package mysql-server-5.0 (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Peroli Sivaprakasam]

Upgraded to ubuntu 10.04. Mysql client was unable to connect to server and often timed out. So I tried re installing Mysql. Got this issue.

ProblemType: Package
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Jan 27 13:52:56 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
Package: mysql-server-5.0 (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-11.15-generic
SourcePackage: mysql-dfsg-5.0
Title: package mysql-server-5.0 (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-11-generic i686

[Mitch Towner (kermiac)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Unfortunately we can't fix it without more information. Could you please attach the file /var/log/daemon.log it may contains useful informations to track down your problem. You need admin privileges in order to read that file.
Thanks in advance.

[Peroli Sivaprakasam (peroli)]

Hi Mitch,
    I have attached the file you requested. I selected mysql-server5.0 instead of 5.1 from synaptic package manager, and restarted the system later. It was working since then.

Thanks,
Peroli Sivaprakasam

[Mitch Towner (kermiac)]

Hi Peroli,
Due to you having "mysql-server5.0" installed, the log file does not contain any information relevant to your problem. All of the information in that log file relates to that working package, not the package that was causing your problem.
As such, I am closing this bug report. If you wish to install the package that was causing your problem & attach a log file for that version of the package, please feel free to re-open this bug report.
Thank you again for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please submit any future bugs you may find.

[Gary B (gar37bic)]

I have just had this same problem, I think, installing 10.04 beta from 9.04. I believe that apport reported it twice today but those are anonymous as far as I can tell. I did try to save some other output data but looking at the report it appears that everything relevant is there.

One symptom that may not show in the report - when dpkg tries to either install or remove mysql-server, the program 'start mysql' hangs This is also true of manually running 'service mysql start' (I think - I just ran manually again and it returned 'mysql is already running' ). As a result, dpkg never ends until I kill the start program, at which point dpkg will finish some things and then end with errors.

Here are some things I copied early in the process, when I first started trying to make this work:

Error message from the GUI (IIRC):
E: /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu7_i386.deb: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1

Contents of the Terminal window:
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
(Reading database ... 572304 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace mysql-server-5.1 5.1.41-3ubuntu7 (using .../mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu7_i386.deb) ...
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
dpkg: warning: old pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu7_i386.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Preparing to replace mysql-server 5.1.41-3ubuntu7 (using .../mysql-server_5.1.41-3ubuntu7_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement mysql-server ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu7_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
dpkg: error processing mysql-server-5.1 (--configure):
 Package is in a very bad inconsistent state - you should
 reinstall it before attempting configuration.
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of mysql-server:
 mysql-server depends on mysql-server-5.1; however:
  Package mysql-server-5.1 is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing mysql-server (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mysql-server-5.1
 mysql-server

Copied line from 'ps auxww':

/usr/bin/dpkg --status-fd 47 --force-depends --force-remove-essential --remove kubuntu-debug-installer kpackagekit kdebase-workspace-bin plasma-widgets-workspace kdepim-runtime akonadi-server mysql-server mysql-server-5.1 mysql-server-core-5.1

[Gary B (gar37bic)]

I should add I was installing mysql-server 5.1.41 (default lucid mysql server version)