spamassassin 3.4.0 post installation script error ubuntu server 14.04 LTS

[Damian F]

# sudo aptitude install spamassassin
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  sa-compile{a} spamassassin
0 packages upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 1'048 kB of archives. After unpacking 3'806 kB will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?]
Get: 1 http://mirrors.digitalocean.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main spamassassin all 3.4.0-1ubuntu1 [1'034 kB]
Get: 2 http://mirrors.digitalocean.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main sa-compile all 3.4.0-1ubuntu1 [13.8 kB]
Fetched 1'048 kB in 0s (1'914 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package spamassassin.
(Reading database ... 135625 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../spamassassin_3.4.0-1ubuntu1_all.deb ...
Unpacking spamassassin (3.4.0-1ubuntu1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package sa-compile.
Preparing to unpack .../sa-compile_3.4.0-1ubuntu1_all.deb ...
Unpacking sa-compile (3.4.0-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-16) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.6.7.1-1) ...
Setting up spamassassin (3.4.0-1ubuntu1) ...
Adding system user `debian-spamd' (UID 119) ...
Adding new group `debian-spamd' (GID 127) ...
Adding new user `debian-spamd' (UID 119) with group `debian-spamd' ...
Creating home directory `/var/lib/spamassassin' ...
No directory, logging in with HOME=/
gpg: keyblock resource `/var/lib/spamassassin/sa-update-keys/secring.gpg': file open error
gpg: keyblock resource `/var/lib/spamassassin/sa-update-keys/pubring.gpg': file open error
gpg: no writable keyring found: eof
gpg: error reading `/usr/share/spamassassin/GPG.KEY': general error
gpg: import from `/usr/share/spamassassin/GPG.KEY' failed: general error
gpg: process '/usr/bin/gpg --homedir='/var/lib/spamassassin/sa-update-keys' --batch --no-tty --status-fd=1 -q --logger-fd=1 --import' finished: exit 2
dpkg: error processing package spamassassin (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of sa-compile:
 sa-compile depends on spamassassin (>= 3.3.2-8); however:
  Package spamassassin is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package sa-compile (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-16) ...No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a previous failure.

Errors were encountered while processing:
 spamassassin
 sa-compile
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
Setting up spamassassin (3.4.0-1ubuntu1) ...
No directory, logging in with HOME=/
gpg: keyblock resource `/var/lib/spamassassin/sa-update-keys/secring.gpg': file open error
gpg: keyblock resource `/var/lib/spamassassin/sa-update-keys/pubring.gpg': file open error
gpg: no writable keyring found: eof
gpg: error reading `/usr/share/spamassassin/GPG.KEY': general error
gpg: import from `/usr/share/spamassassin/GPG.KEY' failed: general error
gpg: process '/usr/bin/gpg --homedir='/var/lib/spamassassin/sa-update-keys' --batch --no-tty --status-fd=1 -q --logger-fd=1 --import' finished: exit 2
dpkg: error processing package spamassassin (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of sa-compile:
 sa-compile depends on spamassassin (>= 3.3.2-8); however:
  Package spamassassin is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package sa-compile (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 spamassassin
 sa-compile

***
Linux 3.13.0-24-generic #46-Ubuntu SMP Thu Apr 10 19:11:08 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Die Jul 22 18:18:59 CEST 2014
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS \n \l

[Darxus (darxus)]

What was the cause / solution?

[Damian F (damian-0)]

/var/lib had wrong ownership/permission; after chown root:root /var/lib && chmod 755 /var/lib it went well, I think a rsync script was the cause -> no bug at all

[Darxus (darxus)]

Nice. Maybe open a bug because it didn't throw a more useful error on not being able to create /var/lib/spamassassin? I'm not sure if that would be against aptitude or spamassassin.