How to fix dpkg: error: database is in an inconsistent state in APT

Run the following command to force dpkg to retry configuration of all packages stuck in an unpacked state:

sudo dpkg --configure -a

This is the most common solution and resolves the issue in approximately 75% of cases. It tells dpkg to complete the configuration of packages that were interrupted during installation.

If the previous step did not fully resolve the issue, attempt to fix broken dependencies:

sudo apt --fix-broken install

Alternatively, use the older apt-get syntax:

sudo apt-get -f install

This command identifies and attempts to resolve any unmet dependencies.

Refresh the package lists and remove any corrupted cached package files:

sudo apt update
sudo apt clean

Corrupted .deb files in /var/cache/apt/archives/ can cause persistent issues. The apt clean command removes all cached packages so they will be re-downloaded fresh if needed.

If a specific package is causing the inconsistent state error, you can forcibly remove it:

sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq <package-name>

Replace <package-name> with the package causing the issue. Use this option with caution as it bypasses safety checks. The --force-remove-reinstreq flag tells dpkg to remove the package even if it breaks dependencies.

If the above steps do not work, dpkg maintains a backup of the status file at /var/lib/dpkg/status-old. This backup may be cleaner than the current corrupted status file.

First, backup your current status file:

sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/status /var/lib/dpkg/status.broken

Then restore from the backup:

sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/status-old /var/lib/dpkg/status

After restoring, you may need to reinstall packages that were in the process of being installed when the corruption occurred:

sudo apt update
sudo apt --fix-broken install

WARNING: Only use this method if other solutions have failed, as it may revert recent package changes.

Sometimes lock files prevent dpkg from working correctly:

sudo ls -la /var/lib/dpkg/lock*
sudo ls -la /var/cache/apt/archives/lock

If you see lock files and no package operations are running, you can remove them:

sudo rm -f /var/lib/apt/lists/lock
sudo rm -f /var/cache/apt/archives/lock
sudo rm -f /var/lib/dpkg/lock*

After removing locks, retry the previous steps.