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Somehow two packages (that I don't want anymore) got corrupted after a file system check and are now missing files.

I installed and initialized debsums and when I run it it gives a load of missing files (and only missing files).

I tried these commands (found all over the place):

  • sudo apt upgrade
  • sudo apt autoremove
  • sudo apt install brscan4
  • sudo apt remove brscan4
  • sudo dpkg --configure -a
  • sudo apt install --reinstall brscan4
  • sudo apt install -f --reinstall brscan4
  • sudo apt-get -f install (without package name)
  • sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq brscan4
  • sudo apt-get purge --remove brscan4
  • [added] dpkg -P brscan4

Notably, dpkg --configure -a seems to be recommended everywhere as if it's the final last-resort solution that's supposed to fix it.

They all give the exact same error:

Removing brscan4 (0.4.4-3) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/brscan4.prerm: 3: /var/lib/dpkg/info/brscan4.prerm: /opt/brother/scanner/brscan4/setupSaneScan4: not found
dpkg: error processing package brscan4 (--remove): installed brscan4 package pre-removal script subprocess returned error exit status 127

These commands do nothing to the corrupted packages:

  • sudo apt update
  • sudo apt update --fix-missing

How can I fix this short of reinstalling Ubuntu from scratch? (his final solution, see chat)

Mark Jeronimus
  • 463

1 Answers1

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When prerm/postrm/postinst are failing, you need to remove the package with more low-level tools, as apt will stop on this error.

The first try is to use dpkg -P brscan4 and when it works install brscan4 again using apt.

If still nothing works, edit the paths like /var/lib/dpkg/info/brscan4.prerm and insert exit 0 as second line. The script will not run and not produce an error. After that, reinstalling will probably fix the errors and the re-installed script hopefully runs without problems.

allo
  • 661
  • sudo dpkg -P brscan4: same error again. – Mark Jeronimus Feb 13 '19 at 11:07
  • Then try the exit 0 method. Check afterwards, if the scripts got replaced and if not remove the exit 0 line yourself and possibly reinstall the package (to run the script in an appropriate way, once all needed files are there again). – allo Feb 13 '19 at 11:08
  • Thx, that did the trick. I just had to execute the apt remove command and edit every .prerm and .postinst file it threw at me and empty it, until the remove works. Repeat for other packages. – Mark Jeronimus Feb 13 '19 at 11:26