Error upgrading Ubuntu 16.04 LTS python-minimal package error
Everything was going very smooth until today when I decided to upgrade Ubuntu 16.04.3 to 16.04.4
When it was in the last stage of installing the downloaded updates, python-minimal packaged failed to install with following error:
Setting up python-minimal (2.7.12-1~16.04) ...
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/runpy.py", line 174, in _run_module_as_main
"__main__", fname, loader, pkg_name)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/runpy.py", line 72, in _run_code
exec code in run_globals
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/compileall.py", line 16, in <module>
import struct
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/struct.py", line 1, in <module>
from _struct import *
ImportError: No module named _struct
dpkg: error processing package python-minimal (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
python-minimal
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
I thought re-installing python and appropriate packages would help. But I unfortunately ended with uninstalling all python packages and softwares who were depending on python like gimp, mplayer, kde, kicad, pycharm etc..
Now everytime I try to install python I get below error:
$ sudo apt-get install python
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
libpython-stdlib libpython2.7-minimal libpython2.7-stdlib python-minimal python2.7 python2.7-minimal
Suggested packages:
python-doc python-tk python2.7-doc
The following NEW packages will be installed:
libpython-stdlib libpython2.7-minimal libpython2.7-stdlib python python-minimal python2.7 python2.7-minimal
0 upgraded, 7 newly installed, 0 to remove and 21 not upgraded.
Need to get 1,628 kB/3,877 kB of archives.
After this operation, 16.6 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 libpython2.7-minimal amd64 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3 [340 kB]
Get:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 python2.7-minimal amd64 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3 [1,261 kB]
Get:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 python-minimal amd64 2.7.12-1~16.04 [28.1 kB]
Fetched 1,628 kB in 6s (248 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package libpython2.7-minimal:amd64.
(Reading database ... 250996 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libpython2.7-minimal_2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libpython2.7-minimal:amd64 (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ...
Selecting previously unselected package python2.7-minimal.
Preparing to unpack .../python2.7-minimal_2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking python2.7-minimal (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ...
Selecting previously unselected package python-minimal.
Preparing to unpack .../python-minimal_2.7.12-1~16.04_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking python-minimal (2.7.12-1~16.04) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libpython2.7-stdlib:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../libpython2.7-stdlib_2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libpython2.7-stdlib:amd64 (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ...
Selecting previously unselected package python2.7.
Preparing to unpack .../python2.7_2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking python2.7 (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libpython-stdlib:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../libpython-stdlib_2.7.12-1~16.04_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libpython-stdlib:amd64 (2.7.12-1~16.04) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon (0.5.3~bzr0+16.04.20180209-0ubuntu1) ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf-2.index...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.22-1ubuntu5.1) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.13.3-6ubuntu3.1) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.59ubuntu1) ...
Setting up libpython2.7-minimal:amd64 (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ...
Setting up python2.7-minimal (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ...
Linking and byte-compiling packages for runtime python2.7...
Setting up python-minimal (2.7.12-1~16.04) ...
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/runpy.py", line 174, in _run_module_as_main
"__main__", fname, loader, pkg_name)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/runpy.py", line 72, in _run_code
exec code in run_globals
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/compileall.py", line 16, in <module>
import struct
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/struct.py", line 1, in <module>
from _struct import *
ImportError: No module named _struct
dpkg: error processing package python-minimal (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
python-minimal
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
I also can't install any software which requires python.
My current version of ubuntu after unsuccessful upgrade:
$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS
Release: 16.04
Codename: xenial
Did anyone face similar issue and was able to solve it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Solution 1:
After hours of struggling and hundreds time of installing/uninstalling python packages looks like I was able to install python packages including python-minimal. Let me share my success story.
-
At the beginning, I was not even able to uninstall python-minimal. Every time it showed the error I mentioned in my question while installing/uninstalling. Even tried
sudo apt-get -f installbut without any gain. Somehow I figured out that it can only be uninstalled with few other packages together. Following commands, I used to completed removepython-minimalbroken and residual packages:sudo apt-get autoremove libpython-stdlib libpython2.7-minimal libpython2.7-stdlib python-minimal python2.7 python2.7-minimalThis would remove all the python packages and the softwares which depends on python. I know this was extreme but believe me I was not having any choice.
sudo apt-get remove --purge $(sudo dpkg -l | egrep "^(rc|iU)" | awk '{print $2}' | tr '\n' ' ')To remove rest of residual and borken packages if any.
Note: I copied the list of packages which were removed in this step. I knew that I would need it again!
