package login 1:4.1.5.1-1.1ubuntu4 failed to install/upgrade: unable to install new version of `/bin/su': Device or resource busy

[Christopher Wells]

Ubuntu 15.04

The error occurred when updating Ubuntu using "sudo aptget-update; sudo apt-get upgrade".

The output from the command is attached as a text file.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.04
Package: login 1:4.1.5.1-1.1ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-40.69-generic 3.13.11.10
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-40-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.17.2-0ubuntu1.7
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Nov 16 08:15:57 2015
DpkgTerminalLog:
 Preparing to unpack .../login_1%3a4.1.5.1-1.1ubuntu4.1_amd64.deb ...
 Unpacking login (1:4.1.5.1-1.1ubuntu4.1) over (1:4.1.5.1-1.1ubuntu4) ...
 dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/login_1%3a4.1.5.1-1.1ubuntu4.1_amd64.deb (--unpack):
  unable to install new version of `/bin/su': Device or resource busy
DuplicateSignature: package:login:1:4.1.5.1-1.1ubuntu4:unable to install new version of `/bin/su': Device or resource busy
ErrorMessage: unable to install new version of `/bin/su': Device or resource busy
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-03-08 (617 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1)
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.17.25ubuntu1
 apt 1.0.9.7ubuntu4.2
SourcePackage: shadow
Title: package login 1:4.1.5.1-1.1ubuntu4 failed to install/upgrade: unable to install new version of `/bin/su': Device or resource busy
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to vivid on 2015-04-27 (202 days ago)

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

This points to a filesystem problem, not to a bug in the shadow package. If your filesystem is intact, you should never get a "device or resource busy" error when unpacking a new package.