How to uninstall VirtualBox 7.0.x that was cancelled to install VirtualBox 6.1.x?

Question

At Ubuntu Desktop 22.04 was executed:

sudo dpkg -i virtualbox-7.0_7.0.4-154605~Ubuntu~jammy_amd64.deb 

but through the unpacking process was cancelled through ctrl + c. It because is need it the 6.1.40 version instead. Few seconds later was executed

sudo dpkg -i virtualbox-6.1_6.1.40-154048~Ubuntu~jammy_amd64.deb 

and shows

(Reading database ... 200469 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack virtualbox-6.1_6.1.40-154048~Ubuntu~jammy_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking virtualbox-6.1 (6.1.40-154048~Ubuntu~jammy) over (6.1.40-154048~Ubuntu~jammy) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of virtualbox-6.1:
 virtualbox-6.1 depends on libqt5core5a (>= 5.15.1); however:
  Package libqt5core5a is not installed.
 virtualbox-6.1 depends on libqt5gui5 (>= 5.14.1) | libqt5gui5-gles (>= 5.14.1); however:
  Package libqt5gui5 is not installed.
  Package libqt5gui5-gles is not installed.
 virtualbox-6.1 depends on libqt5opengl5 (>= 5.0.2); however:
  Package libqt5opengl5 is not installed.
 virtualbox-6.1 depends on libqt5printsupport5 (>= 5.0.2); however:
  Package libqt5printsupport5 is not installed.
 virtualbox-6.1 depends on libqt5widgets5 (>= 5.15.1); however:
  Package libqt5widgets5 is not installed.
 virtualbox-6.1 depends on libqt5x11extras5 (>= 5.6.0); however:
  Package libqt5x11extras5 is not installed.
 virtualbox-6.1 depends on libsdl1.2debian (>= 1.2.11); however:
  Package libsdl1.2debian is not installed.

dpkg: error processing package virtualbox-6.1 (--install):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Processing triggers for mailcap (3.70+nmu1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.36.0-1ubuntu3) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.26-1ubuntu3) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...
Processing triggers for shared-mime-info (2.1-2) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 virtualbox-6.1

Therefore was executed the sudo apt -f install and shows

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
E: The package virtualbox-7.0 needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an archive for it.

With sudo apt purge virtualbox-7.0 shows

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
E: The package virtualbox-7.0 needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an archive for it.

If I try to re-install VB 7 to purge it later with

sudo apt install ./virtualbox-7.0_7.0.4-154605~Ubuntu~jammy_amd64.deb 

It shows

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run 'apt --fix-broken install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 virtualbox-6.1 : Depends: libqt5core5a (>= 5.15.1) but it is not installed
                  Depends: libqt5gui5 (>= 5.14.1) but it is not installed or
                           libqt5gui5-gles (>= 5.14.1) but it is not installed
                  Depends: libqt5opengl5 (>= 5.0.2) but it is not installed
                  Depends: libqt5printsupport5 (>= 5.0.2) but it is not installed
                  Depends: libqt5widgets5 (>= 5.15.1) but it is not installed
                  Depends: libqt5x11extras5 (>= 5.6.0) but it is not installed
                  Depends: libsdl1.2debian (>= 1.2.11)
                  Recommends: libsdl-ttf2.0-0 but it is not installed
                  Recommends: gcc but it is not installed
                  Recommends: make or
                              build-essential but it is not installed or
                              dpkg-dev but it is not installed
                  Recommends: binutils but it is not installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt --fix-broken install' with no packages (or specify a solution).

If is executed apt --fix-broken install it shows

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
E: The package virtualbox-7.0 needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an archive for it.

If I want to reinstall VB 6.1 with

sudo apt install ./virtualbox-6.1_6.1.40-154048~Ubuntu~jammy_amd64.deb 

it shows (observe it stills refer to 7)

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
E: The package virtualbox-7.0 needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an archive for it.

If I want to uninstall VB 6.1 with sudo apt purge virtualbox-6.1 it shows

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
E: The package virtualbox-7.0 needs to be reinstalled, but I can't find an archive for it.

How to fix this?

The goal is uninstall by complete VB 7 and install VB 6.1 in peace.

Alpha

According with the user535733's suggestion if is executed the command:

sudo dpkg -i virtualbox-7.0_7.0.4-154605~Ubuntu~jammy_amd64.deb 

appears

dpkg: regarding virtualbox-7.0_7.0.4-154605~Ubuntu~jammy_amd64.deb containing virtualbox-7.0:
 virtualbox-7.0 conflicts with virtualbox
  virtualbox-6.1 provides virtualbox and is present and unpacked but not configured.

dpkg: error processing archive virtualbox-7.0_7.0.4-154605~Ubuntu~jammy_amd64.deb (--install):
 conflicting packages - not installing virtualbox-7.0
Errors were encountered while processing:
 virtualbox-7.0_7.0.4-154605~Ubuntu~jammy_amd64.deb

Answer 1

I find a possible solution about to use the command:

sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq <packagename>

it according with the post & solution:

• How to delete broken packages in ubuntu

But its first comment indicates:

This command should always be avoided as it breaks you system more than it repairs

Not sure if that is true or not. But is a risk

Solution

Therefore I did do the following and finally works:

sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/status status.bkp
sudo gedit /var/lib/dpkg/status

Remove the section that contains the error message. In my case was:

Package: virtualbox-7.0
Status: install reinstreq half-installed
Priority: optional
Section: contrib/misc
Architecture: amd64
Version: 7.0.4-154605~Ubuntu~jammy

Observe the status - install reinstreq half-installed

The source/credits of this solution is thanks to this post

• Fix Annoying ‘The package needs to be reinstalled, but I can’t find an archive for it’ Error In Linux Mint / Ubuntu

Therefore the commands work fine

sudo dpkg -i virtualbox-6.1_6.1.40-154048~Ubuntu~jammy_amd64.deb
sudo apt -f install

And about VirtualBox 7 with the following commands happens:

sudo apt remove virtualbox-7
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package virtualbox-7

sudo apt remove virtualbox-7.0
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
Package 'virtualbox-7.0' is not installed, so not removed
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

sudo apt purge virtualbox-7.0
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
Package 'virtualbox-7.0' is not installed, so not removed
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

So it seems all is Ok.