[Solved] Fresh Debian install: "Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages

[jaylcee]

SOLVED: see post #5, installing aptitude and using it to install gnome-core solved the problem.

Hello,

I have just bought a second hand Lenovo Thinkpad T570 and have installed the latest weekly build of Debian like I always do, namely installing no desktop but only the system utilities during install and then rebooting to install gnome-core from the terminal.

The problem is that right after rebooting for the very first time, when trying to install gnome-core, i get this: Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages.

Is there an easy solution? Or is something wrong with my ISO or my laptop since I haven't even got the chance to install my desktop.

Thank you.

[fabien]

Hello,

can you please post the command and its entire output?

Also

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$> cat /etc/debian_version

and

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$> apt policy

also, as root

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#> LANG="C.utf8"  dpkg --audit && echo "$?"
#> dpkg --verify
#> LANG="C.utf8" apt-get check

[jaylcee]

Salut @fabien

the problem is everything is happening on my Laptop in the terminal just after reboot, I am posting here from another computer.

Is there still something i can do?

[fabien]

Is there still something i can do?

You can redirect the output to a file and then copy the file (via ssh or a USB stick) to your other computer.

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$> cat /etc/debian_version |& tee -a /tmp/termoutputs

and

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$> apt policy |& tee -a /tmp/termoutputs

also, as root

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#> { LANG="C.utf8"  dpkg --audit && echo "$?"; } |& tee -a /tmp/termoutputs
#> dpkg --verify |& tee -a /tmp/termoutputs
#> LANG="C.utf8" apt-get check |& tee -a /tmp/termoutputs

It would be nice if you could add the commands to this output for clarity, thanks.

[jaylcee]

I have been given a solution which worked well: install and use Aptitude instead of Apt. The lines are:

sudo apt install aptitude
sudo aptitude install gnome-core

Aptitude identified the problem and provided a solution. Thank you @fabien for helping.

[fabien]

Thank you for the feedback. Do you remember what the problem was? I ask out of curiosity, but not only. It's quite unusual to have this kind of problem right after a normal install. What is your Debian version? What installer did you use?