package cacti 0.8.8f+ds1-4ubuntu4 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1

[Ismail]

I keep having issues installing cacti

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: cacti 0.8.8f+ds1-4ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-47.68-generic 4.4.24
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-47-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.1
AptOrdering:
 cacti-spine: Remove
 cacti: Remove
 NULL: ConfigurePending
Architecture: amd64
Date: Tue Nov 15 10:41:05 2016
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-11-06 (8 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160719)
PackageArchitecture: all
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1.1
 apt 1.2.12~ubuntu16.04.1
SourcePackage: cacti
Title: package cacti 0.8.8f+ds1-4ubuntu4 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Paul Gevers (paul-climbing)]

It seems that you tried to install cacti and cacti-spine originally without a working database. I can't really follow what happened after that, but the current DpkgTerminalLog.txt does NOT show issues with installation, but issues with removal.

If you still want cacti to be installed, I recommend that you first purge cacti (*ignore* errors instead of *abort* when prompted by debconf, such that the removal can proceed) and purge mysql-server-5.6 after as well. After that, first install mysql-server and then install cacti. With a working mysql-server, the configuration of cacti should work.

The issue seems to be that your first installation of cacti failed due to a missing database server, but the /etc/cacti/debian.php file that was generated contained the password for cacti to log in. After you installed the server, cacti tried to use that generated password, but that wasn't (and can't be) communicated to the database server.

An alternative is to set the cacti password manually from within mysql and then dpkg-reconfigure cacti and provide the manually set password when asked for.

Paul

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for cacti (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]