package dictionaries-common 1.20.5 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 255

[Reinhard Tartler]

At some point, I lost my /var/cache/debconf contents, so I reinstalled debconf to create an empty debconf database. I had to use /usr/share/debconf/fix_db.pl to continue the upgrade.

It should never be necessary for the user to issue this command.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: dictionaries-common 1.20.5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.46-generic 3.13.9
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sat May 3 10:37:56 2014
DuplicateSignature: package:dictionaries-common:1.20.5:ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 255
ErrorMessage: ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 255
InstallationDate: Installed on 2011-04-21 (1109 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release amd64 (20101007)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: dictionaries-common
Title: package dictionaries-common 1.20.5 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 255
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-05-03 (1 days ago)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[moviglez (moviglez)]

This happened during the upgrade, in my case, from 12.04 to 14.04.

Fix with:
$ sudo /usr/share/debconf/fix_db.pl