Apache / cPanel Issues

During compile of Apache / PHP to include OpenSSL, the cPanel interface gives the following error: -------------- Your OS software management system does not appear to be functioning correctly. Please visit <[login to view URL]> for help with this error. -------------- The link says this is an issue with the package management on the server and gives a list of possible reasons for this. Unfortunately I do not have time to investigate these, so need the issue to be fixed so that Apache / PHP? can be recompiled ok. Thanks, Chris