libpam-runtime fails to install (debconf DbDriver error)

[Phil Bull]

Binary package hint: libpam-runtime

Updating using update-manager fails due to the package libpam-runtime (1.0.1-3ubuntu3). The following error details are provided by update-manager:

debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
Setting up libpam-runtime (1.0.1-3ubuntu3) ...
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
dpkg: error processing libpam-runtime (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 libpam-runtime
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
[...]

I'm running an otherwise up-to-date Ubuntu Intrepid and have received this error twice in different updates over the last 24 hours. The problem appears to be with /usr/sbin/update-grub locking /var/cache/debconf/config.dat.

$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu intrepid (development branch)
Release: 8.10

$ sudo fuser /var/cache/debconf/config.dat
/var/cache/debconf/config.dat: 4503

$ ps aux | grep 4503
root 4503 0.0 0.8 10816 9088 ? S 08:39 0:00 /usr/bin/perl -w /usr/share/debconf/frontend /usr/sbin/update-grub

$ sudo kill 4503

After killing the process (4503 in this case) and running update-manager again, the upgrade can be completed successfully.

[Phil Bull (philbull)]

Same issue today with libpam-runtime 1.0.1-3ubuntu4.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

On Fri, Aug 22, 2008 at 07:29:04PM -0000, Phil Bull wrote:
> Same issue today with libpam-runtime 1.0.1-3ubuntu4.

Do you again have update-grub running? This is not caused by pam, the
problem is with whatever causes update-grub to hang.

[Phil Bull (philbull)]

I had the same problem on the most recent batch of updates too. It still seems to be due to update-grub.

Any ideas on troubleshooting? It seems to be associated with /usr/share/debconf/frontend, according to the process information I posted above anyway.

[dino99 (9d9)]

outdated report & no more maintained distro; please send a new one if that issue still exist (using ubuntu-bug)