-
Next I searched all the places where python2.7 was installed and removed all files and directory of default python. I wished that I had not to delete them manually but was not having any choice:
sudo find / -iname python2.7 /etc/python2.7 /usr/local/bin/python2.7 /usr/local/lib/python2.7 /usr/lib/python2.7 /usr/bin/python2.7.13/lib/python2.7 /usr/bin/python2.7.13/bin/python2.7 /usr/bin/python2.7.13/include/python2.7 /usr/bin/python2.7 /usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu/python2.7 /usr/include/python2.7 /usr/share/doc/python2.7 /usr/share/binfmts/python2.7 /usr/share/lintian/overrides/python2.7 /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/python2.7 /var/lib/binfmts/python2.7I had not to delete all the files/directories listed above and deleted only the default version:
sudo rm -rf /etc/python2.7 /usr/local/bin/python2.7 /usr/local/lib/python2.7 /usr/lib/python2.7There were other versions of python and were not causing any trouble. I believe the search may vary per user and
whereis pythoncommand can be used to get the path of default python installed. -
Next, I installed python with a success:
sudo apt-get install python Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following additional packages will be installed: libpython-stdlib libpython2.7-minimal libpython2.7-stdlib python-minimal python2.7 python2.7-minimal Suggested packages: python-doc python-tk python2.7-doc The following NEW packages will be installed: libpython-stdlib libpython2.7-minimal libpython2.7-stdlib python python-minimal python2.7 python2.7-minimal 0 upgraded, 7 newly installed, 0 to remove and 21 not upgraded. Need to get 0 B/3,877 kB of archives. After this operation, 16.6 MB of additional disk space will be used. Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y Selecting previously unselected package libpython2.7-minimal:amd64. (Reading database ... 250996 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../libpython2.7-minimal_2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3_amd64.deb ... Unpacking libpython2.7-minimal:amd64 (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ... Selecting previously unselected package python2.7-minimal. Preparing to unpack .../python2.7-minimal_2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3_amd64.deb ... Unpacking python2.7-minimal (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ... Selecting previously unselected package python-minimal. Preparing to unpack .../python-minimal_2.7.12-1~16.04_amd64.deb ... Unpacking python-minimal (2.7.12-1~16.04) ... Selecting previously unselected package libpython2.7-stdlib:amd64. Preparing to unpack .../libpython2.7-stdlib_2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3_amd64.deb ... Unpacking libpython2.7-stdlib:amd64 (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ... Selecting previously unselected package python2.7. Preparing to unpack .../python2.7_2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3_amd64.deb ... Unpacking python2.7 (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ... Selecting previously unselected package libpython-stdlib:amd64. Preparing to unpack .../libpython-stdlib_2.7.12-1~16.04_amd64.deb ... Unpacking libpython-stdlib:amd64 (2.7.12-1~16.04) ... Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ... Processing triggers for bamfdaemon (0.5.3~bzr0+16.04.20180209-0ubuntu1) ... Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf-2.index... Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.22-1ubuntu5.1) ... Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.13.3-6ubuntu3.1) ... Processing triggers for mime-support (3.59ubuntu1) ... Setting up libpython2.7-minimal:amd64 (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ... Setting up python2.7-minimal (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ... Linking and byte-compiling packages for runtime python2.7... Setting up python-minimal (2.7.12-1~16.04) ... Selecting previously unselected package python. (Reading database ... 251742 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../python_2.7.12-1~16.04_amd64.deb ... Unpacking python (2.7.12-1~16.04) ... Processing triggers for doc-base (0.10.7) ... Processing 1 added doc-base file... Registering documents with scrollkeeper... Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ... Setting up libpython2.7-stdlib:amd64 (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ... Setting up python2.7 (2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.3) ... Setting up libpython-stdlib:amd64 (2.7.12-1~16.04) ... Setting up python (2.7.12-1~16.04) ...NOTE: This only installed the very necessary and minimal python packages. You may still need to install all other python packages which were uninstalled in 1st step.
Few Extra Notes:
2nd steps deleted 3rd party python packages as well which were installed globally using pip. Unfortunately, I was not having the list and ended up with few troubles which my projects who need them. But that was not a big deal as all my projects were having their own python requirements.txt file. But still I suggest you all to save the python packages in a file before starting the 1st step. Following command can come in handy:
pip freeze > python_pip_packages.txt
Also I had to delete pip files and directories(similar to how I deleted python default files and directories) and re-installed pip:
sudo apt-get install python-pip # installing pip
sudo pip install --upgrade pip # upgrading pip to latest version using pip itself
sudo pip install -r python_pip_packages.txt # re-installing all 3rd party python packages which were removed in 2nd step.
Hope others don't suffer like me :)
Solution 2:
For those who keep getting stuck while running commands (where it constantly complains about python or any other package), I went through the same and sorted that problem by removing the information from
/var/lib/dpkg/info/<the package giving you headache>
After that, should allow you to proceed with installations/upgrade/updates