How do I resolve `The following packages have unmet dependencies`
I was using this script to install basic software, but had to interrupt because of slow internet speed.
Now when I hit $ sudo apt-get install npm , I get following error
yask123@yaskslaptop:~$ sudo apt-get installed npm
E: Invalid operation installed
yask123@yaskslaptop:~$ sudo apt-get install npm
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
npm : Depends: nodejs but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-abbrev (>= 1.0.4) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-ansi (>= 0.3.0-2) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-ansi-color-table but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-archy but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-block-stream but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-fstream (>= 0.1.22) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-fstream-ignore but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-github-url-from-git but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-glob (>= 3.1.21) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-graceful-fs (>= 2.0.0) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-inherits but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-ini (>= 1.1.0) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-lockfile but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-lru-cache (>= 2.3.0) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-minimatch (>= 0.2.11) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-mkdirp (>= 0.3.3) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-gyp (>= 0.10.9) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-nopt (>= 3.0.1) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-npmlog but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-once but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-osenv but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-read but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-read-package-json (>= 1.1.0) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-request (>= 2.25.0) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-retry but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-rimraf (>= 2.2.2) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-semver (>= 2.1.0) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-sha but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-slide but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-tar (>= 0.1.18) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-underscore but it is not going to be installed
Depends: node-which but it is not going to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
Answer
If sudo apt-get install -f <package-name> doesn't work, try aptitude:
sudo apt-get install aptitude
sudo aptitude install <package-name>
Aptitude will try to resolve the problem.
As an example, in my case, I still receive some error when try to install libcurl4-openssl-dev:
sudo apt-get install -f libcurl4-openssl-dev
So i try aptitude, it turns out I have to downgrade some packages.
The following actions will resolve these dependencies: Keep the following packages at their current version: 1) libyaml-dev [Not Installed] Accept this solution? [Y/n/q/? (n) The following actions will resolve these dependencies: Downgrade the following packages: 1) libyaml-0-2 [0.1.4-3ubuntu3.1 (now) -> 0.1.4-3ubuntu3 (trusty)] Accept this solution? [Y/n/q/?] (Y)