package grub-pc 1.97~beta4-1ubuntu4.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2

[Patrick Gill]

Binary package hint: grub2

apt-get cannot either install or update grub on my system - amd64 of 9.10. When I try to install either grub or grub-pc, I get the following errors. (I also cannot update my kernel because it requires rebuilding the grub menu.):

pgill@megalodon:~$ sudo apt-get install
[sudo] password for pgill:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
E: Could not get lock /var/cache/apt/archives/lock - open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the download directory
pgill@megalodon:~$ sudo apt-get install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up linux-image-2.6.31-20-generic (2.6.31-20.58) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-20-generic
Not updating initrd symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled
(2.6.31-20.57 was configured last, according to dpkg)
Not updating image symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled
(2.6.31-20.57 was configured last, according to dpkg)
Running postinst hook script /usr/sbin/update-grub.
/etc/default/grub: 1: root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash: not found
User postinst hook script [/usr/sbin/update-grub] exited with value 2
dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.31-20-generic (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Setting up grub-pc (1.97~beta4-1ubuntu4.1) ...
dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script: Exec format error
dpkg: error processing grub-pc (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-2.6.31-20-generic
 grub-pc
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
pgill@megalodon:~$

ProblemType: Package
AptOrdering:
 landscape-common: Install
 linux-image-2.6.31-20-generic: Configure
 grub-pc: Configure
 landscape-common: Configure
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Mar 22 12:14:13 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: grub-pc 1.97~beta4-1ubuntu4.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-20.58-generic
SourcePackage: grub2
Title: package grub-pc 1.97~beta4-1ubuntu4.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-20-generic x86_64

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

Thanks for your report.

The relevant error is
---
Setting up grub-pc (1.97~beta4-1ubuntu4.1) ...
dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script: Exec format error
dpkg: error processing grub-pc (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Setting up landscape-common (1.4.4-0ubuntu0.9.10) ...

Setting a dup of bug 512096