[Dapper-i386] Package "cacti" error messages on install/uninstall & won't uninstall.

[Scott]

I'm stuck.  I've tried everything I can think of.

If it weren't for the fact that it's making installation or removal of 
other package increasingly difficult, I'd ignore it.  But it's getting 
harder to do upgrades with this thing that won't go away.

Here's the "scenario"


	$ sudo apt-get remove cacti
	Reading package lists... Done
	Building dependency tree... Done
	The following packages will be REMOVED:
	  cacti
	0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 13 not upgraded.
	34 not fully installed or removed.
	Need to get 0B of archives.
	After unpacking 3412kB disk space will be freed.
	Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
	dpkg: error processing cacti (--remove):
	 Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should
	 reinstall it before attempting a removal.
	terminate called after throwing an instance of 'std::logic_error'
	  what():  basic_string::_S_construct NULL not valid
	Aborted
	$ Errors were encountered while processing:
	 cacti

	$ sudo apt-get install cacti
	Reading package lists... Done
	Building dependency tree... Done
	The following packages will be upgraded:
	  cacti
	1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 13 not upgraded.
	34 not fully installed or removed.
	Need to get 0B/921kB of archives.
	After unpacking 98.3kB of additional disk space will be used.
	Preconfiguring packages ...
	/tmp/cacti.config.103771: line 9: 
/usr/share/dbconfig-common/dpkg/config.mysql: No such file or directory
	cacti failed to preconfigure, with exit status 1
	Selecting previously deselected package cacti.
	(Reading database ... 318984 files and directories currently installed.)
	Preparing to replace cacti 0.8.6g-3ubuntu1 (using 
.../cacti_0.8.6h-1ubuntu1_all.deb) ...
	/var/lib/dpkg/info/cacti.prerm: line 8: 
/usr/share/dbconfig-common/dpkg/prerm.mysql: No such file or directory
	dpkg: warning - old pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
	dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
	/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/prerm: line 8: 
/usr/share/dbconfig-common/dpkg/prerm.mysql: No such file or directory
	dpkg: error processing 
/var/cache/apt/archives/cacti_0.8.6h-1ubuntu1_all.deb (--unpack):
	 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
	/var/lib/dpkg/info/cacti.config: line 9: 
/usr/share/dbconfig-common/dpkg/config.mysql: No such file or directory
	dpkg: error while cleaning up:
	 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
	Errors were encountered while processing:
	 /var/cache/apt/archives/cacti_0.8.6h-1ubuntu1_all.deb
	E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

	$ sudo dpkg -r cacti
	 dpkg: error processing cacti (--remove):
	 Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should
	 reinstall it before attempting a removal.
	Errors were encountered while processing:
	 cacti


	$ sudo dpkg -i cacti_0.8.6h-1ubuntu1_all.deb
	(Reading database ... 318984 files and directories currently installed.)
	Preparing to replace cacti 0.8.6g-3ubuntu1 (using 
cacti_0.8.6h-1ubuntu1_all.deb) ...
	/var/lib/dpkg/info/cacti.prerm: line 8: 
/usr/share/dbconfig-common/dpkg/prerm.mysql: No such file or directory
	dpkg: warning - old pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
	dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
	/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/prerm: line 8: 
/usr/share/dbconfig-common/dpkg/prerm.mysql: No such file or directory
	dpkg: error processing cacti_0.8.6h-1ubuntu1_all.deb (--install):
	 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
	/var/lib/dpkg/info/cacti.config: line 9: 
/usr/share/dbconfig-common/dpkg/config.mysql: No such file or directory
	dpkg: error while cleaning up:
	 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
	Errors were encountered while processing:
	 cacti_0.8.6h-1ubuntu1_all.deb


	$ sudo dpkg -r --force-remove-reinstreq cacti
	dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
	 Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should
	 reinstall it before attempting a removal.
	(Reading database ... 318982 files and directories currently installed.)
	Removing cacti ...
	/var/lib/dpkg/info/cacti.prerm: line 8: 
/usr/share/dbconfig-common/dpkg/prerm.mysql: No such file or directory
	dpkg: error processing cacti (--remove):
	 subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
	/var/lib/dpkg/info/cacti.config: line 9: 
/usr/share/dbconfig-common/dpkg/config.mysql: No such file or directory
	dpkg: error while cleaning up:
	 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
	Errors were encountered while processing:
	 cacti

I'm stumped.  Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

-- 
Scott
www.angrykeyboarder.com
© 2006 angrykeyboarder™ & Elmer Fudd. All Wights Wesewved