Ubuntu
emacsen-common package

package emacsen-common 1.4.19ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2

Bug #584021 reported by Stuart Walker on 2010-05-21

This bug report is a duplicate of: Bug #512096: [MASTER] Exec format error : package failed to install/remove : installation/removal script returned error exit status 2. Edit Remove

This bug affects 1 person

Affects		Status	Importance	Assigned to	Milestone
	emacsen-common (Ubuntu)	Incomplete	Undecided	Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: emacsen-common

I have recently updgraded from Karmic to Lucid, and this error pops up from time to time when I update the system. Not sure what caused it, and the system brought me here. It is more an irritant, and if you feel its not worthy of a bug fix, then then exclamation mark notification of a system error which asked me if I wanted to help is the culprit!

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: emacsen-common 1.4.19ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-22.33-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-22-generic i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Fri May 21 22:00:49 2010
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: emacsen-common
Title: package emacsen-common 1.4.19ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2

Tags:

Revision history for this message

Stuart Walker (stuartwalker50-gmail) wrote on 2010-05-21:

AptOrdering.txt Edit (3.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Dependencies.txt Edit (713 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Df.txt Edit (529 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Dmesg.txt Edit (112.9 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
DpkgTerminalLog.txt Edit (37.0 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")

Revision history for this message

era (era) wrote on 2010-05-24:

Quoting the attached DpkgTerminalLog.txt:
> Setting up emacsen-common (1.4.19ubuntu1) ...
> dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script: Exec format error

Unclear what could have caused this. My hunch is that this would be more likely to be a dpkg / aptitude / synaptic problem than an Emacs problem. Can you please reply back with the output of ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs*

Was there a disk full condition at any point when you tried to install Emacs?

I'm setting the Status of this bug report to Incomplete to mark it as pending on your input. It can be changed back to New (or even Confirmed) once you follow up with the requested information. Thank you.

Changed in emacsen-common (Ubuntu):
status:	New → Incomplete

Revision history for this message

Stuart Walker (stuartwalker50-gmail) wrote on 2010-05-24: Re: [Bug 584021] Re: package emacsen-common 1.4.19ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2

Hi there
No, no disk fill condition.
Thanks
Stuart

On 24 May 2010 10:55, "era" <email address hidden> wrote:

Quoting the attached DpkgTerminalLog.txt:
> Setting up emacsen-common (1.4.19ubuntu1) ...
> dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script:
Exec format error

Unclear what could have caused this. My hunch is that this would be
more likely to be a dpkg / aptitude / synaptic problem than an Emacs
problem. Can you please reply back with the output of ls -l
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs*

Was there a disk full condition at any point when you tried to install
Emacs?

I'm setting the Status of this bug report to Incomplete to mark it as
pending on your input. It can be changed back to New (or even
Confirmed) once you follow up with the requested information. Thank
you.

** Changed in: emacsen-common (Ubuntu)
Status: New => Incomplete

--
package emacsen-common 1.4.19ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess
installed post-insta...
Status in “emacsen-common” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete

Bug description:
Binary package hint: emacsen-common

I have recently updgraded from Karmic to Luci...

Revision history for this message

era (era) wrote on 2010-05-24:

Could you still post the output of ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs* please.

Revision history for this message

Stuart Walker (stuartwalker50-gmail) wrote on 2010-05-29:

I am sorry - the output is:

stuart@lucid-lynx:~$ ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 100578 2010-05-10 07:37
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs23-common.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 167081 2010-03-29 21:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs23-common.md5sums
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1593 2010-03-29 21:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs23-common.postinst
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 663 2010-03-29 21:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs23-common.prerm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 2009-10-26 13:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacsen-common.conffiles
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1022 2010-05-09 22:31
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacsen-common.list
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 2009-10-26 13:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacsen-common.postinst
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 2009-10-26 13:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacsen-common.postrm
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 2009-10-26 13:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacsen-common.prerm
stuart@lucid-lynx:~$

cheers
Stuart

On 24 May 2010 20:43, era <email address hidden> wrote:

> Could you still post the output of ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs*
> please.
>
> --
> package emacsen-common 1.4.19ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess
> installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/584021
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “emacsen-common” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: emacsen-common
>
> I have recently updgraded from Karmic to Lucid, and this error pops up from
> time to time when I update the system. Not sure what caused it, and the
> system brought me here. It is more an irritant, and if you feel its not
> worthy of a bug fix, then then exclamation mark notification of a system
> error which asked me if I wanted to help is the culprit!
>
> ProblemType: Package
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
> Package: emacsen-common 1.4.19ubuntu1
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-22.33-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
> Uname: Linux 2.6.32-22-generic i686
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Fri May 21 22:00:49 2010
> ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error
> exit status 2
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
> PackageArchitecture: all
> SourcePackage: emacsen-common
> Title: package emacsen-common 1.4.19ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade:
> subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/emacsen-common/+bug/584021/+subscribe
>

I am sorry - the output is:

stuart@lucid-lynx:~$ ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 100578 2010-05-10 07:37
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs23-common.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 167081 2010-03-29 21:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs23-common.md5sums
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root   1593 2010-03-29 21:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs23-common.postinst
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root    663 2010-03-29 21:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs23-common.prerm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      0 2009-10-26 13:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacsen-common.conffiles
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   1022 2010-05-09 22:31
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacsen-common.list
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root      0 2009-10-26 13:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacsen-common.postinst
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root      0 2009-10-26 13:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacsen-common.postrm
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root      0 2009-10-26 13:34
/var/lib/dpkg/info/emacsen-common.prerm
stuart@lucid-lynx:~$

cheers
Stuart

On 24 May 2010 20:43, era <era+launchpad.net@iki.fi> wrote:

> Could you still post the output of ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/emacs*
> please.
>
> --
> package emacsen-common 1.4.19ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess
> installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/584021
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “emacsen-common” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: emacsen-common
>
> I have recently updgraded from Karmic to Lucid, and this error pops up from
> time to time when I update the system.  Not sure what caused it, and the
> system brought me here.  It is more an irritant, and if you feel its not
> worthy of a bug fix, then then exclamation mark notification of a system
> error which asked me if I wanted to help is the culprit!
>
> ProblemType: Package
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
> Package: emacsen-common 1.4.19ubuntu1
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-22.33-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
> Uname: Linux 2.6.32-22-generic i686
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Fri May 21 22:00:49 2010
> ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error
> exit status 2
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
> PackageArchitecture: all
> SourcePackage: emacsen-common
> Title: package emacsen-common 1.4.19ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade:
> subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/emacsen-common/+bug/584021/+subscribe
>

Revision history for this message

era (era) wrote on 2010-05-31:

Those zero-sized files should not be zero-sized. I cannot tell under what circumstances they would have been created like that. Have you been using Emacs on your system at any point?

If I create a zero-sized file here and try to execute it, I don't get a "data format error", it just executes silently (of course, since it doesn't do anything). Maybe dpkg invokes it differently than the shell, though ...?

As a workaround, you should be able to remove, then reinstall emacsen-common in order to get your system back into shape. Personally, I'm skeptical about ever finding out whether there is really a bug which caused this to happen.