package postgresql-client-9.3 9.3.5-0ubuntu0.14.04.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2

[Derrell Durrett]

apt-get install failed for postgresql and postgresql-contrib.

I had installed and removed this package multiple times in the past few days because I could not get it to install correctly (not sure why yet).

~$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS
Release: 14.04

~$ apt-cache policy postgresql
postgresql:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 9.3+154
  Version table:
     9.3+154 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main amd64 Packages

~$ apt-cache policy postgresql-contrib
postgresql-contrib:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 9.3+154
  Version table:
     9.3+154 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main amd64 Packages

I expected postgresql to be installed.
This bug report (and the failures which triggered it) are what happened instead.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: postgresql-client-9.3 9.3.5-0ubuntu0.14.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-45.74-generic 3.13.11-ckt13
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-45-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.6
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Feb 9 11:08:23 2015
DuplicateSignature: package:postgresql-client-9.3:9.3.5-0ubuntu0.14.04.1:subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-02-04 (4 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140722.2)
SourcePackage: postgresql-9.3
Title: package postgresql-client-9.3 9.3.5-0ubuntu0.14.04.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Derrell Durrett (derrelldurrett)]

A following attempt to install (after several turns at apt-get remove/autoremove/clean/autoclean/purge, and a bit of forced removal via 'sudo rm -rf') contains this at the command line:

postgresql-9.3 postgresql-contrib-9.3
Suggested packages:
  uuid oidentd ident-server locales-all libdbd-pg-perl
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libossp-uuid16 postgresql postgresql-9.3 postgresql-contrib
  postgresql-contrib-9.3
0 upgraded, 5 newly installed, 0 to remove and 32 not upgraded.
Need to get 3,110 kB of archives.
After this operation, 13.7 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main libossp-uuid16 amd64 1.6.2-1.3ubuntu1 [29.6 kB]
Get:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates/main postgresql-9.3 amd64 9.3.5-0ubuntu0.14.04.1 [2,670 kB]
Get:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main postgresql all 9.3+154 [5,088 B]
Get:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates/main postgresql-contrib-9.3 amd64 9.3.5-0ubuntu0.14.04.1 [400 kB]
Get:5 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main postgresql-contrib all 9.3+154 [5,106 B]
Fetched 3,110 kB in 2s (1,145 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package libossp-uuid16.
dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'postgresql-common' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed
dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'postgresql-9.4' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed
dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'postgresql-client-common' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed
dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'postgresql-client-9.3' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed
dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'postgresql-client-9.4' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed
(Reading database ... 202568 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libossp-uuid16_1.6.2-1.3ubuntu1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libossp-uuid16 (1.6.2-1.3ubuntu1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package postgresql-9.3.
Preparing to unpack .../postgresql-9.3_9.3.5-0ubuntu0.14.04.1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking postgresql-9.3 (9.3.5-0ubuntu0.14.04.1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package postgresql.
Preparing to unpack .../postgresql_9.3+154_all.deb ...
Unpacking postgresql (9.3+154) ...
Selecting previously unselected package postgresql-contrib-9.3.
Preparing to unpack .../postgresql-contrib-9.3_9.3.5-0ubuntu0.14.04.1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking postgresql-contrib-9.3 (9.3.5-0ubuntu0.14.04.1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package postgresql-contrib.
Preparing to unpack .../postgresql-contrib_9.3+154_all.deb ...
Unpacking postgresql-contrib (9.3+154) ...
Processing triggers for postgresql-common (166.pgdg14.04+1) ...
Setting up libossp-uuid16 (1.6.2-1.3ubuntu1) ...
Setting up postgresql-9.3 (9.3.5-0ubuntu0.14.04.1) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/postgresql-9.3.postinst: 9: .: Can't open /usr/share/postgresql-common/maintscripts-functions
dpkg: error processing package postgresql-9.3 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2...