package postgresql-12 12.6-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 failed to install/upgrade: installed postgresql-12 package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1

[Kimberly Mozzetti]

Every time I try to run an update I get this error.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: postgresql-12 12.6-0ubuntu0.20.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.8.0-44.50~20.04.1-generic 5.8.18
Uname: Linux 5.8.0-44-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.16
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
Date: Wed Mar 17 11:20:30 2021
ErrorMessage: installed postgresql-12 package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-09-26 (171 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200731)
Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.8, Python 3.8.5, python3-minimal, 3.8.2-0ubuntu2
PythonDetails: /usr/bin/python3.8, Python 3.8.5, unpackaged
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.19.7ubuntu3
 apt 2.0.4
SourcePackage: postgresql-12
Title: package postgresql-12 12.6-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 failed to install/upgrade: installed postgresql-12 package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Paride Legovini (paride)]

Hello Kimberly and thanks for filing this bug report. From the attached logs I see the following:

postgresql.service: Failed at step EXEC spawning /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres: No such file or directory

The fact that the systemd service file looks for a binary in /usr/local/ indicates that the postgresql.service file has been manually modified, or that a third-party postgresql package has been installed on the system.

If the service file has been modified then the issue you're facing is a local configuration problem rather than a bug in Ubuntu. You can get help to sort out this kind of issues in the Ubuntu Community Support channels (https://ubuntu.com/support/community-support), however my suggestion here would be to just purge all the postgresql-related package and reinstall them (note that this may cause database data loss, be careful if you have any).

If you installed a third-party postgresql package then you should report this problem to the maintainers of that specific package/repository. As it's not part of Ubuntu we can't offer support for it. Even in this case, if unsure I'd just purge and reinstall all the postgresql packages.

I'm marking this bug report as Incomplete for the moment. Should you still think this is a bug in Ubuntu rather than a problem specific to your system please comment back providing more details and change the bug status back to New, we'll look at it again. Thanks!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for postgresql-12 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]