While purging spamassassin, stuck in loop between nginx and sphinx

[pascal]

no futher details

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.10
Package: spamassassin 3.4.0-3ubuntu2.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-30.40-generic 3.16.7-ckt3
Uname: Linux 3.16.0-30-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.7-0ubuntu8.1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Feb 19 11:14:25 2015
DuplicateSignature: package:spamassassin:3.4.0-3ubuntu2.1:subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-04-26 (1029 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: spamassassin
Title: package spamassassin 3.4.0-3ubuntu2.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to utopic on 2014-10-24 (118 days ago)

Purging configuration files for spamassassin (3.4.0-3ubuntu2.1) ...
insserv: script nginx.wibbi: service nginx already provided!
insserv: warning: script 'sphinx' missing LSB tags and overrides
insserv: There is a loop between service nginx and sphinx if stopped
insserv: loop involving service sphinx at depth 2
insserv: loop involving service nginx at depth 1
insserv: Stopping sphinx depends on nginx and therefore on system facility `$all' which can not be true!
insserv: exiting now without changing boot order!
update-rc.d: error: insserv rejected the script header
dpkg: error processing package spamassassin (--purge):
 subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Noel Maersk (veox)]

See if duplicate: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/spamassassin/+bug/1208410/comments/4

[Noel Maersk (veox)]

To clarify: this is about post-removal and that is about post-installation. However, the cause _could_ be the same, a `systemd` timeout.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

This appears to be a dependency loop between nginx and sphinx, rather than a fault with spamassassin itself. This class of issue was dealt with in LP: #1828639, although I suspect whatever caused the looping in this case was resolved or made obsolete.