apt-get paralyzed by failed dropbox install

Question

I tried to install dropbox on my system (Linux Mint 13). apt-get proceeded to download the 'dropbox' package. It says it installed it properly, but if I try to run dropbox from the GUI, it does not load. If I try to run it from the command line, it tells me the daemon is not installed and to run dropbox start -i to install the daemon. At which point apt-get starts downloading dropbox all over again -- and finally stalls.

All of which is bad enough. But it gets worse. If I try to install anything else using apt-get, I am told:

dpkg was interrupted. Run sudo dpkg --configure -a to resolve the problem

and when I run run dpkg --configure -a, guess what happens? Yep -- the system starts loading that same friggin' dropbox file again!

A try with apt-get purge dropbox produces:

dpkg was interrupted. Run sudo dpkg --configure -a to resolve the problem

Any ideas?

Answer 1

This I had already done and in fact someone else had posted a similar problem and after having tried exactly the same thing, received no more answers.

BUT it finally occurred to me-- given that apt-get sends me over to dpkg, why not trying purging there?

sudo dpkg --purge dropbox

and voila'! problem solved!!!

Answer 2

Alright, first, lets try this:
- sudo apt-get --purge remove dropbox
- sudo apt-get install -f
Try the second thing even if it doesn't work.

Answer 3

I read this work-around a few days ago when I was trying to install Dropbox in my Ubuntu 14.04. I followed the following steps:

1. First install dropbox daemon with this command (from the dropbox website):
   cd ~ && wget -O - "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86" | tar xzf - (for 32-bit systems)
   cd ~ && wget -O - "https://www.dropbox.com/download?plat=lnx.x86_64" | tar xzf -(for 64-bit systems)
2. Now Download the .deb file from dropbox website (https://www.dropbox.com/install) and run it. This will install dropbox on your system. Now you can run dropbox directly from dash.