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I've inherited an Ubuntu 12.04 server where package management is completely messed up. Any aptitude command fails with errors like this one (for every installed package, as far as I can tell):

dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of grub-common: grub-common depends on libdevmapper1.02.1 (>= 2:1.02.36); however: Package libdevmapper1.02.1 is not configured yet.

There are dozens of unresolved dependencies, and trying to resolve them leads to further unresolved dependencies. In addition, there are dozens of other errors I can't even find anywhere (and won't describe). I can't spend more hours trying to fix this.

Is there any possible way to "reset" aptitude and start with a clean slate, without actually removing currently installed and configured packages?

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  • 2
    At this point, you should just reinstall. Commented May 10, 2015 at 12:29
  • What happens when you try to configure the package(s) it says are not configured yet? Commented May 10, 2015 at 14:16
  • aptitude install perhaps, (with no further arguments) so as to give the packaging system an opportunity to complete the outstanding installation tasks. Commented May 10, 2015 at 14:19
  • @HåkanLindqvist: just more strange configuration issues. Already tried aptitude install. I suppose reinstall is the best option here. Commented May 11, 2015 at 10:33
  • I could not install VLC on Ubuntu 16.04 with aptitude without removing Unity and 300 packages according to aptitude. apt-get remove aptitude followed by an install did not help. As a workaround I used apt-get to install VLC which worked. Aptitude really needs a reset command. Commented Sep 9, 2017 at 14:35

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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If you find aptitude state completely messed up, you can try (as root):

# rm -f /var/lib/aptitude/pkgstates*

And then restart it. That should clear aptitude's idea of what needs to be (re)installed/upgraded and then you can Update from there.

This happens to me periodically if I change the sources list or alter the release Pins in preferences and it gets into a package resolution disaster (or runs forever trying to find an upgrade path).

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  • Still useful for Ubuntu 21.10, after checking with apt-get and dpkg that my system was not broken. Commented Jan 12, 2022 at 19:21
  • If removing pkgstates helps you, it would indicate to me that you're regularly managing packages with apt, apt-get or any of the UI package managers instead of aptitude. Going aptitude all the way should hardly ever display such issues and if it does, it'll only be for a small number of packages that have been installed/uninstalled outside of Aptitude. And that's kinda expected with Aptitude's separate state-keeping. If you're not using Aptitude's TUI, there's no good reason to use Aptitude at all. And if you're using Aptitude's TUI, you should try to avoid apt / apt-get. Commented Apr 15, 2023 at 13:19
  • I would expect a huge problematic aptitude state after upgrading your system with any tool that's not Aptitude. So if you like Aptitude, I suggest to always upgrade your system with aptitude and to not let the GUI tools or do-release-upgrade do it. Commented Apr 15, 2023 at 13:25
  • Interesting @blubberdiblub, do-release-upgrade did not break things, but the initial issue arose lately, i.e. with Xubuntu 23.10. Not sure what was the trigger though. Commented Nov 26, 2023 at 16:29
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Try running:

 # dpkg --configure --pending # dpkg --configure -a # apt-get -f install

If that doesn't help, and you are unable to resolve further conflicts/problems on your own or get someone whos more experienced with dpkg at the helm, or just backup /etc and reinstall.

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  • None of that resolves the configuration/dependency nightmare. I guess backup and reinstall is the way to go here. Commented May 11, 2015 at 10:35

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