Fix APT Error pkgproblemresolver Held Broken Packages

If you try to install or upgrade software, you may face the “Error pkgproblemresolver held broken packages“. This is a common error and you can easily fix it. Let’s learn why this error happens and start to Fix APT Error pkgproblemresolver held broken packages on this guide steps on the Orcacore website.

What Causes APT Error pkgProblemResolver Resolve generated breaks?

This error on “pkgProblemResolver Resolve generated breaks” happens when APT faces dependency issues and it can’t resolve them automatically. Here are some common causes of this error on Debian and Ubuntu distros:

• Incomplete package installations
• Conflicting dependencies
• Third-party repositories
• Unmet dependencies

For example, I was trying to install NTP, and I got the following APT Error pkgproblemresolver:

ERROR
E: Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages.

So I decided to teach you how you can fix this issue if you encounter it. Follow the steps below.

Step-by-Step Guide to Fix APT Error pkgproblemresolver held broken packages

Here’s how you can resolve the “pkgProblemResolver held broken packages” error and get back to installing the packages.

Solution 1. Update and Upgrade Your System

The first solution is to run the system update and upgrade. In most cases, this will resolve the APT pkgProblemResolver error. To do this, you can run the command below:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

This will resolve dependency issues automatically in most cases. For example, in my situation for installing NTP, it works for me. After updating my Debian system, I installed my package easily as shown below:

Then, my package is installed correctly without any errors:

Solution 2. Use APT’s Built-in Fix Options

If you have broken packages that don’t allow you to run your upgrade command, you can try to fix them with the commands below:

# sudo apt --fix-broken install
# sudo dpkg --configure -a

Tips: You can learn more about this by visiting this guide on Can’t upgrade packages on Ubuntu.

Solution 3. Check and Fix Dependency Issues

Also, you can use the aptitude tool for resolving dependencies errors. First, you need to install it on your system with the command below:

sudo apt install aptitude

Then, run the aptitude command to resolve your issues:

sudo aptitude install

Note: This will analyze dependency issues and suggest solutions. If it offers multiple solutions, carefully read through them and select the most appropriate one.

Solution 4. Disable or Remove Third-Party Repositories

If you have newly added a new PPA repository or external repository, it may cause APT Error pkgProblemResolver. You can list your repositories with the following command:

ls /etc/apt/sources.list.d/

Then, disable the repository that causes a problem by commenting on it in the file:

sudo vi /etc/apt/sources.list.d/<repository_name>.list

When you are done, run the system update:

sudo apt update

Solution 5. Download or Manually Install Dependencies

If all the solutions above don’t work, you can manually install your dependencies. First, check missing dependencies for your package with the command below:

apt-cache policy <package_name>

If a package is broken, try installing a specific version with the command below:

sudo apt install <package_name>=<version_number>

Or you can manually download and install a dependency:

# sudo wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/<package>.deb
# sudo dpkg -i <package>.deb

Tips To Prevent Error pkgProblemResolver Caused by held packages

Always it is recommended to prevent issues like this. Here are some tips that you can use to prevent this APT error:

• Stick to official repositories
• Regularly update your system
• Use LTS versions of Linux
• Be cautious with –force options

Conclusion

The “pkgProblemResolver held broken packages” error can be annoying, but it’s usually fixable with the right approach. By following these steps, you can resolve the issue and get back to enjoying your Linux experience. Hope you enjoy it. Please subscribe to us on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

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