Help! Synaptic broke my menus and lots of KDE stuff

NOTE: running Knoppix 3.3 hd-install

I recently tried to install an app (Apollon, a file sharing app) using Synaptic. Synaptic was able to download all of the necessary packages (though this took two tries, not sure why), but 15 out of I think 67 of the total installed or upgraded packages refused to install. KDE seems to be the promarily affected system, all of the standard application menus have disappeared, Konqueror no longer launches from the panel (although I can start it from command line), Kate lost my syntax highlighting settings, and Konsole freezes up immediately.

Synaptic also crashes on startup, so I fell back to using apt-get from the command line. Running apt-get check gives the following results:

Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
You might want to run `apt-get -f install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
kdelibs4: Depends: kdelibs-data (>= 4:3.2.1) but 4:3.1.4-3 is installed
libice-dev: Depends: libice6 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not installed
libsm-dev: Depends: libsm6 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not installed
libx11-dev: Depends: libx11-6 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not installed
libxext-dev: Depends: libxext6 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not installed
libxi-dev: Depends: libxi6 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not installed
libxmu-dev: Depends: libxmu6 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not installed
libxmuu-dev: Depends: libxmuu1 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not installed
libxp-dev: Depends: libxp6 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not installed
libxpm-dev: Depends: libxpm4 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4)
libxrandr-dev: Depends: libxrandr2 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not installed
libxt-dev: Depends: libxt6 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not installed
libxtrap-dev: Depends: libxtrap6 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not installed
libxtst-dev: Depends: libxtst6 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not installed
libxv-dev: Depends: libxv1 (= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try using -f.


Running apt-get -f install to attempt to correct these errors gives the following:

root@monster:/home/matt# apt-get -f install
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
kdelibs-data libice6 libsm6 libx11-6 libxext6 libxi6 libxmu6 libxmuu1 libxp6 libxpm4 libxrandr2 libxt6 libxtrap6 libxtst6 libxv1
The following NEW packages will be installed:
libice6 libsm6 libx11-6 libxext6 libxi6 libxmu6 libxmuu1 libxp6 libxpm4 libxrandr2 libxt6 libxtrap6 libxtst6 libxv1
The following packages will be upgraded
kdelibs-data
1 upgraded, 14 newly installed, 0 to remove and 831 not upgraded.
62 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B/9192kB of archives.
After unpacking 8806kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database ... 124302 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking libice6 (from .../libice6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libice6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/libICE.so.6.3', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Unpacking libsm6 (from .../libsm6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libsm6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/libSM.so.6.0', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Unpacking libx11-6 (from .../libx11-6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libx11-6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/locale/lib/common/ximcp.so.2', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Unpacking libxext6 (from .../libxext6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libxext6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/libXext.so.6.4', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Unpacking libxt6 (from .../libxt6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libxt6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/libXt.so.6.0', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Preparing to replace kdelibs-data 4:3.1.4-3 (using .../kdelibs-data_4%3a3.2.2-2_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement kdelibs-data ...
Replacing files in old package koffice-data ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/kdelibs-data_4%3a3.2.2-2_all.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/share/mimelnk/application/vnd.sun.xml.calc.desktop', which is also in package openoffice-de-en
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Unpacking libxmu6 (from .../libxmu6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libxmu6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/libXmu.so.6.2', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Unpacking libxi6 (from .../libxi6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libxi6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/libXi.so.6.0', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Unpacking libxv1 (from .../libxv1_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libxv1_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/libXv.so.1.0', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Unpacking libxmuu1 (from .../libxmuu1_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libxmuu1_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/libXmuu.so.1.0', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Unpacking libxp6 (from .../libxp6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libxp6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/libXp.so.6.2', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Unpacking libxpm4 (from .../libxpm4_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libxpm4_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/libXpm.so.4.11', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Unpacking libxrandr2 (from .../libxrandr2_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libxrandr2_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/libXrandr.so.2.0', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Unpacking libxtrap6 (from .../libxtrap6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libxtrap6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/libXTrap.so.6.4', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Unpacking libxtst6 (from .../libxtst6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libxtst6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/X11R6/lib/libXtst.so.6.1', which is also in package xlibs
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Errors were encountered while processing:
/var/cache/apt/archives/libice6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libsm6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libx11-6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libxext6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libxt6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/kdelibs-data_4%3a3.2.2-2_all.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libxmu6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libxi6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libxv1_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libxmuu1_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libxp6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libxpm4_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libxrandr2_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libxtrap6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libxtst6_4.3.0.dfsg.1-4_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)


Any apt-get experts know why these pacakge updates are failing?
I'm running apt-get from X Windows, could this be a problem?

Also, assuming I can get these packages correctly installed, any ideas whether my menus will be restored or, what I might have to do to fix them?

Thanks.

Sorry about the alarm, I was able to solve the problem on my own.

