5

I must have messed up my packages somewhere in the last weeks, on my Ubuntu 20.04 LTS machine:

# apt-get install libreoffice
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 libreoffice : Depends: libreoffice-base but it is not going to be installed
               Depends: libreoffice-calc but it is not going to be installed
               Depends: libreoffice-core (= 1:7.2.3~rc2-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~lo1) but it is not going to be installed
               Depends: libreoffice-draw but it is not going to be installed
               Depends: libreoffice-impress but it is not going to be installed
               Depends: libreoffice-math but it is not going to be installed
               Depends: libreoffice-report-builder-bin but it is not going to be installed
               Depends: libreoffice-writer but it is not going to be installed
               Depends: python3-uno (>= 4.4.0~beta2) but it is not going to be installed
               Recommends: libreoffice-gnome but it is not going to be installed or
                           libreoffice-plasma but it is not going to be installed
               Recommends: libreoffice-nlpsolver but it is not going to be installed
               Recommends: libreoffice-report-builder but it is not going to be installed
               Recommends: libreoffice-script-provider-bsh but it is not going to be installed
               Recommends: libreoffice-script-provider-js but it is not going to be installed
               Recommends: libreoffice-script-provider-python but it is not going to be installed
               Recommends: libreoffice-sdbc-mysql but it is not going to be installed
               Recommends: libreoffice-sdbc-postgresql but it is not going to be installed
               Recommends: libreoffice-wiki-publisher but it is not going to be installed
               Recommends: libreoffice-java-common (>= 1:7.2.3~rc2~) but it is not going to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

Where do I start? Can someone suggest some steps to get those broken packages fixed? Thanks!

UPDATE

Output of apt-get update:

# apt-get update
Hit:1 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
Hit:2 http://ppa.launchpad.net/libreoffice/ppa/ubuntu bionic InRelease                                                                                                                                            
Get:3 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease [114 kB]                                                                                                                                         
Hit:4 http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian focal InRelease                                                                                                                                            
Hit:5 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal InRelease                                                                                                                                                         
Ign:6 http://linux.dropbox.com/ubuntu disco InRelease                                                                                                                                                             
Hit:7 http://packages.microsoft.com/repos/code stable InRelease                                                                                                                                                   
Get:8 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates InRelease [114 kB]                                                                                                                                        
Hit:9 http://linux.dropbox.com/ubuntu disco Release                                                                                                                                                               
Hit:10 http://ppa.launchpad.net/taskcoach-developers/ppa/ubuntu bionic InRelease                                                                                                                                  
Hit:11 https://updates.signal.org/desktop/apt xenial InRelease                                                                                                                                                    
Hit:12 https://linux.teamviewer.com/deb stable InRelease                                                                                                                                                          
Hit:13 https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com stable InRelease                                                                                                                                            
Hit:14 https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/ms-teams stable InRelease                                                                                                                                             
Hit:15 https://repo.skype.com/deb stable InRelease                                                                                                                                   
Get:16 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports InRelease [108 kB]                                                            
Hit:18 https://packagecloud.io/slacktechnologies/slack/debian jessie InRelease
Get:19 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/main amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [35,7 kB]
Get:20 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/universe amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [64,7 kB]
Get:21 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/multiverse amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [2 464 B]  
Get:22 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [278 kB]      
Get:23 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/universe amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [362 kB]
Get:24 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/multiverse amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [940 B]
Get:25 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports/main amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [7 968 B]
Get:26 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports/universe amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [11,3 kB]
Fetched 1 098 kB in 5s (235 kB/s)              
Reading package lists... Done

Output of aptitude -f install libreoffice:

