[Bug 807619] Re: apt updates fail with invalid argument

[SEWilco]

I had flushed the cache before trying an update of only "apt", and
that's the only package which I now saw in the cache.

Very well, I first tried:

$ sudo dpkg -i --force-overwrite apt_0.7.25.3ubuntu9.5_amd64.deb
(Reading database ... 39902 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace apt 0.7.25.3ubuntu9.4 (using apt_0.7.25.3ubuntu9.5_amd64.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement apt ...
dpkg: error processing apt_0.7.25.3ubuntu9.5_amd64.deb (--install):
 unable to create `/usr/bin/apt-cache.dpkg-new' (while processing `./usr/bin/apt-cache'): Invalid argument
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Errors were encountered while processing:
 apt_0.7.25.3ubuntu9.5_amd64.deb

Well, that doesn't seem to have worked.  Maybe it depends upon having
several related updates.

$ sudo apt-get upgrade
(yeah, there are several things to upgrade.. it fetched them... the name at the bottom is "libpam-modules".
Using "libpam-modules" wasn't appreciated by dpkg.  Instead gave it the file name.

$ sudo dpkg -i --force-overwrite libpam-modules_1.1.1-2ubuntu5.3_amd64.deb
(Reading database ... 39902 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libpam-modules 1.1.1-2ubuntu5 (using libpam-modules_1.1.1-2ubuntu5.3_amd64.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libpam-modules ...
dpkg: error processing libpam-modules_1.1.1-2ubuntu5.3_amd64.deb (--install):
 unable to create `/lib/security/pam_localuser.so.dpkg-new' (while processing `./lib/security/pam_localuser.so'): Invalid argument
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Errors were encountered while processing:
 libpam-modules_1.1.1-2ubuntu5.3_amd64.deb

That looks overly familiar.  Well, on with the next step.

$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
$

OK, no error.

$ sudo dpkg -i --force-overwrite libpam-modules_1.1.1-2ubuntu5.3_amd64.deb
(Reading database ... 39902 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libpam-modules 1.1.1-2ubuntu5 (using libpam-modules_1.1.1-2ubuntu5.3_amd64.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libpam-modules ...
dpkg: error processing libpam-modules_1.1.1-2ubuntu5.3_amd64.deb (--install):
 unable to create `/lib/security/pam_localuser.so.dpkg-new' (while processing `./lib/security/pam_localuser.so'): Invalid argument
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Errors were encountered while processing:
 libpam-modules_1.1.1-2ubuntu5.3_amd64.deb

Nope.  dpkg seems as confused as before.  dpkg is the underlying tool,
so should dpkg be added to the list of broken things for this bug?

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/807619

Title:
  apt updates fail with invalid argument

Status in “apt” package in Ubuntu:
  Incomplete

Bug description:
  Every apt-get install or upgrade fails with a similar error, only the
  package name differs.  In the below example, I'm trying to update apt
  with the recommended update.  "apt-get upgrade" emits a similar error,
  although for the first package which it selects.

  
  $ sudo apt-get install apt
  Reading package lists... Done
  Building dependency tree       
  Reading state information... Done
  Suggested packages:
    dpkg-dev apt-doc
  The following packages will be upgraded:
    apt
  1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 18 not upgraded.
  Need to get 1,820kB of archives.
  After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.
  Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main apt 0.7.25.3ubuntu9.5 [1,820kB]
  Fetched 1,820kB in 3s (485kB/s)
  (Reading database ... 39902 files and directories currently installed.)
  Preparing to replace apt 0.7.25.3ubuntu9.4 (using .../apt_0.7.25.3ubuntu9.5_amd64.deb) ...
  Unpacking replacement apt ...
  dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/apt_0.7.25.3ubuntu9.5_amd64.deb (--unpack):
   unable to create `/usr/bin/apt-cache.dpkg-new' (while processing `./usr/bin/apt-cache'): Invalid argument
  dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
  Errors were encountered while processing:
   /var/cache/apt/archives/apt_0.7.25.3ubuntu9.5_amd64.deb
  E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

  $ lsb_release -rd
  Description:	Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS
  Release:	10.04

  $ apt-cache policy apt
  apt:
    Installed: 0.7.25.3ubuntu9.4
    Candidate: 0.7.25.3ubuntu9.5
    Version table:
       0.7.25.3ubuntu9.5 0
          500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main Packages
   *** 0.7.25.3ubuntu9.4 0
          100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
       0.7.25.3ubuntu7 0
          500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages

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