package postgresql-9.3 9.3.16-0ubuntu0.14.04 failed to install/upgrade: sub-processo script post-installation instalado retornou estado de saída de erro 1

[Fabrício Pereira]

$ sudo apt-get install postgresql postgresql-contrib
...
9.3 main 5433 down postgres /var/lib/postgresql/9.3/main /var/log/postgresql/postgresql-9.3-main.log
update-alternatives: a usar /usr/share/postgresql/9.3/man/man1/postmaster.1.gz para disponibilizar /usr/share/man/man1/postmaster.1.gz (postmaster.1.gz) em modo automático
 * Starting PostgreSQL 9.3 database server * Failed to issue method call: Unit [e-mail] failed to load: No such file or directory. See system logs and 'systemctl status [e-mail]' for details.
[fail]
invoke-rc.d: initscript postgresql, action "start" failed.
...

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: postgresql-9.3 9.3.16-0ubuntu0.14.04
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-78.99~14.04.2-generic 4.4.62
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-78-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.24
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon May 29 10:37:53 2017
DuplicateSignature: package:postgresql-9.3:9.3.16-0ubuntu0.14.04:sub-processo script post-installation instalado retornou estado de saída de erro 1
ErrorMessage: sub-processo script post-installation instalado retornou estado de saída de erro 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-08-18 (1014 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-GNOME 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140722.2)
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.17.5ubuntu5.7
 apt 1.0.1ubuntu2.17
SourcePackage: postgresql-9.3
Title: package postgresql-9.3 9.3.16-0ubuntu0.14.04 failed to install/upgrade: sub-processo script post-installation instalado retornou estado de saída de erro 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2017-04-30 (28 days ago)

[Christian Ehrhardt  (paelzer)]

Hi Fabricio,
I see you already tried several rounds of purging and reinstalling - thanks for that.

I would like to ask for two things for now.
1. since the service seems to fail to start any detail on that would be helpful. So please report a "systemctl status [e-mail]" after the failed install (before purging).
2. Is "apt-get upgrade -y --fix-missing" just your default upgrade or was there any related issue before that made you calling it this way?

[Christian Ehrhardt  (paelzer)]

The TL;DR is that the server doesn't start after installation which lets the install/upgrade be considered failed. Yet since you purge and re-install it should work for you just as it does for me and others.
I hope the systemctl status output helps to get an initial lead where to look into.

[Fabrício Pereira (fabriciorsf)]

$ systemctl status [e-mail]
Failed to issue method call: No such interface 'org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties' on object at path /org/freedesktop/systemd1/unit/postgresql_409_2e3_2dmain_2eservice

[Fabrício Pereira (fabriciorsf)]

2. "apt-get upgrade -y --fix-missing" is just your default upgrade