[R-sig-Debian] r-base installation fails on Ubuntu 14.04

[Dirk Eddelbuettel]

On 23 March 2016 at 10:53, Barnet Wagman wrote:
| I've never used docker and installing it appears to require changing 
| kernels which I'd rather not do.

I never suggested you install docker.  

I used Docker to demonstrate to you that the repos are fine. Your system is
not.  Several people told you so by now.
 
| Is there any other way to get useful information?
| FYI I've tried installing r-base-core and got the same errors listed in 
| my first email.

I did not suggest to randomly re-install, hoping it would solve the issues.

So here is a simple suggestion one short of reinstalling, I hope this is not
too complicated for you:

i)   Comment out ALL entries for apt apart from those for Ubuntu, and CRAN.
     Keep mate if you must; it should not matter but we cannot know.

ii)  apt-get update

iii) apt-get install r-base-core

and look at each error message and the packages it involves. Maybe remove
those packages.  Exercise caution, do not remove anything mission critical.

For most of us the last step is not necessarily required as we mostly manage
to make sense of the error messages.  They may be cryptic, but they also
contain important information.  Use it to your advantage.

If none of this works reinstall cleanly and mess with fewer PPAs. I tend to
have one or two active besides CRAN and never had issues over several years
of running several Ubuntu machines at work and home.

Good luck, Dirk

-- 
http://dirk.eddelbuettel.com | @eddelbuettel | edd at debian.org