Trouble using command: sudo dpkg-reconfigure $(dpkg -l | awk '{print $2}'|grep "^xserver"|tr '\n' ' ')

xorg dpkg

6,685

You have residual packages that you can remove by following ways:

Open Synaptic Package Manager and delete not installed or residual config by following these ways:
- You'll get a list residual config on left side of the pane.
- Click it to get all the residual packages on right pane.
- Select all by Ctrl+A and left-click on any check box and chose Mark for Complete Removal.
- Click Apply button on the top, when removed close synaptic and proceed to next step.

Execute these commands in terminal:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get autoclean
sudo apt-get --purge remove

Now try to execute your original command that was giving you errors i,e:
```
sudo dpkg-reconfigure $(dpkg -l | awk '{print $2}'|grep "^xserver"|tr '\n' ' ')
```
it should not show any error this time and your all issues should be solved. If still you get some error then continue with 4th step.
Execute this command to remove xserver::lts-quantal packages if not already removed:
```
sudo apt-get autoremove $(dpkg -l | awk '{print $2}'|grep "^xserver"| grep lts-quantal | tr '\n' ' ')
```
After successful execution of this command, continue all 3 steps mentioned above.

Main command should execute this time successfully. Reply if something goes wrong..

6,685

Author by

hydroxide

I am a science student the The Evergreen State College. I use Ubuntu for school, media, communication, and gaming among other things.

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

hydroxide over 1 year
I type:
```
sudo dpkg-reconfigure $(dpkg -l | awk '{print $2}'|grep "^xserver"|tr '\n' ' ')
```
ouput:
```
/usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure: xserver-xorg is broken or not fully installed
```
I type:
```
sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg
```
It seems to work.

I type:
```
sudo dpkg-reconfigure $(dpkg -l | awk '{print $2}'|grep "^xserver"|tr '\n' ' ')
```
Output:
```
/usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure: xserver-common-lts-quantal is broken or not fully installed
```
I type:
```
sudo apt-get install xserver-common-lts-quantal
```
which also seems to work.

I type:
```
sudo dpkg-reconfigure $(dpkg -l | awk '{print $2}'|grep "^xserver"|tr '\n' ' ')
```
Output:
```
/usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure: xserver-xorg is broken or not fully installed
```
For information on my system, and what I am trying to do, reference: Ubuntu 12.04 touch-pad and keyboard problems asus q500a

Output for: sudo dpkg -l | grep xserver-xorg-video:
```
ii  xserver-xorg-video-all                    1:7.6+12ubuntu2                             X.Org X server -- output driver metapackage
ii  xserver-xorg-video-ati                    1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu2     X.Org X server -- AMD/ATI display driver wrapper
ii  xserver-xorg-video-cirrus                 1:1.3.2-4build1                             X.Org X server -- Cirrus display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-fbdev                  1:0.4.2-4ubuntu2                            X.Org X server -- fbdev display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-intel                  2:2.17.0-1ubuntu4.4                         X.Org X server -- Intel i8xx, i9xx display driver
rc  xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-quantal      2:2.20.9-0ubuntu2.2~precise1                X.Org X server -- Intel i8xx, i9xx display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-mach64                 6.9.0-1build2                               X.Org X server -- ATI Mach64 display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-mga                    1:1.4.13.dfsg-4build2                       X.Org X server -- MGA display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-neomagic               1:1.2.5-2build2                             X.Org X server -- Neomagic display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-nouveau                1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1build3        X.Org X server -- Nouveau display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-openchrome             1:0.2.904+svn1050-1ubuntu0.1                X.Org X server -- VIA display driver
rc  xserver-xorg-video-openchrome-lts-quantal 1:0.3.1-0ubuntu1~precise3                   X.Org X server -- VIA display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-qxl                    0.0.16-2ubuntu0.1                           X.Org X server -- QXL display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-r128                   6.8.1-5build2                               X.Org X server -- ATI r128 display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-radeon                 1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu2     X.Org X server -- AMD/ATI Radeon display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-s3                     1:0.6.3-4build2                             X.Org X server -- legacy S3 display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-savage                 1:2.3.3-1ubuntu1                            X.Org X server -- Savage display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-siliconmotion          1:1.7.5-1build2                             X.Org X server -- SiliconMotion display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-sis                    1:0.10.3-3build2                            X.Org X server -- SiS display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-sisusb                 1:0.9.4-2build2                             X.Org X server -- SiS USB display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-tdfx                   1:1.4.3-4build2                             X.Org X server -- tdfx display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-trident                1:1.3.4-2build2                             X.Org X server -- Trident display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-vesa                   1:2.3.0-7build2                             X.Org X server -- VESA display driver
ii  xserver-xorg-video-vmware                 1:12.0.1-1ubuntu1.1                         X.Org X server -- VMware display driver
rc  xserver-xorg-video-vmware-lts-quantal     1:12.0.2+git.e5ac80d8-0ubuntu1~precise2     X.Org X server -- VMware display driver
```
seth@seth-Q500A:~$ sudo apt-get autoremove:
```
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
```
seth@seth-Q500A:~$ sudo apt-get autoclean:
```
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
```
seth@seth-Q500A:~$ sudo apt-get --purge remove:
```
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
```
seth@seth-Q500A:~$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure $(dpkg -l | awk '{print $2}'|grep "^xserver"|tr '\n' ' '):
```
/usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure: xserver-common-lts-quantal is broken or not fully installed
```
seth@seth-Q500A:~$ sudo apt-get autoremove $(dpkg -l | awk '{print $2}'|grep "^xserver"| grep lts-quantal | tr '\n' ' '):
```
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Package xserver-common-lts-quantal is not installed, so not removed
Package xserver-xorg-core-lts-quantal is not installed, so not removed
Package xserver-xorg-lts-quantal is not installed, so not removed
Package xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-quantal is not installed, so not removed
Package xserver-xorg-video-openchrome-lts-quantal is not installed, so not removed
Package xserver-xorg-video-vmware-lts-quantal is not installed, so not removed
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
```
- Saurav Kumar over 10 years
  
