How to fix Perl with broken perl-base dependency?

[Dirkster]

autoconf : Depends: perl (> 5.005) but it is not going to be installed

#apt-get install perl
perl : Depends: perl-base (= 5.14.2-21+deb7u3) but 5.14.2-21+deb7u4 is to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

#apt-get install perl-base
perl-base is already the newest version.

A catch 22!

Linux 108 3.2.0-4-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 3.2.81-1 x86_64 GNU/Linux

In a process installing sw I got already stuck in step 1 installing the dependencies and already lost. Frustrated after spending hours on google trying to fix this. Any help? Thanks! Dirk

[GarryRicketson]

Did you try the -f option , ?

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man apt-get

-f, --fix-broken
Fix; attempt to correct a system with broken dependencies in place.
This option, when used with install/remove, can omit any packages
to permit APT to deduce a likely solution. If packages are
specified, these have to completely correct the problem. The option
is sometimes necessary when running APT for the first time; APT
itself does not allow broken package dependencies to exist on a
system. It is possible that a system's dependency structure can be
so corrupt as to require manual intervention (which usually means
using dselect(1) or dpkg --remove to eliminate some of the
offending packages). Use of this option together with -m may
produce an error in some situations. Configuration Item:
APT::Get::Fix-Broken.

----------------

after spending hours on google trying to fix this.

Really ?

How to fix broken packages on Debian
And on the first hit :https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/482

To clear out the broken packages use the command:

sudo aptitude -f

One other, of many hits: https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debi ... 02.en.html

[Dirkster]

Nope. Tried

#apt-get -f perl -> same result as above
#apt-get -f perl-base -> same result as above

# apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

No luck!

[GarryRicketson]

https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debi ... age_script

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 # apt-get -f install 

Install what ? you must include the package name,...
I would remove both packages first and try again.

But of course this is all assuming your /etc/apt/sources.list file
is correct. Maybe you should show us what that looks like.

[dilberts_left_nut]

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perl : Depends: perl-base (= 5.14.2-21+deb7u3) but 5.14.2-21+deb7u4 is to be installed

Your package list is out of date.
https://packages.debian.org/wheezy/perl

Do an 'apt-get update' then try to reinstall the new perl version again.

Or did you get your perl package from "somewhere else"?

[Dirkster]

https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debi ... age_script

But of course this is all assuming your /etc/apt/sources.list file
is correct. Maybe you should show us what that looks like.

deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ wheezy main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ wheezy main contrib non-free

[Dirkster]

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perl : Depends: perl-base (= 5.14.2-21+deb7u3) but 5.14.2-21+deb7u4 is to be installed

Your package list is out of date.
https://packages.debian.org/wheezy/perl

Do an 'apt-get update' then try to reinstall the new perl version again.

Or did you get your perl package from "somewhere else"?

I did the 'apt-get update' followed by 'apt-get install perl' and 'apt-get install perl-base" -> Still no luck

[Dirkster]

https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debi ... age_script

But of course this is all assuming your /etc/apt/sources.list file
is correct. Maybe you should show us what that looks like.

BINGO!

Thanks, Garry!!!!

Your source.list hint was indeed the problem. I googled it and changed it to

deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ wheezy main
deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ wheezy main

deb http://security.debian.org/ wheezy/updates main
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ wheezy/updates main

deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian wheezy-updates main
deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian wheezy-updates main

SOLVED!!!

Thank you bunches!!!!

[GarryRicketson]

OK, so you are using Debian Wheezy, ......that is what I use as well

That is good , you solved it.