Broken VBOX guest-additions after last upgrade

Hello! After the update I have removed package virtualbox-guest-x11 and does not want to install because of dependencies. How to fix this error? I have no functionality from these extensions that interfere with my work.

Summary

Calculating upgrade… Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
virtualbox-guest-x11
The following packages will be upgraded:
libmysqlclient18 mysql-common mysql-server-core-5.5 virtualbox-guest-dkms virtualbox-guest-utils
5 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 5,434 kB of archives.
After this operation, 4,452 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
Get:1 http://deb.whonix.org/ jessie-proposed-updates/main virtualbox-guest-utils i386 5.1.30-dfsg-1~bpo9+1 [402 kB]
Get:2 http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates/main mysql-common all 5.5.59-0+deb8u1 [80.2 kB]
Get:3 http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates/main libmysqlclient18 i386 5.5.59-0+deb8u1 [689 kB]
Get:4 http://deb.whonix.org/ jessie-proposed-updates/main virtualbox-guest-dkms all 5.1.30-dfsg-1~bpo9+1 [599 kB]
Get:5 http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates/main mysql-server-core-5.5 i386 5.5.59-0+deb8u1 [3,664 kB]
Fetched 5,434 kB in 1min 11s (75.8 kB/s)
(Reading database … 106966 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing virtualbox-guest-x11 (4.3.36-dfsg-1+deb8u1) …
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.0.2-5) …
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.19-18+deb8u10) …
(Reading database … 106948 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack …/mysql-common_5.5.59-0+deb8u1_all.deb …
Unpacking mysql-common (5.5.59-0+deb8u1) over (5.5.58-0+deb8u1) …
Preparing to unpack …/libmysqlclient18_5.5.59-0+deb8u1_i386.deb …
Unpacking libmysqlclient18:i386 (5.5.59-0+deb8u1) over (5.5.58-0+deb8u1) …
Preparing to unpack …/mysql-server-core-5.5_5.5.59-0+deb8u1_i386.deb …
Unpacking mysql-server-core-5.5 (5.5.59-0+deb8u1) over (5.5.58-0+deb8u1) …
Preparing to unpack …/virtualbox-guest-utils_5.1.30-dfsg-1~bpo9+1_i386.deb …
Unpacking virtualbox-guest-utils (5.1.30-dfsg-1~bpo9+1) over (4.3.36-dfsg-1+deb8u1) …
Preparing to unpack …/virtualbox-guest-dkms_5.1.30-dfsg-1~bpo9+1_all.deb …

-------- Uninstall Beginning --------
Module: virtualbox-guest
Version: 4.3.36
Kernel: 3.16.0-4-686-pae (i686)

Status: Before uninstall, this module version was ACTIVE on this kernel.

vboxguest.ko:

  • Uninstallation
    • Deleting from: /lib/modules/3.16.0-4-686-pae/
      rmdir: failed to remove ‘’: No such file or directory
  • Original module
    • No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
    • Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

vboxsf.ko:

  • Uninstallation
    • Deleting from: /lib/modules/3.16.0-4-686-pae/
      rmdir: failed to remove ‘’: No such file or directory
  • Original module
    • No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
    • Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

vboxvideo.ko:

  • Uninstallation
    • Deleting from: /lib/modules/3.16.0-4-686-pae/
      rmdir: failed to remove ‘’: No such file or directory
  • Original module
    • No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
    • Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

depmod…

DKMS: uninstall completed.

-------- Uninstall Beginning --------
Module: virtualbox-guest
Version: 4.3.36
Kernel: 3.16.0-4-686-pae (x86_64)

Status: Before uninstall, this module version was ACTIVE on this kernel.

vboxguest.ko:

  • Uninstallation
    • Deleting from: /lib/modules/3.16.0-4-686-pae/
      rmdir: failed to remove ‘’: No such file or directory
  • Original module
    • No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
    • Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

vboxsf.ko:

  • Uninstallation
    • Deleting from: /lib/modules/3.16.0-4-686-pae/
      rmdir: failed to remove ‘’: No such file or directory
  • Original module
    • No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
    • Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

vboxvideo.ko:

  • Uninstallation
    • Deleting from: /lib/modules/3.16.0-4-686-pae/
      rmdir: failed to remove ‘’: No such file or directory
  • Original module
    • No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
    • Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

depmod…

DKMS: uninstall completed.

-------- Uninstall Beginning --------
Module: virtualbox-guest
Version: 4.3.36
Kernel: 3.16.0-5-586 (i686)

Status: Before uninstall, this module version was ACTIVE on this kernel.

vboxguest.ko:

  • Uninstallation
    • Deleting from: /lib/modules/3.16.0-5-586/updates/
  • Original module
    • No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
    • Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

vboxsf.ko:

  • Uninstallation
    • Deleting from: /lib/modules/3.16.0-5-586/updates/
  • Original module
    • No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
    • Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

vboxvideo.ko:

  • Uninstallation
    • Deleting from: /lib/modules/3.16.0-5-586/updates/
  • Original module
    • No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
    • Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

depmod…

DKMS: uninstall completed.

-------- Uninstall Beginning --------
Module: virtualbox-guest
Version: 4.3.36
Kernel: 3.16.0-5-686-pae (i686)

Status: Before uninstall, this module version was ACTIVE on this kernel.

vboxguest.ko:

  • Uninstallation
    • Deleting from: /lib/modules/3.16.0-5-686-pae/updates/
  • Original module
    • No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
    • Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

vboxsf.ko:

  • Uninstallation
    • Deleting from: /lib/modules/3.16.0-5-686-pae/updates/
  • Original module
    • No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
    • Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

vboxvideo.ko:

  • Uninstallation
    • Deleting from: /lib/modules/3.16.0-5-686-pae/updates/
  • Original module
    • No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
    • Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

depmod…

DKMS: uninstall completed.


