How to fix dpkg: error processing archive filename.deb: short read in buffer_copy in APT

Remove all cached .deb files and fetch fresh copies:

sudo apt clean
sudo apt update

The apt clean command removes all cached package files in /var/cache/apt/archives/, ensuring you get fresh downloads of any corrupted packages.

Try installing the package again, or use the fix-broken flag:

sudo apt install -f

This will attempt to fix any broken dependencies and re-download packages. If you were installing a specific package:

sudo apt install <package-name>

If the error persists, the mirror server itself may be distributing a corrupted package. Change your apt mirror:

1. Edit /etc/apt/sources.list or relevant .list files in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
2. Replace the current mirror URL with an alternative one
3. Run sudo apt update again

For Ubuntu users, you can use the mirror selection tool:

sudo software-properties-gtk

Then select a different mirror from the dropdown.

If the error continues across multiple packages, check your storage device:

dmesg | tail -20

Look for hardware errors. If you suspect disk corruption, run a filesystem check (requires root and ideally a non-root partition):

sudo fsck.ext4 -n /dev/sdX  # -n flag does a read-only check

If errors are found, run without -n to fix them (requires unmounting the partition first).

Insufficient disk space can cause failed writes and file corruption:

df -h

Ensure you have at least 100-200 MB free space in /var. If disk space is low, delete unnecessary files or uninstall unneeded packages.

Some antivirus software (like ESET NOD32) can interfere with package integrity checking. If you have antivirus running:

1. Temporarily disable real-time scanning
2. Attempt the package installation again
3. Re-enable the antivirus after completion

If this resolves the issue, configure your antivirus to exclude /var/cache/apt/ and /var/lib/apt/ from scanning.