package ntp 1:4.2.4p8+dfsg-1ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Ashocka]

Binary package hint: ntp

didn't install

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: ntp 1:4.2.4p8+dfsg-1ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-24.42-generic 2.6.32.15+drm33.5
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-24-generic x86_64
AptOrdering:
 ntp: Install
 postfix: Configure
 ntp: Configure
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Sep 6 21:01:25 2010
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release amd64 (20100429)
NtpStatus: ntpq: read: Connection refused
ProcCmdline: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic root=UUID=7cac5f49-f2fd-440e-a41a-9c55c9fdd9c7 ro quiet splash
SourcePackage: ntp
Title: package ntp 1:4.2.4p8+dfsg-1ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
mtime.conffile..etc.ntp.conf: 2010-09-06T21:02:05.512343

[Mathias Gug (mathiaz)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better.

According to the log files:

Adding new user `postfix' (UID 118) with group `postfix' ...
useradd: cannot lock /etc/passwd; try again later.
adduser: `/usr/sbin/useradd -d /var/spool/postfix -g postfix -s /bin/false -u 118 postfix' returned error code 1. Exiting.
dpkg: error processing postfix (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up ntp (1:4.2.4p8+dfsg-1ubuntu2) ...
useradd: cannot lock /etc/passwd; try again later.
adduser: `/usr/sbin/useradd -d /home/ntp -g ntp -s /bin/false -u 118 ntp' returned error code 1. Exiting.
chown: invalid user: `ntp:ntp'
dpkg: error processing ntp (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

It seems that there is an issue adding the postfix group. Could you try to reinstall the package?

[Chuck Short (zulcss)]

We'd like to figure out what's causing this bug for you, but we haven't heard back from you in a while. Could you please provide the requested information? Thanks!

[Ashocka (reverse-gek)]

Here-s my uninstall and reinstall... still problems

gdeering@ubuntuLTS-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get --purge remove postfix
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  postfix*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 3,572kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
(Reading database ... 286145 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing postfix ...
Purging configuration files for postfix ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Processing triggers for ufw ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead ...
ureadahead will be reprofiled on next reboot
Processing triggers for libc-bin ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
Setting up ntp (1:4.2.4p8+dfsg-1ubuntu2) ...
useradd: cannot lock /etc/passwd; try again later.
adduser: `/usr/sbin/useradd -d /home/ntp -g ntp -s /bin/false -u 118 ntp' returned error code 1. Exiting.
chown: invalid user: `ntp:ntp'
dpkg: error processing ntp (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 ntp
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
gdeering@ubuntuLTS-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get install postfix
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Suggested packages:
  procmail postfix-mysql postfix-pgsql postfix-ldap postfix-pcre sasl2-bin
  resolvconf postfix-cdb
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  postfix
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 1,403kB of archives.
After this operation, 3,572kB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main postfix 2.7.0-1 [1,403kB]
Fetched 1,403kB in 9s (150kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously deselected package postfix.
(Reading database ... 285971 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking postfix (from .../postfix_2.7.0-1_amd64.deb) ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead ...
Processing triggers for ufw ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up ntp (1:4.2.4p8+dfsg-1ubuntu2) ...
useradd: cannot lock /etc/passwd; try again later.
adduser: `/usr/sbin/useradd -d /home/ntp -g ntp -s /bin/false -u 118 ntp' returned error code 1. Exiting.
chown: invalid user: `ntp:ntp'
dpkg: error processing ntp (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up postfix (2.7.0-1) ...
Adding group `postfix' (GID 127) ...
Done.
Adding system user `postfix' (UID 118) ...
Adding new user `postfix' (UID 118) with group `postfix' ...
useradd: cannot lock /etc/passwd; try again later.
adduser: `/usr/sbin/useradd -d /var/spool/postfix -g postfix -s /bin/false -u 118 postfix' returned error code 1. Exiting.
dpkg: error processing postfix (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Processing triggers for libc-bin ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
Errors...

[Ashocka (reverse-gek)]

I also installed the suggested the packages

gdeering@ubuntuLTS-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get install procmail postfix-mysql postfix-pgsql postfix-ldap postfix-pcre
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  libpq5
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libpq5 postfix-ldap postfix-mysql postfix-pcre postfix-pgsql procmail
0 upgraded, 6 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 425kB of archives.
After this operation, 1,466kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main libpq5 8.4.4-0ubuntu10.04 [86.2kB]
Get:2 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main postfix-ldap 2.7.0-1 [49.8kB]
Get:3 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main postfix-mysql 2.7.0-1 [44.2kB]
Get:4 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main postfix-pcre 2.7.0-1 [44.3kB]
Get:5 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main postfix-pgsql 2.7.0-1 [44.3kB]
Get:6 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main procmail 3.22-18ubuntu1 [156kB]
Fetched 425kB in 2s (156kB/s)
Selecting previously deselected package libpq5.
(Reading database ... 286146 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking libpq5 (from .../libpq5_8.4.4-0ubuntu10.04_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package postfix-ldap.
Unpacking postfix-ldap (from .../postfix-ldap_2.7.0-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package postfix-mysql.
Unpacking postfix-mysql (from .../postfix-mysql_2.7.0-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package postfix-pcre.
Unpacking postfix-pcre (from .../postfix-pcre_2.7.0-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package postfix-pgsql.
Unpacking postfix-pgsql (from .../postfix-pgsql_2.7.0-1_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package procmail.
Unpacking procmail (from .../procmail_3.22-18ubuntu1_amd64.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up ntp (1:4.2.4p8+dfsg-1ubuntu2) ...
useradd: cannot lock /etc/passwd; try again later.
adduser: `/usr/sbin/useradd -d /home/ntp -g ntp -s /bin/false -u 118 ntp' returned error code 1. Exiting.
chown: invalid user: `ntp:ntp'
dpkg: error processing ntp (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up postfix (2.7.0-1) ...
Adding system user `postfix' (UID 118) ...
Adding new user `postfix' (UID 118) with group `postfix' ...
useradd: cannot lock /etc/passwd; try again later.
adduser: `/usr/sbin/useradd -d /var/spool/postfix -g postfix -s /bin/false -u 118 postfix' returned error code 1. Exiting.
dpkg: error processing postfix (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up libpq5 (8.4.4-0ubuntu10.04) ...

dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of postfix-ldap:
 postfix-ldap depends on postfix (= 2.7.0-1); however:
  Package postfix is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing postfix-ldap (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of postfix-my...

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for ntp (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Rno (arnaud-basle-free)]

Hi,
Same error here.

sudo apt-get upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages have been kept back:
  linux-generic linux-headers-generic linux-image-generic
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Y
Setting up ntp (1:4.2.4p8+dfsg-1ubuntu2.1) ...
chown: invalid group: `ntp:ntp'
dpkg: error processing ntp (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 ntp
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)