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apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installer  preparing...

The large thread >>asked Dec 4 '10 by Magic<< on this ms vs linux snafu instructs how to use the curses window to find the accept, yes button.

In this case, the apt-get command process just hangs without any other windows generated. Synaptic install attempt just ends with a "user did not agree to EULA" message. the package is in "a very bad inconsistent state" also described as "current status 'half-installed'". I am unable to install, uninstall, remove, autoremove, purge or configure.

What is the package NUKE-WITH-EXTREME-PREJUDICE option?

ttf-mscorefonts-installer-VIRUS...

<< sorry, no pictures allowed >>

# apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installer
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  cabextract libmspack0
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  cabextract libmspack0 ttf-mscorefonts-installer
0 upgraded, 3 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 59.7 kB/89.2 kB of archives.
After this operation, 362 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Get:1 us.archive.ubuntu ubuntu wily main libmspack0 amd64 0.5-1
Get:2 us.archive.ubuntu ubuntu wily universe cabextract amd64 <<not-a-link>>
Fetched 59.7 kB in 0s (167 kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously unselected package libmspack0:amd64.
(Reading database ... 433286 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libmspack0_0.5-1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libmspack0:amd64 (0.5-1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package cabextract.
Preparing to unpack .../cabextract_1.6-1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking cabextract (1.6-1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package ttf-mscorefonts-installer.
Preparing to unpack .../ttf-mscorefonts-installer_3.4+nmu1ubuntu2_all.deb ...
[**hang  ---  STOP FOREVER ---  NO-HIDDEN-WINDOW ---  NO-CURSES-WINDOWS**]

6 processes are left hanging when a ^c has no effect in the root install window. After all 6 are killed, there is another error:

E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'sudo dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.
# sudo dpkg --configure -a
...
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/29.5 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
dpkg: error processing package ttf-mscorefonts-installer (--configure):
 package ttf-mscorefonts-installer is not ready for configuration
 cannot configure (current status 'half-installed')
Errors were encountered while processing:
 ttf-mscorefonts-installer
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Trying to get synaptic to remove it ends in calamity:

(synaptic:2639): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_child_watch_add_full: assertion 'pid > 0' failed
dpkg: error processing package ttf-mscorefonts-installer (--remove):
package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should reinstall it before attempting a removal
Errors were encountered while processing:
  ttf-mscorefonts-installer
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install.  Trying to recover:

I think this constitutes a virus; malware which destroys system functionality (pkg management) and is difficult or impossible to remove.

I think it was QT which first tried to install these.

Would it be possible to install an empty, stub as a substitute for the ms-malware and prevent any attempt to reinstall it?

3
  • 1
    This question is very hard to understand. If you are referring to another question can you repeat the relevant part of that question here so we know what you're doing. Can you also make the question you are asking more clear. Feb 22, 2016 at 0:03
  • 1
    Possible duplicate of How to trick apt dependencies? Feb 23, 2016 at 8:28
  • I don't think ttf-mscorefonts-installer contains or downloads malware. The package itself is not provided by Microsoft and reviewed by many people including employees of Canonical. The installer inside the package downloads an archive files from Microsoft, extracts it and installs the extracted font files for the whole system to use. No execution of code from Microsoft there, just font description files. Feb 23, 2016 at 8:32

1 Answer 1

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Apt-Get Package Management FIXED!

These commands seem to have removed this ms-MONKEY_WRENCH:

root@raptor# dpkg --force-remove-reinstreq  --purge  ttf-mscorefonts-installer
dpkg: warning: overriding problem because --force enabled:
dpkg: warning: package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should
 reinstall it before attempting a removal
dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'ttf-mscorefonts-installer'       missing; assuming package has no files currently installed
(Reading database ... 435761 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing ttf-mscorefonts-installer (3.4+nmu1ubuntu2) ...
rm -rf "/var/cache/apt/archives/ttf-mscorefonts-installer_3.4+nmu1ubuntu2_all.deb" 
rm -rf /var/crash/ttf-mscorefonts-installer.0.crash

=========================================

Linux package management fragility is a HUGE problem; goog(apt-get error) -> 1.8 Million hits!

google(ttf-mscorefonts-installer linux) gets "About 8,240 results"
This single thread on one site scored 296 results.
Only a tiny percentage of users suffering damage to their package management caused by buggy (or worse) ms scripting will probably post their problem online.
Many surely give up.

This almost new system has 1457 ".deb" packages: loc .deb | grep ".deb$" | wc
With ~1.8 million package problems on google / 1457 = 1235 problems/package
With 8,249 reported problems, ms scores 670% more defects than average!

Released in 2002, if the problem were accidental, they could have fixed it by now!
From: wikipedia -> Core_fonts_for_the_Web
Microsoft (2002-07-25). "TrueType core fonts for the Web FAQ"

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