ncurses-bin is listed in the Application Manager with a size of 0 kB

Application Manager won't let me uninstall it. Using "apt-get remove ncurses-bin" won't get rid of it. And trying to "apt-get install ncurses-bin" just generates errors.

Is there a file telling the Application Manager what's installed so I can delete the (probably) bogus entry for ncurses-bin? Is there any other way to clean up this problem?

A little more information on this. I found a file called /var/lib/dpkg/status that contains the following entry:

Package: ncurses-bin
Status: deinstall reinstreq half-installed
Priority: required
Section: user/cli
Version: 5.5-1mh2

It confirms what I already know - that I have a problem. I tried deleting this section from the file and installing ncurses-bin again, but I just end up in the same place.

The following output is probably telling me something, but I'm not smart enough to decipher the problem:

# apt-get install ncurses-bin
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
The following packages will be upgraded:
ncurses-bin
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 17 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 140kB of archives.
After unpacking 414kB of additional disk space will be used.
WARNING: The following packages cannot be authenticated!
ncurses-bin
Install these packages without verification [y/N]? y
Get:1 http://maemo-hackers.org bora/main ncurses-bin 5.5-1mh2 [140kB]
Fetched 140kB in 1s (87.4kB/s)
Selecting previously deselected package ncurses-bin.
(Reading database ...
dpkg: serious warning: files list file for package `ncurses-bin' missing, assuming package has no files currently installed.
17560 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace ncurses-bin 5.5-1mh2 (using .../ncurses-bin_5.5-1mh2_armel.deb) ...
mv: cannot rename '/usr/bin/clear': No such file or directory
Leaving diversion unchanged
Unpacking replacement ncurses-bin ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/ncurses-bin_5.5-1mh2_armel.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/usr/bin/clear', which is also in package busybox
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
BusyBox v1.4.1 (2007-03-12 19:00:25 EET) multi-call binary

Usage: mv [OPTION]... SOURCE DEST
or: mv [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY

dpkg-divert: Unknown diversion
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
/var/cache/apt/archives/ncurses-bin_5.5-1mh2_armel.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

ah yes... i have the same problem with the same errors
and lots of apps are depended on it so it`s a real problem
and you often need dpkg but when i`ve installed ncurses-bin the whole file seems to be damaged

need help! please


TaRk

I had to force uninstall this from within a root terminal, then apt-get install -f to fix the "broken" packages.

ncurses-bin collides with busybox, but is not tagged as such. This is also a problem for certain other packages, e.g. gnu tar, fileutils (iirc) etc.

I had this happen as well. I opened a root terminal and used:

dpkg -r --force-remove-reinstreq ncurses-bin

That seemed to work.

Yes! That fixed it!
Thanks!

Thanks, I'll keep this note handy, but it was too late for me, I gave up and reflashed the N800. Then I started installing apps again and so far nothing is complaining that it needs ncurses-bin.

So far I have installed these and all seem to work fine:

becomeroot
camera
claws-mail
fmradio
mh-shot-tool
microb-browser
ncurses-base
openssh-client 1:4.3p2-9
openssh-server 1:4.3p2-9
osso-screenshot-tool
osso-statusbar-cpu
osso-xterm
skype
stardict
zip 2.31-4
unzip 5.52-11

Glad it worked. Fortunately it was still in the history of my X Terminal, but a little too late to help hybrid. Now that I posted it though, I can find it if I ever have the problem again!

I have been coping with this problem the last few days in trying to install wget, which apparently needs ncurses-bin in some way. But I have discovered that my seemingly unsuccessful installation of wget hasn't been that unsuccessful after all, as it seems to work -- but isn't included in the Application Manager's list of installed applications! I think, though, that I will try the above instructions on uninstalling/reinstalling ncurses-bin and have a go at reinstalling wget -- and see if it announces itself properly.