Try replacing cmpvers in /usr/lib/dpkg/methods/ftp/install with the following function. While the maintainer has not yet blessed this change, it seems to work for me.
# compare two versions (taken from dpkg docs) sub cmpvers { ($a,$b) = @_; my ($cm, $ad, $bd); if( defined($a) && !defined($b)) { return 1; } if(!defined($a) && !defined($b)) { return 0; } if(!defined($a) && defined($b)) { return -1; } do { $a =~ s/^\D*//; $ad= $&; $ad =~ s/\W/ /g; $b =~ s/^\D*//; $bd= $&; $bd =~ s/\W/ /g; $cm = $ad cmp $bd; return $cm if $cm; $a =~ s/^\d*//; $ad= $&; $b =~ s/^\d*//; $bd= $&; $cm = $ad cmp $bd; return $cm if $cm; } while (length($a) && length($b)); return length($a) cmp length($b); } >>>>> "Joe" == Joe Reinhardt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > I am having trouble with dpkg-ftp 1.4.0. I repeatedly get this error > when trying to install: > Processing status file... > Processing Package files... > unstable... > Argument "" isn't numeric in ncmp at /usr/lib/dpkg/methods/ftp/install > line 99, > <PKGFILE> chunk 1441 (#1) > Argument "" isn't numeric in ncmp at /usr/lib/dpkg/methods/ftp/install > line 99, <PKGFILE> chunk 1441. > non-free... > contrib... > Any ideas? > -- > Joe Reinhardt Division of Physiologic Imaging > [EMAIL PROTECTED] Department of Radiology, JPP-3960 > Telephone: 319-353-7258 University of Iowa College of Medicine > FAX: 319-356-1503 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242