
>> (and having previously installed Ubuntu under ext3), I found that I
>> could have read/write access to hfs+ disks (which is what my Mac HD
>> is).  That is why I chose to install Ubuntu under ext2 formatting
>> scheme.
>
> Hum, I don't see the relationship unless you mean that MacOS can
> read/write ext2 while it doesn't for ext3.
>
> Otherwise if linux is able to access hfs+ it has nothing to do with the
> choice of filesystem for Linux's root filesystem.
>
>> As for other packages being installed, I have not tried to install
>> dselect or use it manually before or since this error.  I always use
>> APT or Synaptic Package Manager (which I think calls the dselect
>> process), and all the other installations I've done have completed
>> without any errors.
>
> dselect is not used by APT or Synaptic, only "dpkg" is used as underlying
> package manager.
>
> Can you try to install dselect again and see if you can reproduce the
> error?
>
> sudo apt-get install dselect
>
> If yes I would like you to do "sudo strace -f -o log dpkg -i
> /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_*.deb" and to attach the resulting "log"
> file. You might have to install strace first (apt-get install strace).
> You might want to compress the log file before sending it ("gzip log" and
> you send the log.gz file).
>
> Cheers,
> --
> Raphaël Hertzog ◈ Debian Developer
>
> Follow my Debian News ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.com (English)
>                      ▶ http://RaphaelHertzog.fr (Français)
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/827942
>
> Title:
>  package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to
>  create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing
>  `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>
> Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
>  New
>
> Bug description:
>  I don't know a great deal about linux/ubuntu.  I was trying to update
>  a library file libc6 to a newer version, and could not see a way to do
>  this using apt, so I went through some man pages, found dselect, tried
>  to use it, found it was not installed, and tried to install it using
>  apt-get....this is when I received this error.  I don't know if it's a
>  bug or not, I don't know if I can't use dselect when apt is already
>  installed due to some sort of conflict.
>
>  ProblemType: Package
>  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
>  Package: dselect (not installed)
>  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
>  Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic i686
>  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
>  AptOrdering:
>   dselect: Install
>   dselect: Configure
>  Architecture: i386
>  Date: Wed Aug 17 07:00:16 2011
>  DpkgTerminalLog:
>   Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
>   dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb (--unpack):
>    unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  ErrorMessage: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
>  SourcePackage: dpkg
>  Title: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
>  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dpkg/+bug/827942/+subscriptions
>

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/827942

Title:
  package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to
  create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing
  `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument

Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I don't know a great deal about linux/ubuntu.  I was trying to update
  a library file libc6 to a newer version, and could not see a way to do
  this using apt, so I went through some man pages, found dselect, tried
  to use it, found it was not installed, and tried to install it using
  apt-get....this is when I received this error.  I don't know if it's a
  bug or not, I don't know if I can't use dselect when apt is already
  installed due to some sort of conflict.

  ProblemType: Package
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
  Package: dselect (not installed)
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.46-generic 2.6.38.7
  Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic i686
  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
  AptOrdering:
   dselect: Install
   dselect: Configure
  Architecture: i386
  Date: Wed Aug 17 07:00:16 2011
  DpkgTerminalLog:
   Unpacking dselect (from .../dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
   dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/dselect_1.16.0~ubuntu7_i386.deb (--unpack):
    unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
  ErrorMessage: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
  SourcePackage: dpkg
  Title: package dselect (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: unable to create `/etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg.dpkg-new' (while processing `./etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg'): Invalid argument
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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