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My problem is exactly the same as Ubuntu Software Center not working; says the package catalog needs repair

I tried the solution:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get autoclean
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo dpkg --remove -force --force-remove-reinstreq pidgin

But on doing the final command I get this response:

dpkg: error: conflicting actions -f (--field) and -r (--remove)

Type dpkg --help for help about installing and deinstalling packages [*];
Use `dselect' or `aptitude' for user-friendly package management;
Type dpkg -Dhelp for a list of dpkg debug flag values;
Type dpkg --force-help for a list of forcing options;
Type dpkg-deb --help for help about manipulating *.deb files;

For reference: After following the above process, I get the following output whatever I try to install:

$ sudo apt-get install python

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
python is already the newest version.
You might want to run 'apt-get -f install' to correct these:
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 pidgin : Depends: pidgin-data (< 1:2.7.11-z) but 1:2.10.3-0ubuntu1.5 is to be installed
      Depends: perlapi-5.10.1 but it is not installable
 pidgin-libnotify : Depends: libindicate-gtk2 (>= 0.2.2) but it is not installable
                Depends: libnotify1 (>= 0.5.0) but it is not installable
                Depends: libnotify1-gtk2.10 but it is not installable
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).

As suggested I tried

$ sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq pidgin
dpkg: warning: ignoring request to remove pidgin, only the config files of which are on the system. Use --purge to remove them too.

Then I also tried-

sudo dpkg --purge --force-remove-reinstreq pidgin

I also tried:

$ sudo apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  pidgin pidgin-libnotify
Suggested packages:
  gnome-panel kdebase-workspace-bin docker
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  pidgin
The following packages will be upgraded:
  pidgin-libnotify
1 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 78 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/710 kB of archives.
After this operation, 2,205 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? 
Selecting previously unselected package pidgin.
(Reading database ... 359576 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking pidgin (from .../pidgin_1%3a2.10.3-0ubuntu1.5_i386.deb) ...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf.index...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus ...
Processing triggers for gconf2 ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up pidgin (1:2.10.3-0ubuntu1.5) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of pidgin-libnotify:
 pidgin-libnotify depends on libindicate-gtk2 (>= 0.2.2); however:
Package libindicate-gtk2 is not installed.
 pidgin-libnotify depends on libnotify1 (>= 0.5.0); however:
  Package libnotify1 is not installed.
 pidgin-libnotify depends on libnotify1-gtk2.10; however:
  Package libnotify1-gtk2.10 is not installed.
dpkg: error processing pidgin-libnotify (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a previous failure.
                      Errors were encountered while processing:
 pidgin-libnotify
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
6
  • <strike>You made a typo in sudo dpkg --remove -force --force-remove-reinstreq pidgin (-force instead of --force), I think.</strike> My bad, the -force has no place in that command. Don't add that option.
    – muru
    Sep 2, 2014 at 12:29
  • 1
    Did you try 'apt-get -f install', or 'apt-get --fix-missing'?
    – CAB
    Sep 2, 2014 at 14:16
  • @CAB Do I need to run 'apt-get -f install' or 'apt-get -f install python'? What does 'apt-get --fix-missing' mean?
    – Kapil
    Oct 13, 2014 at 10:13
  • @Kapil run "sudo apt-get install -f" or "sudo apt-get -f install" Oct 13, 2014 at 10:21
  • @saptrishi nag: I ran that I have updated the response, I am still nowhere :(
    – Kapil
    Oct 13, 2014 at 12:14

1 Answer 1

0

The following comment from CAB worked for me:

@Kapil this looks similar to another post about pidgin. Try this answer; askubuntu.com/a/162256/54510. -f install will attempt to install whatever is missing/88. -f install python will attempt to installwhatever is missing + python. --fix-missing should fix or ignore missing dependencies.

Thanks a lot

1
  • In future, if this kind of links work within Ask Ubuntu site, just close the question as a duplicate. No need to make a comment an answer
    – Anwar
    Dec 18, 2016 at 6:11

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