package sane-utils 1.0.25+git20150528-1ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 127

[Arlie Stephens]

I don't believe that sane-utils is anything other than an innocent victim of bug 1680502 - a general system hang involving systemd sleeping uninterruptably while zombies pile up behind it, and cpu usage skyrockets.

This morning I got a 1680502 hang during an attempt to install recent software updates, and eventually hard reset the system (ie held down the power button) to recover. Most likely either I didn't wait long enough for software update to complete (unlikely, since I gave it most of an hour), or the software update got blocked behind something else that was blocked on systemd and/or whatever systemd was blocked on.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: sane-utils 1.0.25+git20150528-1ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-75.96-generic 4.4.59
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-75-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.5
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed May 3 08:03:17 2017
ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 127
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-04-26 (1832 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1.2
 apt 1.2.20
SourcePackage: sane-backends
Title: package sane-utils 1.0.25+git20150528-1ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 127
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2017-03-31 (33 days ago)