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Raman avatar Ubuntu

debconf: apt-extracttemplates failed: No such file or directory

ug flag
Raman

I was running the command sudo apt install mongodb-org. And I got these errors.

E: Cannot get debconf version. Is debconf installed?
debconf: apt-extracttemplates failed: No such file or directory
Extracting templates from packages: 31%E: Cannot get debconf version. Is debconf installed?
debconf: apt-extracttemplates failed: No such file or directory
Extracting templates from packages: 63%E: Cannot get debconf version. Is debconf installed?
debconf: apt-extracttemplates failed: No such file or directory
Extracting templates from packages: 94%E: Cannot get debconf version. Is debconf installed?
debconf: apt-extracttemplates failed: No such file or directory
Extracting templates from packages: 100%
dpkg: error: unable to create new file '/var/lib/dpkg/info/format-new': No such 
file or directory
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (2)

I am using Ubuntu 20.04.

Output of ls -ls /var/lib/dpkg/info/{,format-new} | head -n2

ls: cannot access '/var/lib/dpkg/info/': No such file or directory
ls: cannot access '/var/lib/dpkg/info/format-new': No such file or directory

Output of apt-cache policy debconf

debconf:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 1.5.73
  Version table:
     1.5.73 500
        500 http://in.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Packages
685
1 + 2
apt
N0rbert avatar
zw flag
N0rbert
Please add output of `ls -ls /var/lib/dpkg/info/{,format-new} | head -n2` and `apt-cache policy debconf` to the question.
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Raman avatar
ug flag
Raman
@N0rbert I have added the outputs. Please check it.
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Score:2
N0rbert avatar Ubuntu
zw flag
N0rbert

You have severe damage of your system. Below is the possible way to fix this situation on low level:

# create missed dpkg info directory
sudo mkdir /var/lib/dpkg/info/

# create missed dpkg alternatives directory
sudo mkdir /var/lib/dpkg/alternatives

# recreate other directories as well
sudo mkdir /var/lib/dpkg/{parts,triggers,updates}

# update package lists
sudo apt-get update

# install missed debconf package
sudo apt-get install debconf

# reinstall all currently installed packages to correctly fill /var/lib/dpkg/info/
sudo apt-get install --reinstall $(dpkg -l | grep ^ii | awk '{print $2}')

And finally install whatever packages with commands like:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get install mongodb-org
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Raman avatar
ug flag
Raman
while doing these process, I got new error - update-alternatives: error: cannot scan directory '/var/lib/dpkg/alternatives': No such file or directory
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N0rbert avatar
zw flag
N0rbert
Then run `sudo mkdir /var/lib/dpkg/alternatives` and repeat steps in answer.
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Raman avatar
ug flag
Raman
Finally, it worked. Thankyou so much Sir :)
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