package python-cryptography 1.2.3-1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1

[Tony Betts]

sdv

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: python-cryptography 1.2.3-1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-57.78-generic 4.4.35
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-57-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Jan 11 10:34:07 2017
ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-06-22 (202 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160420.1)
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1.1
 apt 1.2.15ubuntu0.2
SourcePackage: python-cryptography
Title: package python-cryptography 1.2.3-1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Robie Basak (racb)]

Unpacking grub-common (2.02~beta2-36ubuntu3.6) over (2.02~beta2-36ubuntu3.2) ...
Preparing to unpack .../apport_2.20.1-0ubuntu2.4_all.deb ...
  File "/usr/bin/pyclean", line 63
    except (IOError, OSError), e:
                             ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
dpkg: warning: subprocess old pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: trying script from the new package instead ...
  File "/usr/bin/pyclean", line 63
    except (IOError, OSError), e:
                             ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/apport_2.20.1-0ubuntu2.4_all.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/pycompile", line 35, in <module>
    from debpython.version import SUPPORTED, debsorted, vrepr, \
  File "/usr/share/python/debpython/version.py", line 24, in <module>
    from ConfigParser import SafeConfigParser
ImportError: No module named 'ConfigParser'
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Preparing to unpack .../python-cryptography_1.2.3-1ubuntu0.1_amd64.deb ...
  File "/usr/bin/pyclean", line 63
    except (IOError, OSError), e:
                             ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
dpkg: warning: subprocess old pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: trying script from the new package instead ...
  File "/usr/bin/pyclean", line 63
    except (IOError, OSError), e:
                             ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/python-cryptography_1.2.3-1ubuntu0.1_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1

[Robie Basak (racb)]

Thank you for your report.

This looks like a local configuration problem, rather than a bug in Ubuntu. Specifically, it looks like you have replaced the /usr/bin/python symlink with Python 3 and thus broken the system.

You can find pointers to get help for this sort of problem here: http://www.ubuntu.com/support/community

Since we use this bug tracker to track bugs in Ubuntu, rather than configuration problems, I'm marking this bug as Invalid. This helps us to focus on fixing bugs in Ubuntu.

If you believe that this is really a bug, then you may find it helpful to read "How to report bugs effectively" http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html. We'd be grateful if you would then provide a more complete description of the problem, explain why you believe this is a bug in Ubuntu rather than a problem specific to your system, and then change the bug status back to New.