Deleting module version: 4.3.36
completely from the DKMS tree.

Done.
Unpacking virtualbox-guest-dkms (5.1.30-dfsg-1~bpo9+1) over (4.3.36-dfsg-1+deb8u1) …
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.0.2-5) …
Processing triggers for systemd (215-17+deb8u7) …
Setting up mysql-common (5.5.59-0+deb8u1) …
Setting up libmysqlclient18:i386 (5.5.59-0+deb8u1) …
Setting up mysql-server-core-5.5 (5.5.59-0+deb8u1) …
Setting up virtualbox-guest-utils (5.1.30-dfsg-1~bpo9+1) …
Setting up virtualbox-guest-dkms (5.1.30-dfsg-1~bpo9+1) …
Loading new virtualbox-guest-5.1.30 DKMS files…
Building only for 3.16.0-5-686-pae
Building initial module for 3.16.0-5-686-pae
Done.

vboxguest:
Running module version sanity check.

  • Original module
    • No original module exists within this kernel
  • Installation
    • Installing to /lib/modules/3.16.0-5-686-pae/updates/

vboxsf.ko:
Running module version sanity check.

  • Original module
    • No original module exists within this kernel
  • Installation
    • Installing to /lib/modules/3.16.0-5-686-pae/updates/

vboxvideo.ko:
Running module version sanity check.

  • Original module
    • No original module exists within this kernel
  • Installation
    • Installing to /lib/modules/3.16.0-5-686-pae/updates/

depmod…

DKMS: install completed.
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.19-18+deb8u10) …

Summary

user@host:~$ sudo apt-get install virtualbox-guest-x11
[sudo] password for user:
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:
virtualbox-guest-x11 : Depends: xorg-video-abi-23 but it is not installable
Depends: xserver-xorg-core (>= 2:1.18.99.901) but 2:1.16.4-1+deb8u2 is to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

Perhaps try installing from jessie-backports. Make a backup beforehand so you don’t further break it.

Install Additional Software Safely

Dear Patrick, many thanks for your reply.

user@host:~$ sudo apt-get -t jessie-backports install xserver-xorg-core
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
xserver-xorg-core is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 125 not upgraded.

Same with other packages. Package xorg-video-abi-23 not available in this repo.

What kind of upgrade was this? To stretch or still only for jessie? The xserver-xorg-core version (>= 2:1.18.99.901) which the guest additions depend on seem to be available only for stretch but not for jessie. There is also no relevant version in jessie-backports. In case some packages are only available from stretch you might want to try this procedure: Release Upgrade - Whonix
Note that it is testers only.

Thank you for using proposed-updates! This might safe a lot users a lot trouble.


Technical stuff:

Only Debian -- Error dep: xorg-video-abi-23. 5.1.30-dfsg-1~bpo9+1

It was uploaded to Whonix repository. It is probably because back then there was no 5.x version (we used VirtualBox 5.x for some reason) in jessie let alone jessie-backports. There is just too much issues/details and too much fast moving packages for a single person to develop, document, and maintain.


Anyhow. I removed 5.1.30-dfsg-1~bpo9+1 from Whonix jessie-proposed-updates since guest additions are now available from 5.x Debian’s jessie-backports.

Could you please run sudo apt-get update and then try again to install it from jessie-backports?

(Now that the too-new and unsuitable version from Whonix repository is gone, it might work.)

Guys, thanks for answers and your help.

Summary

user@host:~$ sudo apt-get -t jessie-backports install xserver-xorg-core
[sudo] password for user:
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
xserver-xorg-core is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 125 not upgraded.
user@host:~$ sudo apt-get -t jessie-backports install virtualbox-guest-x11
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:
virtualbox-guest-x11 : Depends: virtualbox-guest-utils (= 4.3.36-dfsg-1+deb8u1) but 5.1.30-dfsg-1~bpo9+1 is to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

:smiley:

1 Like

Please try.

sudo apt-get -t jessie-backports install virtualbox-guest-x11 virtualbox-guest-utils virtualbox-guest-dkms

And this also.

sudo apt-get install -f

:frowning:

Summary

user@host:~$ sudo apt-get update

Fetched 772 kB in 13s (58.0 kB/s)
Reading package lists… Done

user@host:~$ sudo apt-get -t jessie-backports install virtualbox-guest-x11 virtualbox-guest-utils virtualbox-guest-dkms
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
virtualbox-guest-dkms is already the newest version.
virtualbox-guest-utils is already the newest version.
virtualbox-guest-utils set to manually installed.
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:
virtualbox-guest-x11 : Depends: virtualbox-guest-utils (= 4.3.36-dfsg-1+deb8u1) but 5.1.30-dfsg-1~bpo9+1 is to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
user@host:~$ sudo apt-get install -f
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 2 not upgraded.
user@host:~$ sudo apt-get upgrade
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
Calculating upgrade… Done
The following packages will be upgraded:
firefox-esr iceweasel
2 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 49.3 MB of archives.
After this operation, 10.2 kB of additional disk space will be used

sudo apt-get purge virtualbox-guest-x11 virtualbox-guest-utils virtualbox-guest-dkms
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get -t jessie-backports install virtualbox-guest-x11 virtualbox-guest-utils virtualbox-guest-dkms
sudo apt-get install -f
1 Like

It’s works! Many thanks for your help Patrick!

1 Like