I have a shield symbol that tells me there are 169 updates to download but, when I try to download them I get an error message stating that not all updates could be downloaded.
When I close that the shield remains with 169 updates still there.
Screenshot shows error message.
Open a terminal and run these commands in sequence:
sudo apt-get clean
then
sudo apt-get update
then
sudo apt-get upgrade
Any errors ?
This is at the end of the updates:
Preconfiguring packages …
dpkg: error: reading package info file ‘/var/lib/dpkg/available’: Input/output error
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (2)
Does a ton of stuff scroll past if you run:
cat /var/lib/dpkg/available
?
Yes it does.
What happens if you run:
sudo apt-get install -f
?
[EDIT]
Also what happens if you run:
sudo dpkg --clear-avail
then
sudo apt-get update
then
sudo apt-get upgrade
?
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 200 not upgraded.
After next three commands
Configuration file `/etc/issue’
==> Modified (by you or by a script) since installation.
==> Package distributor has shipped an updated version.
What would you like to do about it ? Your options are:
Y or I : install the package maintainer’s version
N or O : keep your currently-installed version
D : show the differences between the versions
Z : start a shell to examine the situation
The default action is to keep your current version.
*** issue (Y/I/N/O/D/Z) [default=N] ?
What’s the output from:
cat /etc/issue
Linux Mint 13 Maya \n \l
OK, what happens if you run:
sudo dpkg --clear-avail
Answer “N” to keep your current version.
Now what happens if you run:
sudo apt-get update
then
sudo apt-get upgrade
?
Nothing happens after first command.
After second command I get the following at the end:
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run ‘sudo dpkg --configure -a’ to correct the problem.
run:
sudo dpkg --configure -a
then
sudo apt-get update
then
sudo apt-get upgrade
and errors ?
Thought it was working but no! 
Warning: No support for locale: en_GB.utf8
Errors were encountered while processing:
mint-flashplugin-11
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
OK, let’s uninstall mint-flashplugin-11 and use the proper one instead.
run:
sudo apt-get remove --purge mint-flashplugin-11
then:
sudo apt-get install adobe-flashplugin
now try:
sudo apt-get update
and
sudo apt-get upgrade
any errors ?
If not, check your flashplayer works by seeing if you can still watch youtube videos.
dpkg: error processing mint-flashplugin-11 (–configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
mint-flashplugin-11
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
YouTube still works.
did you run:
sudo apt-get remove --purge mint-flashplugin-11
?
run:
sudo apt-get clean
then
sudo apt-get remove --purge mint-flashplugin-11
then
sudo apt-get update
then
sudo apt-get upgrade
were there any errors from the last command ?
if so, post the output from:
dkpg -l | grep flash
Still getting errors.
dkpg -l | grep flash
No command ‘dkpg’ found, did you mean:
Command ‘dpkg’ from package ‘dpkg’ (main)
dkpg: command not found
When you get an error, can you post it.
Also … sorry, typo … that command should have read:
dpkg -l | grep flash
This is the error:
Setting up mint-flashplugin-11 (11.2.202.280) …
update-alternatives: error: unable to read link `/etc/alternatives/libflashplayer.so’: Invalid argument
dpkg: error processing mint-flashplugin-11 (–configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
mint-flashplugin-11
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
dpkg -l | grep flash
pF mint-flashplugin-11 11.2.202.280 Adobe Flash plugin 11
Is there any output from:
sudo apt-get remove --purge mint-flashplugin-11
if so post it.
then post the output from:
dpkg -l | grep flash