Comment 48 for bug 262451

I've found somewhere:

"I had a really long list of errors, and here is a script that let me pass the list to dpkg with little effort. Thanks for fixing this problem.
WARNING: This script will remove all the packages marked with an error. It will then install them. It might be best to run each command by it’s self.
Just remember that when Pico(text editor) opens the file, delete the first few lines that have nothing to do with the problem packages. You should be left with a list of each problem package per line.
The script gets a list of problem packages, makes the list into one long line with spaces separating each word. It will then pass the list as an argument to remove all the packages and install them again.

#!/bin/bash
# Put the list into a file.
sudo dpkg -l | grep -v ^ii > fix-dpkg

# get just the 2nd column(the problem packages)
awk ‘{print $2}’ fix-dpkg > fix-dpkg.sorted

# Remind you to remove only the first few lines of the file
echo -e “\n\nYou now need to remove the first few lines from the file, leaving only a list of the problem packages.\nPress ENTER to continue”
read

# Manually remove the first lines of the file so that only a list of the problem packages exist.
pico fix-dpkg.sorted

# Make the list one line long with spaces separating each problem package. Put the output to fix-dpkg.final
sed ‘{:q;N;s/\n/ /g;t q}’ fix-dpkg.sorted > fix-dpkg.final

# Store the files contents as a variable
read fixit < fix-dpkg.final

# Use the list stored in $fixit to pass as an arguments for packages to remove
dpkg –purge –force-depends $fixit

# Fix any broken packages.
apt-get -f install

# Don’t think this is needed, but no harm can come from it.
apt-get install $fixit

# remove all the fix-dpkg files.
rm -i fix-dpkg*"

and it works

Nagymajtényi Gábor
Partner

ppt consulting
1061 Budapest Király u. 16.
+36-20-2612370
www.ppt-consulting.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "kimptoc" <email address hidden>
To: "gabor nagymajtenyi" <email address hidden>
Sent: Sunday, 1 February, 2009 6:52:53 PM GMT +01:00 Amsterdam / Berlin / Bern / Rome / Stockholm / Vienna
Subject: [Bug 262451] Re: dpkg: ../../src/packages.c:221: process_queue: Assertion `dependtry <= 4' failed.

Removed gxine, but that did not help me - I think my problems were with
cups and removing/re-installing that fixed it... but now gotta work out
how it was configured again - doh....

--
dpkg: ../../src/packages.c:221: process_queue: Assertion `dependtry <= 4' failed.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/262451
You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
of the bug.

Status in “dpkg” source package in Ubuntu: Confirmed
Status in “ufw” source package in Ubuntu: Confirmed
Status in dpkg in Ubuntu Intrepid: Confirmed
Status in ufw in Ubuntu Intrepid: Confirmed

Bug description:
netboot/preseed, worked 2 days ago, today it errors. dumbed down the pressed (no early/late/pkgsel/include, same error, but harder to transfer the logs, so attached are from the 'smart' one.)

interesting parts of syslog:

Aug 28 20:12:57 kernel: klogd started: BusyBox v1.10.2 (2008-08-21 15:03:59 UTC)

Aug 28 20:12:57 kernel: [ 0.000000] Linux version 2.6.27-1-generic (buildd@pa
lmer) (gcc version 4.3.1 (Ubuntu 4.3.1-9ubuntu1) ) #1 SMP Sat Aug 23 23:20:09 UT
C 2008 (Ubuntu 2.6.27-1.2-generic)

Aug 28 20:58:12 in-target: dpkg: ../../src/packages.c:221: process_queue: Assertion `dependtry <= 4' failed.
Aug 28 20:58:12 debconf: --> PROGRESS INFO pkgsel/progress/cleanup
Aug 28 20:58:12 debconf: <-- 0 OK
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: --> PROGRESS STOP
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: <-- 0 OK
Aug 28 20:58:13 main-menu[2750]: WARNING **: Configuring 'pkgsel' failed with error code 1
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: --> GET debconf/priority
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: <-- 0 high
Aug 28 20:58:13 main-menu[2750]: WARNING **: Menu item 'pkgsel' failed.
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: --> SETTITLE debian-installer/pkgsel/title
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: <-- 0 OK
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: --> CAPB
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: <-- 0 multiselect backup progresscancel align plugin-detect-keyboard
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: --> METAGET debian-installer/pkgsel/title Description
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: <-- 0 Select and install software
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: --> SUBST debian-installer/main-menu/item-failure ITEM Select and install software
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: Adding [ITEM] -> [Select and install software]
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: <-- 0
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: --> INPUT critical debian-installer/main-menu/item-failure
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: <-- 0 question will be asked
Aug 28 20:58:13 debconf: --> GO