package update-manager 1:0.87.26 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: SystemError in cache.commit(): E:Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[imackee]

Binary package hint: update-manager

This fatal message occurred during an attempted upgrade from xubuntu 7.10 to the lts version 8.04. I do not think it is an exact duplicate of other similar bugs which seem to refer to files in temporary directories.

ProblemType: Package
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed May 7 15:22:23 2008
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 8.04
ErrorMessage: ErrorMessage: SystemError in cache.commit(): E:Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

NonfreeKernelModules: ath_hal
Package: update-manager 1:0.87.26
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: update-manager
Title: package update-manager 1:0.87.26 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: SystemError in cache.commit(): E:Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
Uname: Linux 2.6.22-14-generic i686

ERROR:
Setting up gcc-3.4-doc (3.4.6-6ubuntu3) ...
sh: cannot open /usr/share/info/gcc-3.4.info.gz: No such file
install-info(/usr/share/info/gcc-3.4.info.gz):
dpkg: error processing gcc-3.4-doc (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2

[imackee (iwm)]

Further to this bug report, although the error was fatal as an error, it did not leave the system totally unusable. On reboot 8.04 was there with an error message about loading gnome - a second reboot cured this. However, it is not possible to get most programs to run from the desktop. Firefox is OK but others, eg synaptic or update manager do not load from the desktop. Open office does run but open office base refuses to run forms giving an error message that Java is not properly installed - it is and, to be sure, I reloaded it after activating synaptic from the command line. If it were DOS, I would think that the paths had not been set.

hope this helps
Ian Mackee

[imackee (iwm)]

After loading update-manager from command line, downloaded all suggested updates. Following this system improved and programs would run from the desktop. The error message in open office base, that jre was not available or incorrectly installed, was cured by deleting the java configuration file in the open office configuration directory /home/yourhomedirectoryname/.ooo-2.0/user/config/javasettings_Linux_x86.xml Simply replace the term 'yourhomedirectoryname' with the name you have given to your home directory. The cure for the java/open office base problem was kindly provided by Billy DeVincentis in the open office community forum, linux section.

[Daniel Hahler (blueyed)]

Please attach the files from /var/log/dist-upgrade.

[imackee (iwm)]

I have attached the files, i think, the system does not seem to allow the selection of multiple files. If you do not receive the files this way I will send them via ordinary email from another machine.

[imackee (iwm)]

Another file.

[imackee (iwm)]

The final file - the only other one is empty.

[Daniel Hahler (blueyed)]

Thank you for the bug report and additional information.
This is a duplicate of bug 205348, which is already fixed in the hardy-proposed archive.