Linux: Ruby Rails sqlite3 libsqlite3-dev libssl-dev Install Error

By Xah Lee. Date: 2013-06-02

Sqlite and libssl-dev Install Problem

Summary. If you are trying to install Ruby on Rails on Ubuntu, and you got this error:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 libsqlite3-dev : Depends: libsqlite3-0 (= 3.7.9-2ubuntu1) but 3.7.9-2ubuntu1.1 is to be installed
 libssl-dev : Depends: libssl1.0.0 (= 1.0.1-4ubuntu5.8) but 1.0.1-4ubuntu5.9 is to be installed
 sqlite3 : Depends: libsqlite3-0 (= 3.7.9-2ubuntu1) but 3.7.9-2ubuntu1.1 is to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

The problem is probably because you disabled one of the repository source in update-manager.

To fix, start update-manager &, then in the “settings” button at bottom, in “Updates” tab, make sure you check box the “Recommended updates (precise-updates)”.

linux update-manager screenshot 2013-06-03 — linux update-manager screenshot

Manual Fix Using dpkg

If you search the web, you might find a few page that try to tell you how to fix it by using dpkg. For example, these:

〔Can't install anything, bad libsqlite3-0:amd64 2012-09-19 By Steveriley. At http://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?60125-Can-t-install-anything-bad-libsqlite3-0-amd64 , accessed on 2013-06-03〕
〔Ruby on Rails – Installing on Ubuntu 12.04 – Success Finally 2012-12-29 By ?. At http://allelseweretaken.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/ruby-on-rails-installing-on-ubuntu-12-04-success-finally/ , accessed on 2013-06-03〕

That would work, but is very dangerous and error-prone. If the problem is a turned-off source repository, you better turn it back on, else you'll need to manually fix lots of other packages.

If the problem is not repository source, here's how you can fix it manually.

First, go to Ubuntu package site http://packages.ubuntu.com/, and find the package you want. Be sure the Ubuntu version and 32/64 bits architecture matches yours, otherwise you might be download a older version of the package.
Download the 32bits and 64 bits “.deb” packages.
Force remove the packages on your system, by, for example, sudo dpkg --force-depends --purge libsqlite3-0. WARNING: dangerous. This better not be a production system, unless you know what you are doing.
Install the ones you downloaded. Like this: sudo dpkg --install /home/xah/Downloads/libsqlite3-0_3.6.22-1_i386.deb. You might need to install both 32bits and 64bits versions, i'm not sure.