There is a similar issue with apt-get that occurs during an installation of Debian on the NSLU2 which is an arm based device. During the installation process, apt fails, and the following log messages are written to /var/log/syslog:
Dec 2 00:18:18 base-installer: info: Available initramfs generator(s): 'initramfs-tools' Dec 2 00:18:19 apt-install: Reading package lists... Dec 2 00:18:19 apt-install: Dec 2 00:18:19 apt-install: Building dependency tree... Dec 2 00:18:24 apt-install: Dec 2 00:18:24 apt-install: You might want to run `apt-get -f install' to correct these: Dec 2 00:18:24 apt-install: The following packages have unmet dependencies: Dec 2 00:18:24 apt-install: initramfs-tools: Depends: klibc-utils (>= 1.4.19-2) but it is not going to be installed Dec 2 00:18:24 apt-install: Depends: busybox (>= 1:1.01-3) but it is not going to be installed or Dec 2 00:18:24 apt-install: busybox-cvs-static (>= 20040623-1) but it is not installable Dec 2 00:18:24 apt-install: Depends: udev (>= 0.086-1) but it is not going to be installed Dec 2 00:18:24 apt-install: libtext-charwidth-perl: Depends: perlapi-5.8.8 but it is not installable Dec 2 00:18:24 apt-install: libtext-iconv-perl: Depends: perlapi-5.8.8 but it is not installable Dec 2 00:18:24 apt-install: netbase: Depends: openbsd-inetd but it is not installable or Dec 2 00:18:24 apt-install: inet-superserver Dec 2 00:18:24 base-installer: error: exiting on error base-installer/kernel/failed-package-install At this point, the problem looks like an issue with the repository, but running 'apt-get -f install' manually shows that apt-get segfaults while building the dependency tree. ~ # chroot /target/ sh-3.1# mount -t proc none /proc sh-3.1# apt-get -f install Reading package lists... Done Segmentation faulty tree... 50% Martin Michlmayr has found that after manually installing a deb, apt-get works again [1]. Below is a backtrace of apt-get before the segfault. I rebuilt apt with debugging information. sh-3.1# gdb apt-get GNU gdb 6.5-debian Copyright (C) 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc. GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under certain conditions. Type "show copying" to see the conditions. There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty" for details. This GDB was configured as "arm-linux-gnu"...Using host libthread_db library "/lib/libthread_db.so.1". (gdb) run -f install Starting program: /usr/bin/apt-get -f install Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree... 50% Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault. 0x4008b864 in pkgDepCache::CheckDep (this=0x3f020, Dep= {Dep = 0x407f0a68, Type = pkgCache::DepIterator::DepVer, Owner = 0x3ec38}, Type=1, [EMAIL PROTECTED]) at depcache.cc:157 157 depcache.cc: No such file or directory. in depcache.cc (gdb) backtrace #0 0x4008b864 in pkgDepCache::CheckDep (this=0x3f020, Dep= {Dep = 0x407f0a68, Type = pkgCache::DepIterator::DepVer, Owner = 0x3ec38}, Type=1, [EMAIL PROTECTED]) at depcache.cc:157 #1 0x40090fb0 in pkgDepCache::CheckDep (this=0x3f020, Dep= {Dep = 0x407f0a68, Type = pkgCache::DepIterator::DepVer, Owner = 0x3ec38}, Type=1) at ../build/include/apt-pkg/depcache.h:142 #2 0x4008be58 in pkgDepCache::DependencyState (this=0x3f020, [EMAIL PROTECTED]) at depcache.cc:360 #3 0x4008f74c in pkgDepCache::Update (this=0x3f020, Prog=0xbeb37340) at depcache.cc:431 #4 0x400902b8 in pkgDepCache::Init (this=0x3f020, Prog=0xbeb37340) at depcache.cc:91 #5 0x400c9284 in pkgCacheFile::Open (this=0xbeb378c8, [EMAIL PROTECTED], WithLock=true) at cachefile.cc:101 #6 0x0002e39c in CacheFile::Open (this=0xbeb378c8, WithLock=true) at apt-get.cc:96 #7 0x0002e4e4 in CacheFile::OpenForInstall (this=0xbeb378c8) at apt-get.cc:107 #8 0x00023114 in DoInstall ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) at apt-get.cc:1415 #9 0x40072e80 in CommandLine::DispatchArg (this=0xbeb37df4, Map=0xbeb37d84, NoMatch=true) at contrib/cmndline.cc:337 #10 0x00011050 in main (argc=3, argv=0xbeb37e74) at apt-get.cc:2606 (gdb) I am only too happy to help debug this problem, so please let me know what else you need in terms of output, etc. sh-3.1# cat /etc/apt/sources.list deb http://debian.osuosl.org/debian/ etch main sh-3.1# uname -a Linux LKG7CD8B5 2.6.18-3-ixp4xx #2 Tue Nov 21 13:23:11 UTC 2006 armv5tel GNU/Linux sh-3.1# dpkg -s libc6 | grep ^Version Version: 2.3.6.ds1-8 sh-3.1# apt-get -V apt 0.6.46.3 for linux arm compiled on Nov 30 2006 23:11:20 Gordon [1] http://lists.debian.org/debian-boot/2006/11/msg01207.html -- Gordon Farquharson -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]