Comment 2 for bug 115911

Ray/Revcol,

I ran into the same problem trying to install a Brother DCP130C (actually, as I haven't got that printer myself, trying to go through the installation process on my machine so I can help a friend install her printer). Couldn't finish the installation of the cupswrapper package, couldn't uninstall it, couldn't reinstall it, and it had broken Synaptic (as well as gdebi, aptitude, you name it).

I have, for this evening, given up on the printer, but found a way of getting Synaptic back.

Looking at the output you've copied above, the problem is that you're missing the file /usr/local/Brother/Printer/mfc440cn/cupswrapper/cupswrappermfc440cn

Close Synaptic if you've got it open.

Use your favourite editor to create a dummy file with one or two characters and save it somewhere convenient (say in /home/ray) as cupswrappermfc440cn. Then

     cd /home/ray # if you're not already there
     sudo mv cupswrappermfc440cn /usr/local/Brother/Printer/mfc440cn/cupswrapper/
     sudo chmod 777 /usr/local/Brother/Printer/mfc4409cn/cupswrapper/cupswrappermfc440cn
     # the change in permissions may be unnecessary but can't hurt

Now try

     sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq dcp130ccupswrapper

And Synaptic should be happy again.

=====Andrew