dpkg: error processing util-linux (--configure): Package is in a very bad inconsistent state

[Felipe De la Puente]

Binary package hint: util-linux

Ok, just reinstalled Ubuntu Hardy, clean install, then updated the repository info, then tried to dist-upgrade, and got the problem detailed below. Since dpkg can't manage this problem, I can't do any other install. It's the second time in the same day, I install Ubuntu, and both times happened the same during dist-upgrade.

Preparing to replace util-linux 2.13.1-5ubuntu1 (using .../util-linux_2.13.1-5ubuntu2_amd64.deb) ...
install-info: No dir file specified; try --help for more information.
dpkg: warning - old pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
install-info: No dir file specified; try --help for more information.
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/util-linux_2.13.1-5ubuntu2_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
install-info: unrecognized option `--description=System V interprocess communication facilities'
 Try `install-info --help' for a complete list of options.
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/util-linux_2.13.1-5ubuntu2_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
dpkg: error processing util-linux (--configure):
 Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should
 reinstall it before attempting configuration.
Errors were encountered while processing:
 util-linux

My System:

2.6.24-16-generic #1 SMP Thu Apr 10 12:47:45 UTC 2008 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Description: Ubuntu 8.04.1
Release: 8.04

Hope you can help me with this if it isn't a bug.
Many Thanks.

[João Antonio Santana (joaosantana)]

Exactly problem here.

[João Antonio Santana (joaosantana)]

In http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-791016.html has a solution posted, but doesn't work with me.

[Felipe De la Puente (fdelapuente)]

Hey, it happens to me sometimes, and I think is something wrong in the configuration of my system, as I have been using my /home directory since a lot of old and pre-release versions of Ubuntu.

Looking the error message, you can see that the program "install-info" lacks an argument saying the directory where the info files must be installed, or something like that. This program is executed from the postinst script of the package the moment you installed or upgraded it.

So what I'm doing as a workaround is to go to the directory: /var/lib/dpkg/info/ and open the PACKAGE.postinst script file with a text editor in order to fix or rather comment the lines containing the wrong install-info command. They are generally a few lines.

After doing that, you will be able to use the package managment system as usual to finish the instalation and install any other packages until you find another conflicting postinst script.

Hope this helps you.

PS: (PACKAGE means the package of interest, as in this folder are all the postinst scripts of your installed packages)

[João Antonio Santana (joaosantana)]

Felipe, it doesn't work with me.

I formatted my machine and tried to upgrade again -- same error. And I can't install no other package until dpkg resolve util-linux. In other words: someone had make a big scrap on the repositories.

[Felipe De la Puente (fdelapuente)]

It's so weird... I think this is an error too, but in another bug report the
guys didn't agree with me.

I insist that as a way to get out of any of these problems, you go to the
/var/lib/dpkg/info/ folder and edit the PACKAGE.postinst script (which is a
text file with commands written inside) and commend(preppend a#character)
all the install-info commands. Because the problem originates with a wrong
install-info command(wrong because of a missing argument).

You can also try to use my util-linux.postinst script, I've seen that the
file has been updated and it doesn't have the comments I made when I had the
problem. my current version is 2.14-1ubuntu2 running Ubuntu 8.10 amd64, but
I think the postinst is the same for i386. I have attached my postinst file,
hope this helps you.

Greetings, Felipe.

On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 9:32 AM, João Santana <email address hidden>wrote:

> Felipe, it doesn't work with me.
>
> I formatted my machine and tried to upgrade again -- same error. And I
> can't install no other package until dpkg resolve util-linux. In other
> words: someone had make a big scrap on the repositories.
>
>