When I attempt to install git on a server distribution of Ubuntu 11.04, I get an error. I used the following command:

sudo apt-get install git

And that generated this error:

(Reading database ... 

dpkg: warning: files list file for package `git' missing, assuming package has no files currently installed.

(Reading database ... 20310 files and directories currently installed.)

Preparing to replace git 1:1.7.4.1-3 (using .../git_1%3a1.7.4.1-3_i386.deb) ...

/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/preinst: 12: dpkg-maintscript-helper: not found

dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/git_1%3a1.7.4.1-3_i386.deb (--unpack):

 subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 127

/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/postrm: 14: dpkg-maintscript-helper: not found

dpkg: error while cleaning up:

 subprocess new post-removal script returned error exit status 127

Errors were encountered while processing:

 /var/cache/apt/archives/git_1%3a1.7.4.1-3_i386.deb

E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

I'm using the following repositories:

# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 8.04.3 _Hardy Heron_ - Release i386 (20090713.1)]/ hardy main restricted

# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to

# newer versions of the distribution.



deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty main restricted

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty main restricted



## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the

## distribution.

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

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





## main & restricted repositories

# deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid main restricted

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



#deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu lucid-security main restricted

#deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu lucid-security main restricted



## universe repositories

#deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid universe

#deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid universe

#deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates universe restricted main

#deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates universe



#deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu lucid-security universe

#deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu lucid-security universe



## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu

## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to

## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in

## universe WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu security

## team.

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty universe

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty universe

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-updates universe

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-updates universe



## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu 

## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to 

## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in 

## multiverse WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu

## security team.

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty multiverse

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty multiverse

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-updates multiverse

deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-updates multiverse

Anyone have any idea what's going on or how I can fix this and get git to install?

[edit] Here's the output of apt-cache policy dpkg:

dpkg:

  Installed: 1.15.5.6ubuntu4

  Candidate: 1.16.0~ubuntu7.1

  Version table:

     1.16.0~ubuntu7.1 0

        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-updates/main Packages

     1.16.0~ubuntu7 0

        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main Packages

 *** 1.15.5.6ubuntu4 0

        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

And now apt is completely broken. I attempted to update dpkg, because I noticed that it was a couple versions out of date. It failed because it couldn't install git. I attempted apt-get purge, apt-get clean and apt-get update. Still the same problem. I attempted to remove git and got this:

Removing git-core ...

dpkg: error processing git (--remove):

 Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should

 reinstall it before attempting a removal.

Errors were encountered while processing:

 git

E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)