help please. i installed freeciv yesterday and since then i haven't been able to install anything. i keep getting 'unable to install' messages in application manager. from .deb packages and through repositories.

here's some stuff from the log - maybe it will help wok out the problem.

osso-application-installer 4.22.1, UI version 1
/usr/bin/dpkg-deb -f '/home/user/MyDocs/.documents/mplayer_1.0rc1-maemo.18.n770_armel.deb'
/usr/bin/dpkg --install '/home/user/MyDocs/.documents/mplayer_1.0rc1-maemo.18.n770_armel.deb'
dpkg: parse error, in file `/var/lib/dpkg/available' near line 706 package `liblzo1':
`Depends' field, reference to `libc6': version contains ` '
/usr/bin/dpkg --purge `/usr/bin/dpkg-deb -f '/home/user/MyDocs/.documents/mplayer_1.0rc1-maemo.18.n770_armel.deb' Package`
dpkg: parse error, in file `/var/lib/dpkg/available' near line 706 package `liblzo1':
`Depends' field, reference to `libc6': version contains ` '

so some more information for anyone that might be able to help. I tried to do an apt-get upgrade to see if that would reinstall or upgrade any packages that weren't working. It fetched 6 various packages fine and then the following appeared:

/bin/sh: usr/sbin/dpkg-preconfigure: not found
dpkg: parse error, in file '/var/lib/dpkg/available' near line 706 package 'liblzo1':
'Depends' field, reference to 'libc6': version contains ' '
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (2)

so it looks like I don't have a dpkg-preconfigure anymore. Where can I get a new one?

More digging has found lots of people with this problem but no solutions (just some people saying time to reflash!)

But I have found one. The error was in /var/lib/dpkg/available.

To fix, open xterm, move to dpkg directory and clear available (make sure you are root first), then apt-get update.

cd /var/lib/dpkg
dpkg --clear-avail
apt-get update

Can install apps again! Hope this helps others.