# aptitude -f install libreoffice
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  coinor-libcbc3{a} coinor-libcgl1{a} coinor-libclp1{a} coinor-libcoinmp1v5{a} coinor-libcoinutils3v5{a} coinor-libosi1v5{a} firebird3.0-common{a} firebird3.0-common-doc{a} firebird3.0-server-core{a} 
  firebird3.0-utils{a} fonts-crosextra-caladea{a} fonts-crosextra-carlito{a} fonts-linuxlibertine{a} fonts-noto-core{a} fonts-noto-extra{a} fonts-noto-ui-core{a} fonts-sil-gentium{a} 
  fonts-sil-gentium-basic{a} gstreamer1.0-gtk3{a} libblas3{a} libbsh-java{a} libclucene-contribs1v5{a} libclucene-core1v5{a} libcolamd2{a} libexttextcat-2.0-0{a} libexttextcat-data{a} libfbclient2{a} 
  libgfortran5{a} libhsqldb1.8.0-java{a} libib-util{a} liblangtag-common{a} liblangtag1{a} liblapack3{a} liblibreoffice-java{a} libmhash2{a} libmythes-1.2-0{a} libpq5{a} libraptor2-0{a} librasqal3{a} 
  librdf0{a} libreoffice libreoffice-base{a} libreoffice-base-core{ab} libreoffice-base-drivers{a} libreoffice-calc{ab} libreoffice-common{a} libreoffice-core{ab} libreoffice-draw{ab} libreoffice-gnome{a} 
  libreoffice-gtk3{a} libreoffice-impress{a} libreoffice-java-common{a} libreoffice-math{a} libreoffice-nlpsolver{a} libreoffice-report-builder{a} libreoffice-report-builder-bin{a} 
  libreoffice-script-provider-bsh{a} libreoffice-script-provider-js{a} libreoffice-script-provider-python{a} libreoffice-sdbc-firebird{a} libreoffice-sdbc-hsqldb{a} libreoffice-sdbc-mysql{ab} 
  libreoffice-sdbc-postgresql{a} libreoffice-style-colibre{a} libreoffice-style-elementary{a} libreoffice-style-yaru{a} libreoffice-wiki-publisher{a} libreoffice-writer{ab} libsuitesparseconfig5{a} 
  libtommath1{a} libuno-cppu3{a} libuno-cppuhelpergcc3-3{a} libuno-purpenvhelpergcc3-3{a} libuno-sal3{a} libuno-salhelpergcc3-3{a} libunoloader-java{a} libyajl2{a} lp-solve{a} python3-uno{ab} 
  uno-libs-private{a} ure{ab} ure-java{a} 
0 packages upgraded, 82 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 217 MB of archives. After unpacking 808 MB will be used.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 libreoffice-sdbc-mysql : Depends: libmysqlclient20 (>= 5.7.11) which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

 libreoffice-core : Depends: libboost-date-time1.65.1 which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

                    Depends: libboost-filesystem1.65.1 which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

                    Depends: libboost-iostreams1.65.1 which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

                    Depends: libboost-locale1.65.1 which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

                    Depends: libboost-system1.65.1 which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

                    Depends: libhunspell-1.6-0 which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

                    Depends: libicu60 (>= 60.1-1~) which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

                    Depends: libpoppler73 (>= 0.62.0) which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

 python3-uno : Depends: python3 (< 3.7) but 3.8.2-0ubuntu2 is installed
               Depends: python3.6 which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

               Depends: libpython3.6 (>= 3.6.5) which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

 libreoffice-base-core : Depends: libboost-date-time1.65.1 which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

 ure : Depends: libicu60 (>= 60.1-1~) which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

 libreoffice-writer : Depends: libicu60 (>= 60.1-1~) which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

 libreoffice-calc : Depends: libicu60 (>= 60.1-1~) which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

 libreoffice-draw : Depends: libicu60 (>= 60.1-1~) which is a virtual package and is not provided by any available package

The following actions will resolve these dependencies:

