package update-manager 1:0.93.32 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: SystemError in cache.commit(): E:Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[Richard Corner]

Binary package hint: update-manager

richard@shipwreck:~$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 8.10
Release: 8.10
richard@shipwreck:~$ apt-cache policy update-manager
update-manager:
  Installed: 1:0.93.32
  Candidate: 1:0.93.32
  Version table:
 *** 1:0.93.32 0
        500 http://gulus.usherbrooke.ca intrepid/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ProblemType: Package
Architecture: i386
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 8.10
ErrorMessage: ErrorMessage: SystemError in cache.commit(): E:Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: update-manager 1:0.93.32
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: update-manager
Title: package update-manager 1:0.93.32 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: SystemError in cache.commit(): E:Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
Uname: Linux 2.6.24-21-generic i686