what to do when Buster's apt won't purge?

[Felix Miata]

Anything I try to do ends with

E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1) on account of

/var/lib/dpkg/info/telnetd.postinst: 8: /var/lib/dpkg/info/telnetd.postinst: update-inetd: not found

or other failure messages related to broken telnet*.

e.g.
apt purge telnet*
apt purge telnetd
apt install --fix-broken
aptitude full-upgrade
apt install -f
apt autoremove
dpkg-reconfigure telnetd

var/lib/dpkg/info/# ll telnet* update*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 511 Mar 19 01:04 telnetd.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 662 Feb 24 08:25 telnetd.md5sums
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1451 Feb 24 08:25 telnetd.postinst
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 916 Feb 24 08:25 telnetd.postrm
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 210 Feb 24 08:25 telnetd.preinst
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 112 Feb 24 08:25 telnetd.prerm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Mar 19 01:01 telnet.list
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 167 Dec 2 15:12 telnet.postrm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Nov 28 08:32 update-inetd.list
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 211 Sep 29 04:46 update-inetd.postrm

What does it take to make telnet* go away? Current pae kernel is broken,
so I need to get linux-image-686 installed.

[Dan Ritter]

Post by Felix Miata
Anything I try to do ends with
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1) on account of
/var/lib/dpkg/info/telnetd.postinst: 8: /var/lib/dpkg/info/telnetd.postinst: update-inetd: not found
or other failure messages related to broken telnet*.
e.g.
apt purge telnet*
apt purge telnetd
apt install --fix-broken
aptitude full-upgrade
apt install -f
apt autoremove
dpkg-reconfigure telnetd
var/lib/dpkg/info/# ll telnet* update*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 511 Mar 19 01:04 telnetd.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 662 Feb 24 08:25 telnetd.md5sums
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1451 Feb 24 08:25 telnetd.postinst
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 916 Feb 24 08:25 telnetd.postrm
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 210 Feb 24 08:25 telnetd.preinst
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 112 Feb 24 08:25 telnetd.prerm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Mar 19 01:01 telnet.list
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 167 Dec 2 15:12 telnet.postrm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Nov 28 08:32 update-inetd.list
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 211 Sep 29 04:46 update-inetd.postrm
What does it take to make telnet* go away? Current pae kernel is broken,
so I need to get linux-image-686 installed.

Option 1: install update-inetd, then try to purge again.
Uninstall update-inetd.

Option 2: Edit telnet.postinst and find where it calls update-inetd.
Comment out that line. Try the purge again.

Option 1 is cleaner.

-dsr-

[Cindy-Sue Causey]

Post by Dan Ritter

Post by Felix Miata
Anything I try to do ends with
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1) on account of
/var/lib/dpkg/info/telnetd.postinst: update-inetd: not found
or other failure messages related to broken telnet*.
< snipped for brevity >
What does it take to make telnet* go away? Current pae kernel is broken,
so I need to get linux-image-686 installed.

Option 1: install update-inetd, then try to purge again.
Uninstall update-inetd.

That's what I was thinking, too.. "install --reinstall".. But my
personal observation is also that this only brings in the immediately
requested package. It doesn't touch the dependencies on the second
round. That would matter if the purge-preventing glitch stretched
across two or more interactive packages somehow. :)

Post by Dan Ritter
Option 2: Edit telnet.postinst and find where it calls update-inetd.
Comment out that line. Try the purge again.
Option 1 is cleaner.

If those don't work, you could also try a different package manager. I
can't remember the circumstances now, but I've had luck with dpkg when
apt-get failed specifically on purges. I'm sure of that because I can
remembering having to "man dpkg" to find the purge flag, grin. I've
seen dpkg get head nods from another User or two for similar reasons.

Cindy :)

[Felix Miata]

Post by Dan Ritter

Post by Felix Miata
What does it take to make telnet* go away? Current pae kernel is broken,
so I need to get linux-image-686 installed.

Option 1: install update-inetd, then try to purge again.
Uninstall update-inetd.
Option 2: Edit telnet.postinst and find where it calls update-inetd.
Comment out that line. Try the purge again.
Option 1 is cleaner.

Thanks! It worked. Don't get old. I should have thought of that. :-p