package dictionaries-common 1.12.11 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 255

[Haw Loeung]

Hi,

Trying to upgrade to raring alpha 2, I get the following:

Setting up dictionaries-common (1.12.11) ...
update-default-wordlist: Question empty but elements installed for class "wordlist"
  dictionaries-common/default-wordlist: return code: "0", value: ""
  Choices: , Manual symlink setting
  shared/packages-wordlist: return code: "10" owners/error: "shared/packages-wordlist doesn't exist"
  Installed elements: american (American English)

  Please see "/usr/share/doc/dictionaries-common/README.problems", section
  "Debconf database corruption" for recovery info.

update-default-wordlist: Selected wordlist ""
does not correspond to any installed package in the system
and no alternative wordlist could be selected.
dpkg: error processing dictionaries-common (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 255
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of ispell:
 ispell depends on dictionaries-common; however:
  Package dictionaries-common is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing ispell (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of ienglish-common:
 ienglish-common depends on dictionaries-common (>= 1.10.6~); however:
  Package dictionaries-common is not configured yet.
 ienglish-common depends on ispell (>= 3.3.02); however:
  Package ispell is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing ienglish-common (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of iamerican:
 iamerican depends on dictionaries-common; however:
  Package dictionaries-common is not configured yet.
 iamerican depends on ienglish-common (= 3.3.02-6); however:
  Package ienglish-common is not configured yet.
 iamerican depends on ispell; however:
  Package ispell is not configured yet.

dpkg: No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a previous failure.
                                No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a previous failure.
                                                          No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                                        No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                      error processing iamerican (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of ibritish:
 ibritish depends on dictionaries-common; however:
  Package dictionaries-common is not configured yet.
 ibritish depends on ienglish-common (= 3.3.02-6); however:
  Package ienglish-common is not configured yet.
 ibritish depends on ispell; however:
  Package ispell is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing ibritish (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 dictionaries-common
 ispell
 ienglish-common
 iamerican
 ibritish

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: dictionaries-common 1.12.11
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-24.37-generic 3.5.7.4
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-24-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.8-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Feb 15 11:38:44 2013
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 255
MarkForUpload: True
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: dictionaries-common
Title: package dictionaries-common 1.12.11 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 255
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to raring on 2012-12-06 (70 days ago)

[Haw Loeung (hloeung)]

Seems to be related to a corrupted debconf database as running /usr/share/debconf/fix_db.pl fixed it.