  Check my answer and reply.. I'm much sure your all issues including the previous one will be solved soon..
- Saurav Kumar over 10 years
  
  Any one can say that you've residual packages. Did you follow my answer's 1st step? Didn't you get any Not installed(residual package) option on top-left side last option? You have residual package which is clear and you've to remove them using Syanptic. else there is no other way to solve this issue.. :) Try to repeat 2nd step and this time include one more command in the beginning: sudo apt-get -f install Reply..
- hydroxide over 10 years
  
  I just found the "not installed(residual package)" section. Apt-get -f install executed, but did not do anything.
- hydroxide over 10 years
  
  I deleted all residual packages, the 3rd step now has no output. Does that mean it worked?
- Saurav Kumar over 10 years
  
  Yes 3rd step doesn't show any output if it successfully executed and configured your all xserver-xorg package/drivers. :) So your problems,including previous one solved or not? It should be solved. If not then I suggest you to follow this post. it will upgrade your kernel, which is best suitable with 12.04 LTS and also the drivers which is best suit to that kernel. Try it once..
- hydroxide over 10 years
  
  I have followed all the steps including installing linux kernel 3.8 and all the xserver raring packages. Something prevented gui from loading. I went into recovery menu and tried loading into fail safe which output "cannot stat /etc/x11/x". I ran apt-get install xserver-xorg which removed all the raring packages and allowed me to load graphics.
- Saurav Kumar over 10 years
  
  I don't know what exactly happening to you. Xserver-Xorg::lts-raring packages should install without any problem. I think you are missing something. I gave you all possible effort that I could give. Since you got a new Kernel: 3.8.x, I suggest you to run this command once sudo dpkg-reconfigure -a to reconfigure all the packages installed to your Ubuntu. It would take some time.. If still it doesn't solve then last thing I suggest you to re-install Ubuntu. :(
- hydroxide over 10 years
  
  I did run sudo dpkg-reconfigure -a after installing all of the raring packages. I have had the original issue on other installations including live disks, so re-installing would not solve any problems. I do not have access to gui right now, but I believe I can get it back by re-installing xserver-xorg again. I will not re-install Ubuntu because I have licensed software installed which I cannot easily re-install. I have win8 as well, so I am not in a huge hurry to fix this. I will be patient and eventually we can figure this out.
- hydroxide over 10 years
  
  Okay, I reinstalled the lts raring packages with no problem. It was definitely reconfiguring the packages that gave me trouble. 3 times ubuntu failed to boot after reconfiguring. I believe it was reconfigure -a that gave me trouble.
- Saurav Kumar over 10 years
  
  It is good to know that you managed to install all lts-raring packages. Since you did it, I suggest you to follow this post's 4th step once again. Read the 4th step completely if you get any error. and if you get any error in sudo dpkg-reconfigure -a then ignore it and continue with next..
- hydroxide over 10 years
  
  I followed all the steps, and once again, xorg fails to load. I have no GUI, and will have to reinstall xserver-xorg.
- Saurav Kumar over 10 years
  
  Why this is happening to you.. :( try once to install xserver-xorg by this command: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install --install-recommends xserver-xorg-lts-raring If gui is not working you can press ctrl+alt+F1 to go to cli mode and execute the code. After installing xserver-xrog dont' forget to repeat the 4th step.
- hydroxide over 10 years
  
  Again. The same thing. I will not repeat your 4th step again. <sudo dpkg-reconfigure -a> is no good. It screws up my GUI every time and I have to reinstall xorg.
- Saurav Kumar over 10 years
  
  I don't know why it screws you! It runs pretty smooth for me. any way you can skip sudo dpkg-reconfigure -a and continue with other step. Actually sudo dpkg-reconfigure -a , re-configure all the packages installed in your system. Since it looks that you may have some broken packages that is why it screws the thing. Following command will list the broken/residual packages in your system: sudo dpkg -l | grep "^rc" If this command doesn't print any output it means that your system is clean :) Reply what do you get!!
- hydroxide over 10 years
  
  Actually, when I reinstalled xserver-xorg-lts-raring it removed the packages that were giving me trouble. The last time I went through step 4 everything executed without any errors. Until I rebooted and couldn't get into gui... My mouse hasn't been screwing up lately, my main problem now is with my keyboard. I am trying to find a way to remap it but having a bit of trouble. I will start a new post on the remapping issue.
- Saurav Kumar over 10 years
  
  Yes starting a new post would help. I asked you to post the output of this command: sudo dpkg -l | grep "^rc"! What do you get when you execute this command? Reply..
- Saurav Kumar over 10 years
  
  I've posted the solution..
hydroxide over 10 years

It didn't work, see my edit above.