      Keep the following packages at their current version:        
1)      liblibreoffice-java [Not Installed]                        
2)      libreoffice [Not Installed]                                
3)      libreoffice-base [Not Installed]                           
4)      libreoffice-base-core [Not Installed]                      
5)      libreoffice-base-drivers [Not Installed]                   
6)      libreoffice-calc [Not Installed]                           
7)      libreoffice-common [Not Installed]                         
8)      libreoffice-core [Not Installed]                           
9)      libreoffice-draw [Not Installed]                           
10)     libreoffice-gnome [Not Installed]                          
11)     libreoffice-gtk3 [Not Installed]                           
12)     libreoffice-impress [Not Installed]                        
13)     libreoffice-java-common [Not Installed]                    
14)     libreoffice-math [Not Installed]                           
15)     libreoffice-nlpsolver [Not Installed]                      
16)     libreoffice-report-builder [Not Installed]                 
17)     libreoffice-report-builder-bin [Not Installed]             
18)     libreoffice-script-provider-bsh [Not Installed]            
19)     libreoffice-script-provider-js [Not Installed]             
20)     libreoffice-script-provider-python [Not Installed]         
21)     libreoffice-sdbc-firebird [Not Installed]                  
22)     libreoffice-sdbc-hsqldb [Not Installed]                    
23)     libreoffice-sdbc-mysql [Not Installed]                     
24)     libreoffice-sdbc-postgresql [Not Installed]                
25)     libreoffice-wiki-publisher [Not Installed]                 
26)     libreoffice-writer [Not Installed]                         
27)     python3-uno [Not Installed]                                
28)     ure [Not Installed]                                        
29)     ure-java [Not Installed]                                   

      Leave the following dependencies unresolved:                 
30)     libreoffice-base-drivers recommends libreoffice-sdbc-hsqldb
31)     libreoffice-common recommends python3-uno (>= 4.4.0~beta2) 
32)     libreoffice-style-colibre recommends libreoffice-common    
33)     libreoffice-style-elementary recommends libreoffice-common 
34)     libreoffice-style-yaru recommends libreoffice-common       
35)     libreoffice-writer recommends libreoffice-math             



Accept this solution? [Y/n/q/?] 

When I accept the solution, nothing gets installed. When I accept any other solution (many are proposed) nothing is installed.

I might have created this mess while trying to install the libraries required for compiling linphone. I downloaded the linphone sources, and there were dependencies to packages that weren't installed, several non-standard ones. Sadly, I forgot what I did exactly...

Last but not least, the output of apt policy libreoffice:

# apt policy libreoffice
libreoffice:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 1:7.2.3~rc2-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~lo1
  Version table:
     1:7.2.3~rc2-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~lo1 500
        500 http://ppa.launchpad.net/libreoffice/ppa/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages
     1:7.1.7-0ubuntu0.21.04.1~bpo20.04.1 100
        100 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports/universe amd64 Packages
     1:6.4.7-0ubuntu0.20.04.2 500
        500 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/universe amd64 Packages
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/universe amd64 Packages
     1:6.4.2-0ubuntu3 500
        500 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 Packages
14
  • 1
    do you have aptitude installed ? sudo aptitude -f install libreoffice
    – Error404
    Dec 2, 2021 at 10:34
  • Please run sudo apt-get update first. Share error output (if any).
    – N0rbert
    Dec 2, 2021 at 10:44
  • Also please edit your question to show the output of apt policy libreoffice Dec 2, 2021 at 12:52
  • 1
    Does this answer your question? Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages
    – karel
    Dec 2, 2021 at 13:27
  • 2
    Your sources list is a mess of focal and bionic sources. The specific libreoffice problem is that you are pointing to a bionic ppa on a focal system for libreoffice. Completely uninstall libreoffice, remove the ppa, and reinstall libreoffice. There's a disco and xenial ppa in there too, which I don't even want to think about. Dec 2, 2021 at 13:48

1 Answer 1

4

(summarizing comments)

The errors encountered when trying to install libreoffice were due to the focal system referencing a bionic libreoffice ppa.

Completely removing libreoffice, removing the ppa, and reinstalling libreoffice was successful, although the end result was an older version of libreoffice than previously installed.

There are other non-focal ppas on the system which are not currently breaking the package system but should probably be investigated in the future with an eye towards replacing them with the focal versions if possible.

1
  • Perfect, thank you!
    – D.Bugger
    Dec 2, 2021 at 23:55

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