package libmpfi-dev (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: new libmpfi-dev package pre-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1

[Michael F Winthrop]

During upgrade from 16.04 to 18.04 I had 5000 applications that did not upgrade. I found that by removing specific <app>.list and <app>.md5 files in /var/lib/dpkg/info to a subdirectory (save location) I could do updates via aptitude. I later restored the files to the /var/lib/dpkg/info directory. However I did accidentally delete the libmpfi-dev list file. As I write this, I tried re-installing the app. Successfully. Therefore what caused the automatic bug report was absence of the app and a failed try (in the background).

dad@dad314159:/var/lib/dpkg/info$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall --install-suggests libmpfi-dev
[sudo] password for dad:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  libmpfi-dev-common
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libmpfi-dev libmpfi-dev-common
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 39.2 kB of archives.
After this operation, 349 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 libmpfi-dev-common all 1.5.3+ds-2 [7,664 B]
Get:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 libmpfi-dev amd64 1.5.3+ds-2 [31.5 kB]
Fetched 39.2 kB in 0s (189 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package libmpfi-dev-common.
(Reading database ... 1570916 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libmpfi-dev-common_1.5.3+ds-2_all.deb ...
Unpacking libmpfi-dev-common (1.5.3+ds-2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libmpfi-dev:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../libmpfi-dev_1.5.3+ds-2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libmpfi-dev:amd64 (1.5.3+ds-2) ...
Setting up libmpfi-dev-common (1.5.3+ds-2) ...
Setting up libmpfi-dev:amd64 (1.5.3+ds-2) ...
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ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: libmpfi-dev (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-109.110-lowlatency 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-109-lowlatency x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.15
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sun Jul 12 23:46:44 2020
ErrorMessage: new libmpfi-dev package pre-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.6, Python 3.6.9, python3-minimal, 3.6.7-1~18.04
PythonDetails: /usr/bin/python2.7, Python 2.7.17, python-minimal, 2.7.15~rc1-1
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.19.0.5ubuntu2.3
 apt 1.6.12ubuntu0.1
SourcePackage: mpfi
Title: package libmpfi-dev (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: new libmpfi-dev package pre-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)