Broken pkg

[Ilan Younanian]

hello kernel team

the synaptic pkg manager wants to perform the following three tasks:
>
linux-headers-2.6.32-38 (version 2.6.32-38.83) will be installed
linux-headers-2.6.32-38-generic (version 2.6.32-38.83) will be installed
linux-headers-generic (version 2.6.32.38.44) will be re-installed
>

and reports following error:

>
E: /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-headers-2.6.32-38_2.6.32-38.83_all.deb:
unable to create
`/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.32-38/arch/x86/include/asm/cmpxchg_32.h.dpkg-new' (while processing `./usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.32-38/arch/x86/include/asm/cmpxchg_32.h')
E: /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-headers-2.6.32-38-generic_2.6.32-38.83_i386.deb: error creating symbolic link `./usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.32-38-generic/include/scsi'
>

are the headers needed to run linux "properly" or are they just needed
to develop? what shall i do in order to repair the package system? can i
remove the headers or will this affect user program or api?
i run 10.04LTS.

thank you
ilan