could not write bytes broken pipe 12.04

Question

I have installed ubuntu 12.04 along with windows vista as dual boot.It was working fine. But ubuntu was having some issue with the mousepad. So I installed and removed some pakages unknowing what they do. And now while booting ubuntu, I am getting an error "Could not write bytes:broken pipe" and it does nothing after showing this message. I tried may things like upgrading grub, lightdm restart etc. But still the same error.

Can someone help me on this? I am stuck.

Solution 1

_{converted comments to an answer}

The following steps should be taken:

First, check that you can still do this at startup:

hold down (or repeatedly tap) the Shift key while you boot. Grub should present you with a menu. Choose the second option, to go into recovery mode; then choose, Drop to root shell prompt.

Then look for the log of removed packages:

In the terminal you can input the following code

sudo -H gedit /var/log/apt/history.log

find the removed packages and then run

sudo apt-get install package1 package2 package3

---

The OP the confirmed through vim almost screen full of uninstalled packages for example xserver-xorg-video-s3-lts-raring, xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse

Thus to install the uninstalled packages:

example: sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-s3-lts-raring xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse etc. Note: always have a space between package1 package2

Solution 2

In recovery mode, Select resume start up. If you are booted into Linux Terminal, Then probably , your previous installations has messed up you GUI Unity.

Try re-installing ubuntu desktop via apt

$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop

Then Reboot. Hope this helps

Comments

[Jonathan Rogiest]

Can you still do this at startup? hold down (or repeatedly tap) the Shift key while you boot. Grub should present you with a menu. Choose the second option, to go into recovery mode; then choose, Drop to root shell prompt. Can you?

[Jonathan Rogiest]

If yes, Do you have a log of removed packages? In the terminal you can input the following code ` sudo gedit /var/log/apt/history.log` and find the removed packages and then run sudo apt-get install package1 package2 package3 ...

[dhamu]

Yes, I could login with recovery mode. I checked the log file. It has a number of packages in the removal list as I had used apt-get autoremove cmd to uninstall unused packages. I am not able to open gedit. It gives some error. I opened it in vim and shows almost screen full of uninstalled packages . e.g. xserver-xorg-video-s3-lts-raring, xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse etc. How do I install all of them?

[Jonathan Rogiest]

example: sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-s3-lts-raring xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse etc. Note: always have a space between package1 package2

[dhamu]

Thanks a ton. It worked and ubuntu is getting booted fine.

[user313914]

But how do I connect my laptop to the internet when it is in root shell prompt..??? Here its telling " The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened." what should i do?

[Jonathan Rogiest]

@Zanna Very kind of you. Thanks but no need from my side as there is already an accepted answer made of the above instructions :-)

[Zanna]

Oh yes, I'm not sure how I managed not not realise this... there are several related unanswered questions, I was looking at all of them... maybe you can answer those! But I'm not sure the cause is the same in all cases @JonathanRogiest

[Universal Electricity]

I still get the error, but after that it boots!