then you may install it with dpkg -i /var/cache/apt/archives/(package-name)

I hope this helps

root@nautilus:~# apt install icedtea-netx-common  --dry-run
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
icedtea-netx-common is already the newest version (1.6.2-3.1+deb9u1).
icedtea-netx-common set to manually installed.
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
  linux-image-4.9.0-14-amd64
Use 'apt autoremove' to remove it.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.

But... there has been another kernel update since this one that cause the weird problem. For some reason, it was not installed even though the headers were. (That's how I know about it.) Why? I did not use the hold command. I just purged the kernel version that was causing the problem. Could I install it manually? I'm thinking of trying that, and if it still cause the problem, at least I can get the xorg.log that is produced.

Does it save X.Org.log past the last boot? All I could find was the current version and the .old from the previous boot, which is after I had purged the problematic kernel. Where would it put any older saves?

Those are the only saved files. Upgrade to the new kernel, reproduce the error then reboot into the working kernel and post the .old file.

My search engine tells me you should check /var/log/lightdm or /var/log/slim.log.

Right ....

Let's try doing this:

~# apt install icedtea-netx-common  --dry-run

This should tell us if it will fix part/all of the dependency issues as it should drag in updated versions of openjdk-6-jre and openjdk-6-jre-headless.

Please post the output.

Best,

A.

nemo@nautilus:~$ apt list | grep installed | grep openjdk

WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution in scripts.

openjdk-8-jre/oldstable-security,now 8u292-b10-0+deb9u1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
openjdk-8-jre-headless/oldstable-security,now 8u292-b10-0+deb9u1 amd64 [installed,automatic]

nemo@nautilus:~$ apt list | grep installed | grep icedtea

WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution in scripts.

icedtea-8-plugin/now 1.6.2-3.1 amd64 [installed,local]
icedtea-netx-common/oldstable,now 1.6.2-3.1+deb9u1 all [installed,automatic]

Indeed ...

nemo@nautilus:~$ apt-cache rdepends icedtea-netx
icedtea-netx
Reverse Depends:
  icedtea-8-plugin
  icedtea-netx-common
  libbiojava4.0-java

nemo@nautilus:~$ apt-cache depends icedtea-netx
icedtea-netx
  Depends: openjdk-8-jre
  Depends: icedtea-netx-common
  Conflicts: <openjdk-6-jre>
  Conflicts: <openjdk-6-jre-headless>
  Replaces: <openjdk-6-jre>
  Replaces: <openjdk-6-jre-headless>

From what I understand, the latest (kept back) version of icedtea-netx breaks openjdk-6-jre and openjdk-6-jre-headless.

Open a terminal and as sudo/root do:

apt list | grep installed | grep openjdk-

and

apt list | grep installed | grep icedtea-

This will show us what openjdk- and icedtea- packages are installed.

Please post the result.

Best,

A.

No ...

It was because it was late and I did not test the stanza first.
Command line stanzas must use the correct syntax to work.

The correct one is this:

~$ apt-cache depends icedtea-netx

It will get you the package's dependencies.

Then this one will get you the package's dependencies as well as the dependencies of the dependencies.
ie: the dependency tree.

~$ apt-cache rdepends icedtea-netx

My apologies for the slip.
Please run those and post the result.

root@nautilus:~# apt list | grep installed | grep icedtea

WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution in scripts.

icedtea-8-plugin/now 1.6.2-3.1 amd64 [installed,local]
icedtea-netx-common/oldstable,now 1.6.2-3.1+deb9u1 all [installed,automatic]

--> There's no need for root for these. <--

BTW: you are using 'quote" instead of "code".

Best,

A.

Sorry ...
My bad.

Yes it does.

root@nautilus:/# apt upgrade --dry-run
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
  linux-image-4.9.0-14-amd64
Use 'apt autoremove' to remove it.

The following packages have been kept back: <---- | x |
  icedtea-netx                              <---- | x |

0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.

From what I see, the package icedtea-netx has been kept back and when a package is kept back it is because there is a dependency problem.

Open a terminal and do:

~$ apt list | grep installed | grep icedtea

This will tell you which icedtea-netx version is installed.

Then do:

apt-cache rdepends --installed $icedtea-netx

This will tell you which package is asking for icedtea-netx.

Best,

A.

Right.
You are running kernel version 4.9.0-15.

Open a terminal and (as root/sudo) do:

~$ sudo apt update --dry-run

This will simulate an update, please post the output.*

Then (as root/sudo) do:

~$ sudo apt upgrade --dry-run

This will simulate an upgrade, please post the output.*

* Please post the output as code.

Best,

A.