package emacs25 25.2+1-6 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Damir]

reported immediately after logging in. The do-release-update complained that emacs25 package has not been correctly updated.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 17.10
Package: emacs25 25.2+1-6
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.10.0-38.42-generic 4.10.17
Uname: Linux 4.10.0-38-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.7-0ubuntu3.1
AptOrdering: NULL: ConfigurePending
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sat Nov 4 17:00:21 2017
DpkgHistoryLog:
 Start-Date: 2017-11-04 17:00:19
 Requested-By: damir (1000)
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-02-26 (250 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20170215.2)
Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.6, Python 3.6.3, python3-minimal, 3.6.3-0ubuntu2
PythonDetails: /usr/bin/python2.7, Python 2.7.14, python-minimal, 2.7.14-2ubuntu1
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.24ubuntu1
 apt 1.5
SourcePackage: emacs25
Title: package emacs25 25.2+1-6 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to artful on 2017-11-04 (0 days ago)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[TheHobbit (the-hobbit)]

I successfully updated the package after removing vala-mode package (which I was able to reinstall subsequently)

[Max Kaehn (slothman)]

I got it working again on Ubuntu 18.04.1 by using Synaptic to reinstall supporting libraries like otf and m17.

[Aimo Ella (aimo-ella)]

@Max: could you be a bit more specific as to which packages you reinstalled?

After the failing installation, I ran

  apt-get install --reinstall emacs25

and received one line more information that in the initial installation:

  E: Internal Error, No file name for emacs25:amd64

and after that, apport wanted to report a problem to Canonical.