package xymon 4.3.28-3build1 failed to install/upgrade: installed xymon package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1

[sukhvir]

I was trying to install xymon on ubuntu 18.4 lts, I am getting following error.
chgrp: cannot access 'critical.cfg': No such file or directory
chgrp: cannot access 'critical.cfg.bak': No such file or directory
dpkg: error processing package xymon (--configure):
 installed xymon package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 xymon
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: xymon 4.3.28-3build1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-39.42-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-39-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.5
AptOrdering:
 xymon-client:amd64: Install
 xymon:amd64: Install
 NULL: ConfigurePending
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sun Mar 10 17:29:57 2019
DpkgHistoryLog:
 Start-Date: 2019-03-10 17:29:42
 Commandline: apt-get install xymon
 Requested-By: satnam (1000)
 Install: xymon:amd64 (4.3.28-3build1), xymon-client:amd64 (4.3.28-3build1, automatic)
ErrorMessage: installed xymon package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-03-02 (738 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20170215.2)
Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.6, Python 3.6.7, python3-minimal, 3.6.7-1~18.04
PythonDetails: /usr/bin/python2.7, Python 2.7.15rc1, python-minimal, 2.7.15~rc1-1
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.19.0.5ubuntu2.1
 apt 1.6.6
SourcePackage: xymon
Title: package xymon 4.3.28-3build1 failed to install/upgrade: installed xymon package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2018-10-08 (152 days ago)
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.alerts.cfg: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.analysis.cfg: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.cgioptions.cfg: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.client-local.cfg: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.columndoc.csv: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.combo.cfg: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.critical.cfg: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.critical.cfg.bak: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.graphs.cfg: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.holidays.cfg: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.protocols.cfg: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.rrddefinitions.cfg: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.snmpmibs.cfg: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.tasks.cfg: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.acknowledge_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.acknowledge_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.acknowledgements_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.acknowledgements_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.chpasswd_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.chpasswd_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.columndoc_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.confreport_back: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.confreport_footer: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.confreport_front: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.confreport_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.critack_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.critedit_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.critedit_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.critical_footer: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.critical_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.critmulti_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.divider_footer: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.divider_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.event_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.event_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.findhost_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.findhost_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.ghosts_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.graphs_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.hist_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.histlog_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.hostgraphs_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.hostgraphs_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.hostlist_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.hostlist_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.hostsvc_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.info_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.maint_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.maint_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.maintact_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.notify_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.notify_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.perfdata_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.perfdata_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.replog_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.repnormal_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.report_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.report_form_daily: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.report_form_monthly: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.report_form_weekly: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.report_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.snapcritical_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.snapnongreen_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.snapnormal_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.snapshot_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.snapshot_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.stdcritical_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.stdnongreen_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.stdnormal_footer: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.stdnormal_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.topchanges_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.topchanges_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.trends_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.trends_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.useradm_form: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.useradm_header: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.web.zoom.js: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.xymonmenu.cfg: [deleted]
modified.conffile..etc.xymon.xymonserver.cfg: [deleted]

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Thomas (thomaskjones)]

I've seen this twice, once upgrading packages on 18.4.2 and once upgrading to 18.4.2.
coping critical.cfg to critical.cfg.bak bypassed the error.

[Axel Beckert (xtaran)]

Dear Sukhvir,

thanks for your bug report.

sukhvir wrote:
> I was trying to install xymon on ubuntu 18.4 lts, I am getting following error.
> chgrp: cannot access 'critical.cfg': No such file or directory
> chgrp: cannot access 'critical.cfg.bak': No such file or directory
> dpkg: error processing package xymon (--configure):
> installed xymon package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
[...]
> modified.conffile..etc.xymon.alerts.cfg: [deleted]
> modified.conffile..etc.xymon.analysis.cfg: [deleted]
> modified.conffile..etc.xymon.cgioptions.cfg: [deleted]
> modified.conffile..etc.xymon.client-local.cfg: [deleted]
> modified.conffile..etc.xymon.columndoc.csv: [deleted]
> modified.conffile..etc.xymon.combo.cfg: [deleted]
> modified.conffile..etc.xymon.critical.cfg: [deleted]
> modified.conffile..etc.xymon.critical.cfg.bak: [deleted]
> modified.conffile..etc.xymon.graphs.cfg: [deleted]

This is caused by the following (IMHO rather uncommon) case that

* the package xymon had been installed beforehand (not explicitly
  mentioned, but obvious due to the deleted conffiles),
* has been removed again (but not purged, otherwise dpkg wouldn't know
  about the conffiles),
* then someone deleted /etc/xymon/ manually (otherwise not all
  conffiles would have been deleted),
* and tried to install xymon again.

Removing /etc/xymon/ (or any other conffile of any other package)
without purging ("apt-get purge" or "apt-get remove --purge") a
package makes dpkg think that the system administrator on purpose
remove these conffiles and hence respects this decision and doesn't
unpack them again.

While having removed _all_ conffiles manually without purging the
package, too, is theoretically a valid setup, it's nevertheless a
broken setup and breakage has to be expected then IMHO with most
packages.

So I'm not sure if I really should add support to the xymon package
for such a broken environment.

This breakage is btw. easily fixed: Do an "apt-get purge xymon" before
installing the package again. Be aware that this may also remove
monitoring data previously collected with xymon.

Thomas wrote:
> coping critical.cfg to critical.cfg.bak bypassed the error.

I think Thomas' case is slightly different, alone because in the above
case critical.cfg had been deleted, too. I actually expect further
breakage in the above case even if critical.cfg and critical.cfg.bak
are restored.

But Back to Thomas' case:

I though must admit that the file "critical.cfg.bak" (and _only_ that
file) doesn't really look like being relevant and might be deleted by
a local admin.

And this is actually a case we definitely need to handle better. I've
filed https://bugs.debian.org/924665 in Debian for that.

P.S.: Thanks to Thomas' variant of this issue, I became aware of the
fact that this issue might also happen if you just tried to clean up
your /etc/ from seemingly unnecessary backup files.

  Regards, Axel
--
 ,''`. | Axel Beckert <email address hidden>, https://people.debian.org/~abe/
: :' : | Debian Developer, ftp.ch.debian.org Admin
`. `' | 4096R: 2517 B724 C5F6 CA99 5329 6E61 2FF9 CD59 6126 16B5
  `- | 1024D: F067 EA27 26B9 C3FC 1486 202E C09E 1D8...

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package xymon - 4.3.28-5

---------------
xymon (4.3.28-5) unstable; urgency=medium

  * xymon.postinst: Check for file existence before calling chgrp/chmod on
    critical.cfg and critical.cfg.bak. (Closes: #924665, LP: #1819378)

 -- Axel Beckert <email address hidden> Mon, 18 Mar 2019 01:28:51 +0100