internet connection failed during package install

[jbs1136]

I was installing cups-pdf with synaptic package manager and my internet connection disconnected. Now I can not get cups-pdf to install or remove. I have tried using apt-get, aptitude, and dpkg. I have even tried removing cups and everything that depends on it (hplip, etc). Now when I try to reinstall cups-pdf I get the following:

Code: Select all

Setting up cups-pdf (2.6.1-3) ...
Reloading Common Unix Printing System: cupsd.

It hangs here indefinitely. When I try running cups (http://localhost:631/) it just keeps trying to load. (using firefox nightly version 11.0a1). When I try to use apt-get to install anything I get the same

Reloading Common Unix Printing System: cupsd.

and a never ending blinking cursor. I have searched the forums here and at LinuxQuestions.org and google every possible combination of words that I can think of and still have the problem. Need some help, have never encountered this problem before and am totally lost on a solution.

john

[golinux]

Did your cups-pdf download completely? On dialup, I frequently lose a connection when downloading apps/updates. The partial download should be cached in /var/cache/apt/archives/partial then when reconnected, the process should continue to download if you restart it from Synaptic or Update Manager. It may take several tries for a big file.

[emariz]

If you save the downloaded packages for a special reason, delete cups-pdf from /var/cache/apt and then run 2) and 3). If you don't save the downloaded packages, execute all three commands.

1) aptitude clean
2) aptitude update
3) aptitude install cups-pdf

[Roel63]

I get the impression that this has nothing to do with a disconnecting internet connection. I had the same trouble installing cups-pdf, with exactly the same symptoms, using a perfectly stable connection. It even prevents apt-get update/upgrade etc.

I suspect a bug in cups/cups-pdf (Wheezy/Gnome3) but I haven't seen a filed bug, although your issue is from end November and mine from yesterday.

[Revenger]

It hangs because it asks for some password (I have no idea). Just hit enter and you are good.

[Roel63]

It hangs because it asks for some password (I have no idea). Just hit enter and you are good.

I think I hit about everything possible, including ctrl-c. The only thing that worked at THAT moment was forced closing the terminal, with already mentioned results.

I still think it is strange that I am the only one with this issue, together with topic-opener, who (unfortunately) left after posting this.

[Ahtiga Saraz]

I was installing cups-pdf with synaptic package manager and my internet connection disconnected.

I wonder whether this might be related to a horrifying feature of recent cups updates, which apparently try to force your computer to use ipv6 rather than ipv4. If you use a networked printer, you might accidently effectively have it on the internet, and if you connect to the internet via your ISP's gateway, and if your ISP has not yet enabled ipv6 (which could be a good thing--- see below!), this could cause your update to hang because during post-install your computer tries to connect using ipv6 rather than ipv4. Or at least, that is what I guess might be happening.

Not to spread unneccessary FUD, but experts say that while in the long run ipv6 may improve security, in the short run it greatly increases everyones attack profile (Internet of Things, oh joy!), which is quite dangerous because it seems that very few admins (much less home users) yet know how to properly firewall ipv6 services. Indeed, AFAIK, Debian may not yet firewall ipv6 by default at all, which would be quite different to what we expect from default ipv4 security in Debian. So if you use a networked printer, if cups uses ipv6 before you have properly secured ipv6 services, this could very possibly expose your network to all kinds of problems. In particular, you have may heard of some very serious problems with laser printers (HP has been mentioned, and admits it cannot patch the vul, but apparently other brands are equally vulnerable).

See also the near-duplicate thread

Code: Select all

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=73958