package libpam-smbpass 2:3.6.3-2ubuntu2.2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2

[Erick Martinez]

Update manager keeps pointing out that samba has unmet dependencies, so I decided to remove it. Here is what happens:

$ sudo apt-get remove libpam-smbpass samba
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  libpam-smbpass samba
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 2 to remove and 19 not upgraded.
13 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 25.6 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
(Reading database ... 345055 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing libpam-smbpass ...
Can't locate object method "new" via package "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::Multiselect" (perhaps you forgot to load "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::Multiselect"?) at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd.pm line 68, <GEN0> line 8.
Use of uninitialized value $ret in scalar chomp at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Client/ConfModule.pm line 132, <STDIN> line 7.
Use of uninitialized value $ret in split at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Client/ConfModule.pm line 133, <STDIN> line 7.
Use of uninitialized value $ret[0] in string eq at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Client/ConfModule.pm line 134, <STDIN> line 7.
dpkg: error processing libpam-smbpass (--remove):
 subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
Can't locate object method "new" via package "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::Multiselect" (perhaps you forgot to load "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::Multiselect"?) at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd.pm line 68, <GEN0> line 9.
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Removing samba ...
nmbd stop/waiting
smbd stop/waiting
Processing triggers for ureadahead ...
ureadahead will be reprofiled on next reboot
Processing triggers for ufw ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 libpam-smbpass
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: libpam-smbpass 2:3.6.3-2ubuntu2.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-25.40-generic 3.2.18
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-25-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sun Jun 24 14:33:34 2012
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
RelatedPackageVersions:
 nautilus 1:3.4.2-0ubuntu2
 gvfs 1.12.1-0ubuntu1
SambaClientRegression: No
SourcePackage: samba
Title: package libpam-smbpass 2:3.6.3-2ubuntu2.2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-04-27 (58 days ago)

[Serge Hallyn (serge-hallyn)]

Thanks for reporting this bug.

Could you try opening a terminal and doing

sudo apt-get install -f

to attempt to fix the unmet dependencies?

[Erick Martinez (erickrmartinez)]

I have already tried doing 'sudo apt-get install -f'. Here is the output:

$ sudo apt-get install -f
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  libpam-smbpass
Suggested packages:
  samba
The following packages will be upgraded:
  libpam-smbpass
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 48 not upgraded.
12 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/759 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Setting up apparmor (2.7.102-0ubuntu3.1) ...
Can't locate object method "new" via package "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::String" (perhaps you forgot to load "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::String"?) at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd.pm line 68, <GEN1> line 2.
dpkg: error processing apparmor (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Setting up cups (1.5.3-0ubuntu1) ...
Can't locate object method "new" via package "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::Boolean" (perhaps you forgot to load "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::Boolean"?) at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd.pm line 68, <GEN1> line 2.
dpkg: error processing cups (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Setting up man-db (2.6.1-2) ...
Can't locate object method "new" via package "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::Boolean" (perhaps you forgot to load "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::Boolean"?) at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd.pm line 68, <GEN1> line 2.
dpkg: error processing man-db (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of apparmor-utils:
 apparmor-utils depends on apparmor (>= 2.6.1-4ubuntu1); however:
  Package apparmor is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing apparmor-utils (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Setting up flashplugin-installer (11.2.202.236ubuntu0.12.04.1) ...
No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                                                              Can't locate object method "new" via package "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::String" (perhaps you forgot to load "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::String"?) at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd.pm line 68, <GEN1> line 1.
dpkg: error processing flashplugin-installer (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                                                              dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of flashplugin-downloader:i386:
 flashplugin-downloader:i386 depends on flashplugin-installer (>= 11.1.102.55ubuntu3); however:
  Package flashplugin-installer is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing flashplugin-downloader:i386 (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Setting up samba-common (2:3.6.3-2ubuntu2.3) ...
Can't locate object method "new" via package "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::String" (pe...

[Erick Martinez (erickrmartinez)]

I extrated 'http://packages.debian.org/squeeze/all/debconf/download' from the latest realease of Debconf at:

http://packages.debian.org/squeeze/all/debconf/download

And retried:

$ sudo apt-get install -f
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  libpam-smbpass
Suggested packages:
  samba
The following packages will be upgraded:
  libpam-smbpass
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 179 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/759 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libpam-smbpass:
 libpam-smbpass depends on samba-common (= 2:3.6.3-2ubuntu2.2); however:
  Version of samba-common on system is 2:3.6.3-2ubuntu2.3.
dpkg: error processing libpam-smbpass (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                                                              Errors were encountered while processing:
 libpam-smbpass
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[Erick Martinez (erickrmartinez)]

Finally I forced removed samba:

$sudo dpkg --force-depends --purge samba-common libpam-smbpass samba samba*

and again, ran

$sudo apt-get install -f

All dependencies were fixed.

[Erick Martinez (erickrmartinez)]

I n post #4 I meant I extracted /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Element/Noninteractive/ from the latest release of debconf

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for samba (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]