Hi everyone
My nokia N900 will no longer allow me to install update or remove any apps using the app manager.
i tap on something to install and it works away for a bit then asks me if i am sure i want to download. so i tick the little box and continue.
then it stops and i get a yellow banner saying
"unable to install 'insert app name here' " with no explanation as to why. it does this for everything i have tried to download.
the last app i successfully installed was 'shopper' which i tried to remove in case it was the cause but it would not let me unistall it or anything else.

same thing happens with updating software as well.

Please help (i really can't be bothered to flash it again!)

do you have installed gainroot? when yes you could go to xterm, and try install anything with apt-get. If there is a problem you will get an error message that you can post here.

this is trying to use xterminal to install my paint

/home/user # apt-get install mypaint
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
pidgin-facebookchat python-glade2
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
The following extra packages will be installed:
libblas3gf liblapack3gf python-numpy python-protobuf
Suggested packages:
python-numpy-doc python-numpy-dbg python-nose
Recommended packages:
protobuf-compiler
The following NEW packages will be installed:
libblas3gf liblapack3gf mypaint python-numpy
python-protobuf
0 upgraded, 5 newly installed, 0 to remove and 13 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 12.1MB of archives.
After this operation, 24.7MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://repository.maemo.org fremantle-1.2/free libblas3gf 1.2-2maemo2 [243kB]
Get:2 http://repository.maemo.org fremantle-1.2/free liblapack3gf 3.1.1-6maemo2 [3351kB]
Get:3 http://repository.maemo.org fremantle-1.2/free python-numpy 1:1.4.0-1maemo2 [1483kB]
Get:4 http://repository.maemo.org fremantle-1.2/free python-protobuf 2.0.3-2.2-maemo1 [44.0kB]
Get:5 http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/free mypaint 0.8.2-1maemo24 [6942kB]
Fetched 12.1MB in 18s (645kB/s)
dpkg: parse error, in file `/var/lib/dpkg/available' near line 13013 package `offscr-level':
field name `MKH' must be followed by colon
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (2)
/home/user #

Looks like the data file is corrupt. I'd suggest going into App Manager and disabling all the repositories. Then exit, relaunch it, and re-enable them all. That'll force a complete refresh of all the repository data files. You may get away with just doing it with the Ovi repository, as that's the only one that's reporting an error here.

Thanks for that but it didn't work. even though i disabled all the repos and enabled them again after relaunching appman.

Do you still get exactly the same error from apt-get? If so, try disabling the Ovi repository and then running apt-get.

Nope same error again "field name 'MKH' must be followed by a colon E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (2)"

I've just had a quick search online, and the suggestion is to run "dpkg --clear-avail", then retry.

Thanks so much Rob1n that worked and now both Xterm and Appman can install things again.

OK its happened again!
only this time "dpkg --clear-avail" does not fix the problem.
here is what happens when i try and run. "apt-get update"


~ $ sudo gainroot
Root shell enabled


BusyBox v1.10.2 (Debian 3:1.10.2.legal-1osso30+0m5) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

/home/user # dpkg --clear-avail
/home/user # apt-get update
Hit http://repository.maemo.org fremantle Release.gpg
Ign http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/free Translation-en_GB
Ign http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/non-free Translation-en_GB
Get:1 http://repository.maemo.org fremantle Release.gpg [489B]
Ign http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/free Translation-en_GB
Ign http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/non-free Translation-en_GB
Hit http://repository.maemo.org fremantle Release.gpg
Ign http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/free Translation-en_GB
Ign http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/non-free Translation-en_GB
Hit http://repository.maemo.org fremantle Release
Hit http://repository.maemo.org fremantle Release
Hit https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Release.gpg
Hit http://repository.maemo.org fremantle Release
Ign http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/free Packages/DiffIndex
Ign http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/non-free Packages/DiffIndex
Get:2 http://repository.maemo.org fremantle Release [8265B]
Ign http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/free Packages/DiffIndex
Ign http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/non-free Packages/DiffIndex
Hit http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/free Packages
Ign https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Translation-en_GB
Ign http://repository.maemo.org fremantle Release
Hit http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/non-free Packages
Hit http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/free Packages
Hit https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Release.gpg
Hit http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/non-free Packages
Ign https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Translation-en_GB
Ign http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/free Packages/DiffIndex
Ign http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/non-free Packages/DiffIndex
Hit http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/free Packages
Hit https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Release.gpg
Hit http://repository.maemo.org fremantle/non-free Packages
Ign https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Translation-en_GB
Hit https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Release
Hit https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Release
Hit https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Release
Ign https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Packages/DiffIndex
Ign https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Packages/DiffIndex
Hit https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Packages
Ign https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Packages/DiffIndex
Hit https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Packages
Hit https://downloads.maemo.nokia.com ./ Packages
Fetched 8754B in 4s (1780B/s)
Reading package lists... Done
W: GPG error: http://repository.maemo.org fremantle Release: The following signatures were invalid: BADSIG E40DC434616730BD maemo.org Extras repositories (Fremantle Extras) <repositories@maemo.org>
W: You may want to run apt-get update to correct these problems
/home/user #