Argthtjtr

In Ubuntu 18.04 (Cinnamon), the package cpp-7 depends precisely on version 7.3.0-27ubuntu1~18.04 of package gcc-7-base:

$ aptitude why gcc-7-base

i   cpp-7 Depends gcc-7-base (= 7.3.0-27ubuntu1~18.04)

Meanwhile, the package libgfortran4 depends precisely on version 7.3.0-16ubuntu3 of the same package gcc-7-base:

$ apt-cache show libgfortran4

Package: libgfortran4

...

Depends: gcc-7-base (= 7.3.0-16ubuntu3), libc6 (>= 2.27), libgcc1, libquadmath0

and libgfortran4 won't install if I have the other version of the package already installed:

$ sudo apt-get install libgfortran4

...

The following packages have unmet dependencies:

 libgfortran4 : Depends: gcc-7-base (= 7.3.0-16ubuntu3) but 7.3.0-27ubuntu1~18.04 is to be installed

                Depends: libquadmath0 but it is not going to be installed

cpp-7 is in the dependency graph of ubuntu-desktop. libgfortran4 is in the dependency graph of gimp. Doesn't this imply that no one can ever install GIMP from the repositories on Ubuntu 18.04? Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I certainly can't.

To make the matter even more maddening, apt-cache showpkg shows that the two different versions of gcc-7-base come from the same repository and have the same MD5 hash:

$ apt-cache showpkg gcc-7-base

Package: gcc-7-base

Versions: 

7.3.0-27ubuntu1~18.04 (/var/lib/dpkg/status)

 Description Language: 

                 File: /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_bionic_main_binary-amd64_Packages

                  MD5: b6e93638a6d08ea7a18929d7cf078e5d

...

7.3.0-16ubuntu3 (/var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_bionic_main_binary-amd64_Packages)

 Description Language: 

                 File: /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_bionic_main_binary-amd64_Packages

                  MD5: b6e93638a6d08ea7a18929d7cf078e5d

meaning (again, correct me if I'm wrong) that they're the exact same code. So, there isn't an actual dependency conflict here, only one of labels.

How does this happen and how do I fix it? For example, is there a way for me to tell either cpp-7 or libgfortran4 that it's okay to accept the other version of gcc-7-base, because it's the exact same code? Do I need to get the package maintainer(s) involved?

Edit: A few days ago I posted a question on this topic. The current question is the narrowed-down result of work I've done on it in the meantime.

Edit: These are my active sources:

$ grep -Ev '(^#|^ *$|deb-src)' /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*

/etc/apt/sources.list:deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic main restricted

/etc/apt/sources.list:deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic universe

/etc/apt/sources.list:deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic multiverse

/etc/apt/sources.list:deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/vscode stable main

/etc/apt/sources.list.d/keybase.list:deb http://prerelease.keybase.io/deb stable main

/etc/apt/sources.list.d/keybase.list.save:deb http://prerelease.keybase.io/deb stable main

/etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list~:deb [arch=amd64] http://packages.microsoft.com/repos/vscode stable main

There's a commented deb-src for updates,

# deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic-updates main restricted

but nothing commented or uncommented for updates that's just deb. Should I add a line

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic-updates main restricted

?

Edit: Adding

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic-updates main restricted

to my /etc/apt/sources.list file, then $ sudo apt-get update worked. GIMP installed as expected with $ sudo apt-get install gimp. Thank you all!

This kind of issue is usually fixed by a simple apt update.

Let's see why by querying the madison database for the available 18.04 versions of gcc-7-base and libgfortran4.

$ rmadison gcc-7-base

 gcc-7-base | 7.3.0-16ubuntu3       | bionic         | amd64, arm64, armhf, i386, ppc64el, s390x

 gcc-7-base | 7.3.0-27ubuntu1~18.04 | bionic-updates | amd64, arm64, armhf, i386, ppc64el, s390x



$ rmadison libgfortran4

 libgfortran4 | 7.3.0-16ubuntu3       | bionic         | amd64, arm64, armhf, i386, ppc64el, s390x

 libgfortran4 | 7.3.0-27ubuntu1~18.04 | bionic-updates | amd64, arm64, armhf, i386, ppc64el, s390x

You can see that libgfortran4 is the bionic (non-updates) version, and has the bionic (non-updates) dependency. gcc-7-base, on the other hand uses the newer bionic-updates dependency.

There are two common reasons for this kind of de-sync between a base repository and it's corresponding -updates repository on a single system.

1. The user has recently disabled the -updates repository. Easy enough to check and fix in /etc/apt/sources.list or your Software and Sources control panel.




2. The user simply hasn't run apt update in a while to refresh (update) apt's local database of available packages from both sources. That's an easy fix, too.

Your file /etc/apt/sources.list should have some combination of mirrors and sources that adds up to:

deb [mirror URL] bionic main

deb [mirror URL] bionic-updates main

deb [mirror URL] bionic-security main

The optional universe, multiverse, and restricted repos can be included on the same lines.

Another option is to install the snap version of GIMP. I realize some folks don't like snaps, but this may be a more palatable solution for the casual Linux user.

sudo snap install gimp

In addition to the accepted answer: If you have only default sources enabled and the latest package list (apt update) and still encounter such conflicts on basic packages like gimp, then report a bug. This is something, what should be fixed by the package maintainer and what probably is rather easy to fix for him. It also may affect more people than just you. Such bugs happen from time to time, but the maintainers need to know.

Of course you should make sure, that your configuration and package status is not the problem before, because if you e.g. have got gimp (or some of its dependencies) from a third-party repository, the ubuntu maintainers cannot help you.