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)

[Stephen C. Gilardi]

Binary package hint: update-manager

Attempted to upgrade hardy to 10/27/08 version of 8.10. Failed. Complained about python-setuptools failing several times and the apparently needed it at the end.

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: fglrx
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

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

Thanks for you rreport.

The errors are :
=====
Setting up python-setuptools (0.6c9-0ubuntu1) ...
pycentral: pycentral pkginstall: not overwriting local files
pycentral pkginstall: not overwriting local files
dpkg: error processing python-setuptools (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
=====

and then
=====
Errors were encountered while processing:
 python-setuptools
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/logging/__init__.py", line 753, in emit
    self.flush()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/logging/__init__.py", line 731, in flush
    self.stream.flush()
IOError: [Errno 9] Bad file descriptor
    self.flush()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/logging/__init__.py", line 731, in flush
    self.stream.flush()
IOError: [Errno 9] Bad file descriptor
    self.flush()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/logging/__init__.py", line 731, in flush
    self.stream.flush()
IOError: [Errno 9] Bad file descriptor
=====

Can you please describe the upgrade in details and especially the end of the process ?

Thanks in advance.

Note: The update-manager part of the bug is triggered by python-setuptools but there's the same symptoms for other packages in bug 247504 (linux-image), bug 284936 (python-uniconvertor) and others.

[Stephen C. Gilardi (scgilardi)]

On Oct 28, 2008, at 4:18 AM, Jean-Baptiste Lallement wrote:

> Thanks for you rreport.

You're welcome.

> The errors are :
> =====
> Setting up python-setuptools (0.6c9-0ubuntu1) ...
> pycentral: pycentral pkginstall: not overwriting local files
> pycentral pkginstall: not overwriting local files
> dpkg: error processing python-setuptools (--configure):
> subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
> =====
>
> and then
> =====
> Errors were encountered while processing:
> python-setuptools
> Traceback (most recent call last):
> File "/usr/lib/python2.5/logging/__init__.py", line 753, in emit
> self.flush()
> File "/usr/lib/python2.5/logging/__init__.py", line 731, in flush
> self.stream.flush()
> IOError: [Errno 9] Bad file descriptor
> self.flush()
> File "/usr/lib/python2.5/logging/__init__.py", line 731, in flush
> self.stream.flush()
> IOError: [Errno 9] Bad file descriptor
> self.flush()
> File "/usr/lib/python2.5/logging/__init__.py", line 731, in flush
> self.stream.flush()
> IOError: [Errno 9] Bad file descriptor
> =====
>
> Can you please describe the upgrade in details and especially the
> end of
> the process ?

I ran the dist upgrade. I got a few dialogs about config files being
updated and I approved them all. I got a message about python-
setuptools upgrade failing but noting that the distribution upgrade
would continue. I got to the end of the dist upgrade and got a message
that it had failed and that the system may be in an unusable state.
The messages in the small terminal window at the time gave me the
impression that python-setuptools was needed to properly update
something to do with the boot process ("initramfs?"). Apparently that
was not the case. I chose restart at some point after the dist upgrade
failed message. Before shutting down, X quit and I was greeted me with
a text prompt to log in (without X). I logged in and the shutdown
process continued. After restarting the machine, I tried to do a
"reinstall" of python-setuptools using Synaptic. That failed in the
same way. I then chose to "uninstall completely" python-setuptools.
That succeeded. Then I installed it and it the installation succeeded.

I've since done one update via the update manager. Things seem to be
working.

> Thanks in advance
>
> Note: The update-manager part of the bug is triggered by python-
> setuptools but there's the same symptoms for other packages in bug
> 247504 (linux-image), bug 284936 (python-uniconvertor) and others.
>
> ** Changed in: update-manager (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> ** Tags added: hardy2intrepid
>
> --
> 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)
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/290160
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This particular bug has already been reported and is a duplicate of bug 291262, so it is being marked as such. Please look at the other bug report to see if there is any missing information that you can provide, or to see if there is a workaround for the bug. Additionally, any further discussion regarding the bug should occur in the other report. Please continue to report any other bugs you may find.