package gettext 0.17-3ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit status 1

[racecar56]

Binary package hint: gettext

It won't let me uninstall gettext.
Here is what it says:
racecar56@racecar56-laptop:~/Desktop$ sudo apt-get autoremove

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  gettext
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  gettext
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 8237kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
(Reading database ... 105381 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing gettext ...
install-info: No dir file specified; try --help for more information.
dpkg: error processing gettext (--remove):
 subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
install-info: unrecognized option `--description='
 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:
 gettext
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
racecar56@racecar56-laptop:~/Desktop$

Apport (or whatever that exclamation point is on Ubuntu) led me here.

ProblemType: Package
Architecture: amd64
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 8.10
ErrorMessage: subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: gettext 0.17-3ubuntu2
SourcePackage: gettext
Title: package gettext 0.17-3ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
Uname: Linux 2.6.27-7-generic x86_64

[R (Chandra) Chandrasekhar (chandra)]

I was trying to install prevu on Intrepid on an amd64 setup. It failed with error messages as reported above.

The apport stuff appeared but I do not know if an error report was generated and mailed out.

I tred to uninstall the packages with apt-get remove --purge but all the packages were not uninstalled.

Finally, apt-get install --fix-missing gave these messages:

----
2 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up gettext (0.17-3ubuntu2) ...
install-info: No dir file specified; try --help for more information.
dpkg: error processing gettext (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up wdiff (0.5-18) ...
install-info: No dir file specified; try --help for more information.
dpkg: error processing wdiff (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 gettext
 wdiff
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
----

Is there anything else you need to trace the cause of this problem? Do let me know and I will assemble the info.

I really need prevu and would like to see this fixed.

Thanks.

[Ben Crisford (bencrisford)]

Please specify what version of ubuntu you are running.

Also it is a little messy, please try and make your report more clear.

[R (Chandra) Chandrasekhar (chandra)]

Sorry for the sloppiness. I was trying to understand what happened while I filed my comments.

I think the cause of this problem is my installation of TeXLive 2008 from DVD. That has put the GNU version of install-info before the Debian install-info. For more details, please see:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gv/+bug/316557

In essence, I have two install-info programs on my system:

/usr/sbin/install-info --version

gives
---
Debian install-info version 1.14.20ubuntu1.

Copyright (C) 1994,1995 Ian Jackson.
This is free software; see the GNU General Public Licence version 2 or
later for copying conditions. There is NO warranty.
---

whereas

/usr/local/bin/install-info --version

gives

---
install-info (GNU texinfo) 4.12

Copyright (C) 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
---

This conflict is preventing clean package removal by dpkg because it sees the GNU rather than the Debian version. It might also be the reason why installation of prevu and its dependencies failed in the first place.

The /usr/local/bin/install-info was symlinked during the installation of TeXLive 2008 from DVD. If I remove the symlinks and add the paths to my .bashrc file, perhaps that will resolve the problem, because root's PATH will not see it.

Please let me know if you need any further info.

Thanks.

[R (Chandra) Chandrasekhar (chandra)]

I am running Intrepid Ibex on an AMD 64 platform.

[R (Chandra) Chandrasekhar (chandra)]

I removed the symlinks from /usr/local/bin including that of /usr/local/bin/install-info and the problem has gone away. I can now install gettext and all packages needed by prevu, which itself has been successfully installed.

Perhaps this error message occurs after non-Debian-package installations are made on a system as I did with TeXLive2008 from DVD.

[racecar56 (racecar56)]

@Ben Crisford

The installation that had this bug is LONG gone, anyway, it was Ubuntu 8.10.

So to keep this updated, I had many reinstalls, so the bug got pwn'd.

[Ben Crisford (bencrisford)]

"So to keep this updated, I had many reinstalls, so the bug got pwn'd."

Haha, nice way of putting it.

Glad to hear the bug is gone ;).

[Meng Zhuo (mengzhuo1203)]

that BUG can't be solved by just simply upgrade
I've try to upgrade(or remove) with
apt-get autoremove
apt-get upgrade
  373 sudo apt-get install gettext
  375 sudo dpkg -r --purge gettext
  376 sudo dpkg -r gettext
  377 sudo dpkg -r -f gettext
  383 sudo dpkg --force-r gettext
  384 sudo aptitude remove gettext
  385 sudo apt-get remove gettext-base
  386 sudo aptitude remove gettext
  402 sudo dpkg --remove --force-remove-reinstreq gettext

the dpkg still report the same error.

the BUG has gone after I del all the log of gettext with
rm `locate gettext.*` ;apt-get upgrade

actually I dont know what happen .
2009/3/1 Ben Crisford <email address hidden>

> "So to keep this updated, I had many reinstalls, so the bug got pwn'd."
>
> Haha, nice way of putting it.
>
> Glad to hear the bug is gone ;).
>
> --
> package gettext 0.17-3ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess
> pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/301522
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “gettext” source package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: gettext
>
> It won't let me uninstall gettext.
> Here is what it says:
> racecar56@racecar56-laptop:~/Desktop$ sudo apt-get autoremove
>
> Reading package lists... Done
> Building dependency tree
> Reading state information... Done
> The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer
> required:
> gettext
> The following packages will be REMOVED:
> gettext
> 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
> 1 not fully installed or removed.
> After this operation, 8237kB disk space will be freed.
> Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
> (Reading database ... 105381 files and directories currently installed.)
> Removing gettext ...
> install-info: No dir file specified; try --help for more information.
> dpkg: error processing gettext (--remove):
> subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
> install-info: unrecognized option `--description='
> 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:
> gettext
> E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
> racecar56@racecar56-laptop:~/Desktop$
>
> Apport (or whatever that exclamation point is on Ubuntu) led me here.
>
> ProblemType: Package
> Architecture: amd64
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 8.10
> ErrorMessage: subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
> NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
> Package: gettext 0.17-3ubuntu2
> SourcePackage: gettext
> Title: package gettext 0.17-3ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess
> pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
> Uname: Linux 2.6.27-7-generic x86_64
>

[SC (rusjohn)]

I solve this problem by changing source:

gettext-tools/src/write-catalog.c

Line 51:
    fd = open (filename, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT);
Changing to:
    fd = open (filename, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT, 0666); ## May be other attributes...

Compiled successful !