Cannot uninstall and reinstall mySQL

Question

I somehow just lost the ability to connect to my local MySQl server (Linux Mint 17.3) so I found instructions to uninstall and then reinstall MySQL, however this does not seem to be working. I have tried multiple different console commands to do this but no luck so far, an example of the commands I am using is:

sudo mysqld stop
sudo apt-get remove --purge mysql-server mysql-client mysql-common
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get autoclean
sudo apt-get install mysql-server

The result is:

start: Job failed to start
invoke-rc.d: initscript mysql, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing package mysql-server-5.6 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of mysql-server:
 mysql-server depends on mysql-server-5.6; however:
  Package mysql-server-5.6 is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package mysql-server (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.19-0ubuntu6.9) ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-16) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mysql-server-5.6
 mysql-server
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Funnily enough job failed to start error was the error I was getting before all this happened. The only thing I did before this all started happening was install cakephp so I am really confused as to how this can start happening out of the blue.

EDIT the error I am now getting is:

start: Job failed to start
invoke-rc.d: initscript mysql, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing package mysql-server-5.6 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of mysql-server:
 mysql-server depends on mysql-server-5.6; however:
  Package mysql-server-5.6 is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package mysql-server (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mysql-server-5.6
 mysql-server
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

EDIT 2:

Got the error pupup: you have one broken package on your system use the broken filter to locate it

so tried the following:

Go into Synaptic and drop down the Edit menu and click "Fix Broken Packages", then click apply. Most of the time broken packages are those with missing dependencies.

and got the error message:

E: /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server-5.5_5.5.52-0ubuntu0.14.04.1_amd64.deb: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1

Edit 3: I performed a blank install of lamp on a virtual machine, following the instructions from here: http://tecadmin.net/install-php-7-0-apache-2-4-mysql-5-6-on-ubuntu/

and the error crops up here as well!

Edit 4: I have tried Minigeek's suggestion, but the terminal comes up with errors again:

sudo software-properties-gtk 
Error: Can't find the age of https://mirrors.c0urier.net/?dir=linux/linuxmint/packages/db/version !!
/usr/lib/linuxmint/mintSources/mintSources.py:499: GtkWarning: IA__gtk_list_store_set_value: assertion 'VALID_ITER (iter, list_store)' failed
  model.set_value(iter, MirrorSelectionDialog.MIRROR_SPEED_COLUMN, download_speed)
/usr/lib/linuxmint/mintSources/mintSources.py:500: GtkWarning: IA__gtk_list_store_set_value: assertion 'VALID_ITER (iter, list_store)' failed
  model.set_value(iter, MirrorSelectionDialog.MIRROR_SPEED_LABEL_COLUMN, self._get_speed_label(download_speed))
/usr/lib/linuxmint/mintSources/mintSources.py:443: GtkWarning: gtk_list_store_get_value: assertion 'VALID_ITER (iter, list_store)' failed
  mirror = self._mirrors_model.get_value(iter, MirrorSelectionDialog.MIRROR_COLUMN)
Unhandled exception in thread started by <bound method MirrorSelectionDialog._all_speed_tests of <__main__.MirrorSelectionDialog object at 0x7f19ee330850>>
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/linuxmint/mintSources/mintSources.py", line 443, in _all_speed_tests
    mirror = self._mirrors_model.get_value(iter, MirrorSelectionDialog.MIRROR_COLUMN)
TypeError: unknown type (null)
Error '(28, 'Connection timed out after 5000 milliseconds')' on url http://mirror.krystal.co.uk/ubuntu
/usr/lib/linuxmint/mintSources/mintSources.py:497: GtkWarning: IA__gtk_list_store_remove: assertion 'VALID_ITER (iter, list_store)' failed
  model.remove(iter)
Unhandled exception in thread started by <bound method MirrorSelectionDialog._all_speed_tests of <__main__.MirrorSelectionDialog object at 0x7f19ee330850>>
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/linuxmint/mintSources/mintSources.py", line 443, in _all_speed_tests
    mirror = self._mirrors_model.get_value(iter, MirrorSelectionDialog.MIRROR_COLUMN)
TypeError: unknown type (null)

(synaptic:6925): Gtk-CRITICAL **: gtk_widget_hide: assertion 'GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget)' failed

have you tried : sudo apt-get purge mysql-server mysql-client mysql-common without the remove ? — Ahmed Al-attar, Sep 25 '16 at 09:00
if still have the problem , check /var/lib/dpkg/info/<mysql files> and remove them. — Ahmed Al-attar, Sep 25 '16 at 09:04
yes I have, same result, the files are cleaned out by apt-get autoremove automatically — William Holmes, Sep 25 '16 at 11:26
can you please check if there is any mysql files in /var/lib/dpkg/info/ and delete them ? — Ahmed Al-attar, Sep 25 '16 at 11:38
do sudo apt-get purge mysql-server-5.6 package by package and let me know — Ahmed Al-attar, Sep 25 '16 at 11:47
this doesn't help unfortunately, whatever I remove I get the dpkg error — William Holmes, Sep 25 '16 at 11:55
can you check Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1) — Ahmed Al-attar, Sep 25 '16 at 11:59
I have added the error, I tried the first half of the solution, but no change — William Holmes, Sep 25 '16 at 12:06
Unfortunately Linux Mint is no (official) flavour of Ubuntu and off topic here. You can ask questions about any Linux distribution over on [Unix.SE]. — David Foerster, Sep 25 '16 at 22:55

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 25 '16 at 18:43

0

 sudo apt-get autoclean

remove sources.list file.and create new sources.list...

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list

Then, type in

sudo software-properties-gtk

This will open software-properties-gtk and a newsources.list will be created automatically.

Then change the server to US or to any other server of your choice. You must enable repositories from the new dialog in order to create new sources.list.

Tick all the boxes then click on Revert then click close.

Need to restore default repositories

 sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade -y

(it is good practice to backup this file before installing to recover if such things happen)

Now install anything! sudo apt-get install mysql-server

answered Sep 25 '16 at 18:43

minigeek

1,071

Thanks for this, but still no luck I'm afraid, I have updated my Question with the error message I get just before the last step. I enter the last command which seems to work, but still can't install MySQL – William Holmes Sep 25 '16 at 21:17
It seems like the broken MySQL package hangs around, whatever purge commands or clean commands I try – William Holmes Sep 25 '16 at 21:31
Dont use sudo before software-properties-gtk and if isnt there install it.. sudo apt-get install software-properties-gtk.Do this procedure from start...and at last type sudo apt-get install --reinstall mysql-server – minigeek Sep 26 '16 at 04:15

Cannot uninstall and reinstall mySQL

1 Answers1