package squid-prefetch 1.1-3 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1

[Dylan Borg]

apport showed up as i tried to remove squid

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
Package: squid-prefetch 1.1-3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-3.6-generic 3.11.0-rc6
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-3-generic i686
ApportVersion: 2.12.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: i386
Date: Tue Aug 20 15:50:20 2013
DpkgTerminalLog:
 Removing squid-prefetch ...
 Stopping prefetch daemon for squid: invoke-rc.d: initscript squid-prefetch, action "stop" failed.
 dpkg: error processing squid-prefetch (--remove):
  subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
DuplicateSignature: package:squid-prefetch:1.1-3:subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2011-11-11 (648 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release i386 (20111012)
MarkForUpload: True
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: squid-prefetch
Title: package squid-prefetch 1.1-3 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to saucy on 2013-08-04 (16 days ago)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Jonathon Fernyhough (jfernyhough)]

A workaround for removal would be great, if anyone has one. ;)

$ sudo apt-get purge squid-prefetch 1
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED
  squid-prefetch*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 12 not upgraded.
After this operation, 54.3 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?
(Reading database ... 352754 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing squid-prefetch ...
Stopping prefetch daemon for squid: invoke-rc.d: initscript squid-prefetch, action "stop" failed.
dpkg: error processing squid-prefetch (--purge):
 subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
Starting prefetch daemon for squid: squid-prefetch.
Errors were encountered while processing:
 squid-prefetch
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[Jonathon Fernyhough (jfernyhough)]

OK, very quick and very dirty workaround:

$ sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/squid-prefetch.prerm
$ sudo apt-get purge squid-prefetch