package util-linux 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu8 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 255

[sonofbelial]

Ran:

do-release-upgrade -d

Just do-release-upgrade doesn't upgrade my Lubuntu 13.04 to 13.10

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: util-linux 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu8
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-19.30-generic 3.8.8
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-19-generic i686
ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8.3
Architecture: i386
Date: Sun Oct 20 10:47:42 2013
DuplicateSignature: package:util-linux:2.20.1-5.1ubuntu8:ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 255
ErrorMessage: ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 255
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-11-10 (343 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Lubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release i386 (20121017.1)
MarkForUpload: True
SourcePackage: util-linux
Title: package util-linux 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu8 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 255
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to raring on 2013-10-20 (0 days ago)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Dmitry Burmistrov (dburmistrov)]

debootstrap.log:
update-rc.d: error: insserv rejected the script header
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/util-linux_2.20.1-5.1ubuntu20_amd64.deb (--unpack):
subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 255

# chroot /target/ apt-cache policy util-linux
util-linux:
  Installed: 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu20
  Candidate: 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu20
  Version table:
 *** 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu20 0
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

From the original reporters log file:

Preparing to replace util-linux 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu8 (using .../util-linux_2.20.1-5.1ubuntu9_i386.deb) ...^M
Can't exec "insserv": No such file or directory at /usr/sbin/debian-update-rc.d line 391.^M
update-rc.d: error: insserv rejected the script header^M
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/util-linux_2.20.1-5.1ubuntu9_i386.deb (--unpack):^M
 subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 255^M

Please confirm that the insserv package is installed.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Dmitry Burmistrov (dburmistrov)]

JFYI my issue was fixed by sorting Packages index with apt-sortpkgs

[Serge van Ginderachter (svg)]

We encountered this bug during a preseeded pxe/netinstall.