Bug#407239: Can't upgrade, reinstall or remove mozilla-browser because or missing/broken script(s)

Dominique Brazziel dbrazziel at snet.net
Wed Jan 17 05:55:48 CET 2007


Package:  mozilla-browser

Version:  2:1.7.8-1sarge7.3.1

I just tried to do a 'dist-upgrade' and
mozilla-browser, iceape-browser and mailnews, etc.
caused a dpkg cluster you know what because
'update-alternatives' failed to remove
/usr/bin/mozilla.  I run on testing, just successfully
completed an upgrade, but the subsequent
'dist-upgrade' failed and all attempts to remove,
purge, 
or reinstall mozilla-browser to untangle things fails
in the same way.  Here's what happens with 'dpkg
--purge':

dpkg --purge mozilla-browser
(Reading database ... 90668 files and directories
currently installed.)
Removing mozilla-browser ...
update-alternatives: unable to remove
/usr/bin/mozilla: Inappropriate ioctl for device
dpkg: error processing mozilla-browser (--purge):
 subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit
status 2
Updating mozilla chrome registry...done.
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mozilla-browser

Here's what happens with aptitude dist-upgrade:

aptitude dist-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading extended state information
Initializing package states... Done
Reading task descriptions... Done
Building tag database... Done
The following NEW packages will be automatically
installed:
  iceape-gnome-support
The following packages have been kept back:
  cvs
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  iceape-browser iceape-gnome-support
The following packages will be upgraded:
  mozilla-browser
The following packages are SUGGESTED but will NOT be
installed:
  iceape-dom-inspector latex-xft-fonts xprt
1 packages upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove
and 1 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B/12.3MB of archives. After unpacking
502kB will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] y
Writing extended state information... Done
Selecting previously deselected package
mozilla-browser.
(Reading database ... 90670 files and directories
currently installed.)
Preparing to replace mozilla-browser
2:1.7.8-1sarge7.3.1 (using
.../mozilla-browser_2%3a1.8+1.0.7-2_all.deb) ...
update-alternatives: unable to remove
/usr/bin/mozilla: Inappropriate ioctl for device
dpkg: warning - old pre-removal script returned error
exit status 2
dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
dpkg: error processing
/var/cache/apt/archives/mozilla-browser_2%3a1.8+1.0.7-2_all.deb
(--unpack):
 there is no script in the new version of the package
- giving up
Updating mozilla chrome registry...done.
dpkg: considering removing mozilla-browser in favour
of iceape-browser ...
dpkg: yes, will remove mozilla-browser in favour of
iceape-browser.
Unpacking iceape-browser (from
.../iceape-browser_1.0.7-2_i386.deb) ...
update-alternatives: unable to remove
/usr/bin/mozilla: Inappropriate ioctl for device
dpkg: error processing
/var/cache/apt/archives/iceape-browser_1.0.7-2_i386.deb
(--unpack):
 subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit
status 2
Updating mozilla chrome registry...done.
Preparing to replace iceape-mailnews 1.0.7-2 (using
.../iceape-mailnews_1.0.7-2_i386.deb) ...
update-alternatives: unable to remove
/usr/bin/mozilla: Inappropriate ioctl for device
dpkg: error processing
/var/cache/apt/archives/iceape-mailnews_1.0.7-2_i386.deb
(--unpack):
 subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit
status 2
Updating mozilla chrome registry...done.
Unpacking iceape-gnome-support (from
.../iceape-gnome-support_1.0.7-2_i386.deb) ...
update-alternatives: unable to remove
/usr/bin/mozilla: Inappropriate ioctl for device
dpkg: error processing
/var/cache/apt/archives/iceape-gnome-support_1.0.7-2_i386.deb
(--unpack):
 subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit
status 2
Updating mozilla chrome registry...done.
Errors were encountered while processing:

/var/cache/apt/archives/mozilla-browser_2%3a1.8+1.0.7-2_all.deb

/var/cache/apt/archives/iceape-browser_1.0.7-2_i386.deb

/var/cache/apt/archives/iceape-mailnews_1.0.7-2_i386.deb

/var/cache/apt/archives/iceape-gnome-support_1.0.7-2_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code
(1)
A package failed to install.  Trying to recover:
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of
mozilla-psm:
 mozilla-psm depends on iceape-browser; however:
  Package iceape-browser is not installed.
dpkg: error processing mozilla-psm (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of
mozilla-mailnews:
 mozilla-mailnews depends on iceape-mailnews; however:
  Package iceape-mailnews is not installed.
dpkg: error processing mozilla-mailnews (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mozilla-psm
 mozilla-mailnews





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