[vox-tech] installation broken packages

[Carl Boettiger]

Hi,

I have some broken packages which apt-get (also aptitude, synaptic, 
adept_manager, dpkg) refuse to fix.  Any idea what's wrong?

apt-get -f install decides xine-ui is no fully installed.  dpkg identifes 
the package as being in a bad state:

cboettig at wiglaf:~$ sudo dpkg -r xine-ui
dpkg: error processing xine-ui (--remove):
  Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should
  reinstall it before attempting a removal.
Errors were encountered while processing:
  xine-ui


However, any attempt to remove, reinstall, or reconfigure xine-ui with 
dpkg or any apt program fails.  The error I keep getting is
cboettig at wiglaf:~$ dpkg-reconfigure xine-ui
Unrecognized character \xDE at /usr/share/perl/5.8/strict.pm line 1.
Compilation failed in require at /usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure line 8.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure line 8.

Googling unrecognized character \xDE gives me nothing.  (libperl5.8 is 
installed).  I'm guessing something with my perl is messed up, but that's 
just a wild guess.

Other packages are also not fully installed: the full output of apt-get -f 
install is:

cboettig at wiglaf:~$ sudo apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer 
required:
   cvs recode
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
9 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B/1551kB of archives.
After unpacking 0B of additional disk space will be used.
debconf: Perl may be unconfigured (Unrecognized character \xDE at 
/usr/share/perl/5.8/strict.pm line 1.
Compilation failed in require at (eval 1) line 2.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at (eval 1) line 2.
) -- aborting
Selecting previously deselected package xine-ui.
(Reading database ... 194787 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace xine-ui 0.99.5-2build1 (using 
.../xine-ui_0.99.5-2build1_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement xine-ui ...
Unrecognized character \xDE at /usr/share/perl/5.8/strict.pm line 1.
Compilation failed in require at /usr/lib/perl/5.8/File/Glob.pm line 3.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/lib/perl/5.8/File/Glob.pm line 
3.
Compilation failed in require at /usr/sbin/update-mime line 54.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/sbin/update-mime line 54.
dpkg: warning - old post-removal script returned error exit status 9
dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
Unrecognized character \xDE at /usr/share/perl/5.8/strict.pm line 1.
Compilation failed in require at /usr/lib/perl/5.8/File/Glob.pm line 3.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/lib/perl/5.8/File/Glob.pm line 
3.
Compilation failed in require at /usr/sbin/update-mime line 54.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/sbin/update-mime line 54.
dpkg: error processing 
/var/cache/apt/archives/xine-ui_0.99.5-2build1_i386.deb (--unpack):
  subprocess new post-removal script returned error exit status 9
Unrecognized character \xDE at /usr/share/perl/5.8/strict.pm line 1.
Compilation failed in require at /usr/lib/perl/5.8/File/Glob.pm line 3.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/lib/perl/5.8/File/Glob.pm line 
3.
Compilation failed in require at /usr/sbin/update-mime line 54.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/sbin/update-mime line 54.
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
  subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 9
Errors were encountered while processing:
  /var/cache/apt/archives/xine-ui_0.99.5-2build1_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)


Help would be very much appreciated, I'm at a loss in what to do.

Carl