First I did a

dpkg --force overwrite -i /var/cache/apt/archives/<packagename>.deb

on all of the trouble pacakges. I wasn't sure if this fixed everything, so I followed up with an

apt-get -f install

at which point all of the previously downloaded pacakges we installed (reinstalled?). Log out, log back in and my menus are restored (and actually some apps that were previously installed but not added to the menus were added) and I now have an updated KDE/Konqueror/Kate/etc as well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Arkaein

at which point all of the previously downloaded pacakges we installed (reinstalled?).

---

Actually what happened was that apt finished installing the apps that were left uninstalled when apt errored because it didn't want to overwrite an existing file. You did everything just right. :)

Glad to see I'm not the only one having problems with apt-get "loosing" my KDE stuff. I thought I had things well in hand, added users, deleted users, lots of stuff like that. Then I got a wild hair in an inappropriate place and decided to install xscreensaver and kscreensaver... :cry: :cry: :cry:

No menus, no mounted or unmounted drives, no right click to configure (won't go there), and this is effecting ALL my users. My family is not happy!!! :evil:

Any hooo - I'm going to try some of the stuff you went through, and see if I can get things back on line... :?

Perhaps it's time to do yourself a favor and install a desktop that doesn't have so many problems? I prefer xfce4 w/ rox. But is it sexy? Judge for yourself:
http://68.170.26.195:8080/screenshots/rox-xfce4-cvs.jpg

Well I'm glad there's been some more activity in this thread since I prononced my problems solved because I've manage to create new ones just a day later.

Since I noticed that KDE had inadvertently been upgraded from 3.1 to 3.2 I though I'd see if there were any more themes available. I'd wanted to try the Plastik theme for a while. Anyways I go to kde-look.org and see that to install Plastik on 3.2 I should install the kdeartwork package. I do so and it seems to go all right. I go into the KDE Control Center and select the Plastik theme. Suddenly all of my Window decorations are gone and the Panel becomes unresponsive, although the apps currently running and visible on the current desktop are still OK. Right clicking gives my the logout popup menu but it doesn't actually work. I can CTRL+ALT+F1 over to a console and back to X once, but then everything is pretty much locked up.

Upon restarting the computer KDM comes up fine but when I try to login to KDE I am automatically put into WindowMaker. This happens from my main user or root logins, when I select either default or kde3 explicitly. I uninstalled kdeartwork, and I've reset my theme to Keramik through Kcontrol (KDE apps still work in other WMs), but KDE still won't start.

I've spent the past hour or so trying to figure out where Knoppix/Debian specifies how individual WMs are started to see if I can figure out what's wrong, but not much luck so far. I don't even know if KDM is trying to start KDE, failing, and simply falling back on WindowMaker, or if if it simply can't find or isn't trying to start KDE. I suspect that it lost a link to KDE somehow, but this is just a guess.

I may have to look at some other WMs more seriously. I really like KDE and want to fix it, but it seems like all of the apt-get problems I've had have been related to KDE. I may look into xfce mzilikazi, but in the meantime I could really use some KDE guidance.

Arkaein - I spent about three hours lastnight trying to figure out what went wrong. Every "apt-get check" shows nothing wrong. dpkg won't even start except for it's man page. :(

Things seem to work up to the point where the user is to log in with their password. At that point, the system loads all the items in the progress box. But when the KDE screen comes on, I get only three icons, no menu items, and the only thing that works on the right click is the logout and the run command.

Ctrl-Alt-F1 makes me log in again, even though I logged in as root.

I'm ready to reinstall for the fourth time! :twisted:

This time, I think I will make a "immage" (sp) to go back to should I f*&% things up!!! :x :? :( :cry: :evil:

Quote:

---

Things seem to work up to the point where the user is to log in with their password. At that point, the system loads all the items in the progress box. But when the KDE screen comes on, I get only three icons, no menu items, and the only thing that works on the right click is the logout and the run command.

Ctrl-Alt-F1 makes me log in again, even though I logged in as root.

---

Hmm, I'm not sure which of or situations is worse, yourse where KDE tries but fails, or mine where KDE seems to give up without even trying.

I'm curious. Do KDE apps still run for you out of other window managers? Cause for me all apps including things like Konqueror run perfectly (even applets like KNotes), its just starting the desktop, so I know more core KDE libs are intact.

Well I was able to get everything working. I was poking around in Synaptic to see if there were any pacakges that I might update to fix the problem. I had originally thought that KDE had been updated from 3.1 to 3.2 because Konqueror was sporting new icons, but it turns out that the icons were the only thing that was updated, probably care of kdelibs4 which was installed updated as a dependency of apollon (the app that started the whole mess). I think that the problem was some kind of missing dependency between the newer kdelibs and the rest of kde, which was left behind at 3.1. Updating all of the relevant apps to 3.2 solved the problem.

The onl remaining issues are my menus, which lost many applications, alomst all non-KDE. Running the new and improved KDE App Finder got a lot of the back, but not all. Oh well, I can probably scrounge up the few important ones from memory, and the rest I probably don't need.