package apport 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1

[Daniel Chapman]

Get it when trying to start terminal.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: apport 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.13.0-32.35~16.04.1-generic 4.13.13
Uname: Linux 4.13.0-32-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportLog:

ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Jul 11 08:32:16 2018
ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-08-11 (333 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20170801)
PackageArchitecture: all
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1.3
 apt 1.2.24
SourcePackage: apport
Title: package apport 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

It seems likely you have a custom python path configured which calls a version of pyclean not provided by an official Ubuntu package.

package:apport:2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15
Preparing to unpack .../apport_2.20.1-0ubuntu2.18_all.deb ...
  File "/usr/bin/pyclean", line 63
    except (IOError, OSError), e:
                             ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax