package update-notifier-common 0.147.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Alexey Kamenskiy]

-

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
Package: update-notifier-common 0.147.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-15.23-generic 3.11.10
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-15-generic i686
ApportVersion: 2.12.5-0ubuntu2.2
Architecture: i386
Date: Fri Feb 7 11:42:07 2014
DuplicateSignature: package:update-notifier-common:0.147.1:subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-08-01 (189 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release i386 (20130424)
MarkForUpload: True
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: update-notifier
Title: package update-notifier-common 0.147.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to saucy on 2013-10-18 (111 days ago)

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Please try reinstalling the package python-debian. Thanks in advance.

[Ian Hulin (ian-hulin)]

I would really like to get back to have a working Python/Gt working on this machine.

I have just tried Bryan Murray's original suggestion, here is a traceback:

ian@nanny-ogg ~$ sudo apt-get install python-debian
[sudo] password for ian:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
python-debian is already the newest version.
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
  openjdk-7-jre-lib
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove it.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 16 not upgraded.
3 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Y
Setting up update-notifier-common (0.147.1) ...
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloader", line 26, in <module>
    import debian.deb822
ImportError: No module named debian.deb822
dpkg: error processing update-notifier-common (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of flashplugin-installer:
 flashplugin-installer depends on update-notifier-common (>= 0.119ubuntu2); however:
  Package update-notifier-common is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing flashplugin-installer (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Setting up python-gtk2-dev (2.24.0-3ubuntu1) ...
No apport report written because the error message indicates it's a follow-up error from a previous failure.
                                                                                                            dpkg: error processing python-gtk2-dev (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 update-notifier-common
 flashplugin-installer
 python-gtk2-dev
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
ian@nanny-ogg ~$

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Nothing was actually done with python-debian there. Try "sudo apt-get install --reinstall python-debian".

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Ian Hulin (ian-hulin)]

Have how tried your suggestion, here is the log:

ian@nanny-ogg ~$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall python-debian
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
3 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/57.6 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
(Reading database ... 501283 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace python-debian 0.1.21+nmu2ubuntu1 (using .../python-debian_0.1.21+nmu2ubuntu1_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement python-debian ...
Setting up python-debian (0.1.21+nmu2ubuntu1) ...
Setting up update-notifier-common (0.147.1) ...
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloader", line 26, in <module>
    import debian.deb822
ImportError: No module named debian.deb822
dpkg: error processing update-notifier-common (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of flashplugin-installer:
 flashplugin-installer depends on update-notifier-common (>= 0.119ubuntu2); however:
  Package update-notifier-common is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing flashplugin-installer (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Setting up python-gtk2-dev (2.24.0-3ubuntu1) ...
No apport report written because the error message indicates it's a follow-up error from a previous failure.
                                                                                                            dpkg: error processing python-gtk2-dev (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 update-notifier-common
 flashplugin-installer
 python-gtk2-dev
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
ian@nanny-ogg ~$

[Majal (majalmirasol)]

This is two years out... (2016) and I just ran on the same problem...

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Try manually downloading the .deb file of python-debian for your release and then installing it via "sudo dpkg -i". After that run whatever apt-get operation you were trying to do again.

[Aril Spetalen (aril-spetalen)]

I've had this issue quite a while.. The mentioned tips did not work for me. (sudo dpkg -i python-debian.deb worked, but did not help.)

What I did, which was a bit scary, and I'm not sure if I lost something critical, is this:

sudo apt-get remove python # then
sudo apt-get install --reinstall update-manager

The first removes python and a big lot of dependent tools with it... But it also removed the bloody fail with the update-manager, so I suppose I'm a step ahead anyway. (Although I'm now in need to reinstall a bunch of tools once more, I suppose.)