Trying to fix a package install/update

[marc]

Derek Broughton wrote:

> marc wrote:
>
>> marc wrote:
>> 
>>>
>>> The autokey package failed to update for me yesterday.
>>>
>>> Here's the result of aptitude upgrade: http://pastebin.com/m51cde9
>>>
>>> The error: ImportError: No module named configobj
>>> looked like a typical Python issue, so I tried installing
>>> python-configobj, but that fails: http://pastebin.com/m6f6e7971
>>>
>>> Any ideas how to clear this up? I'm happy to purge autokey. Thanks.
>> 
>> Just to say that I had to do a hard uninstall to fix this issue:
>> 
>> 1. dpkg --listfiles <package name>
>>    Delete all listed files
>> 
>> 2. Remove package from /var/lib/dpkg/status
>> 
>> 3. Remove package from /var/lib/dpkg/available
>> 
> I _think_ you should have been able to purge it simply by deleting 
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/autokey.*
>
> At least, I can't imagine a way to block a purge like this that doesn't 
> involve getting errors from the .prerm or .postrm script.

I didn't try that, I confess. But I tried every combination of dpkg that
I could find seemingly appropriate references for.

To be honest, I thought this use case had been sorted out. Namely, purge
everything you know about this package without prejudice, I'll start
over.

Still, nice to know that some Linux arcana remains. Not that I'd miss
it.

-- 
Best,
Marc

"Change requires small steps."