[plug] debian dpkg error: invalid mode in statusoverride file

[Steege, Phil E]

Craig,

I did a search, in Google Groups using " invalid mode in statusoverride
file: for the search field.  I got this answer from a post by Colin Watson
[cjw44 at flatline.org.uk].

"Your /var/lib/dpkg/statoverride might be corrupt. For instance, mine
looks like this:

  root mail 664 /etc/groupie/mailtonews.conf
  root adm 4754 /usr/bin/lpr
  root root 755 /usr/lib/apache/suexec
  root root 04755 /usr/bin/ssh
  root vmware 04754 /usr/sbin/vmnet
  root jwhois 0775 /var/cache/jwhois
  root tty 6755 /usr/bin/write
  root root 04755 /usr/sbin/ssh
  root jwhois 02755 /usr/bin/jwhois
  root mail 664 /etc/groupie/groupie.lists
  root vmware 04750 /usr/bin/hercifc

My guess is that the third field of one of the lines isn't a number (it
should be a numeric file mode, like the above). Fix that and all should
be well."

I hope it helps.  You can usually find an answer or at least a good starting
point by searching for your error messages in http://groups.google.com/ 

Cheers, 
Phil


-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Ringer [mailto:craig at postnewspapers.com.au] 
Sent: Saturday, June 15, 2002 2:03 PM
To: plug at plug.linux.org.au
Subject: [plug] debian dpkg error: invalid mode in statusoverride file


Hi all

I'm getting an error from dpkg whenever I try to install new packages, it
just started today - everything was fine 'till just now. I've tried several
things, tried --purge'ing the package before an install, etc - no go.

The error in question is:
dpkg: syntax error: invalid mode in statusoverride file 
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (2)

I tried to apt-get install dpkg and got the same error updating dpkg. This
is _not_ _good_. Suggestions anybody? Does anyone even know what the
statusoverride file is?

Help on this would be much appreciated, I'm possibly faced with a re-install
to fix this if I can't find another way. This machine has been fine for more
than a year since I first upgraded to woody almost immediately after a
potato install.  I used to try out distros a lot, I remember what its like
and I _really_ _really_ don't want to have to re-build this (now quite
customised) install.

-- 
|  Craig Ringer
|  -- If it ain't broke, add features 'till it is