package mysql-server-5.1 5.1.37-1ubuntu5.5 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Dan Lam]

No further info

ProblemType: Package
Architecture: i386
Date: Tue Dec 7 15:22:48 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Netbook-Remix 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.4)
MySQLConf.etc.mysql.conf.d.mysqld.safe.syslog.cnf:
 [mysqld_safe]
 syslog
MySQLVarLibDirListing: ['ib_logfile0', 'ibdata1', 'mysql', 'ib_logfile1', 'mysql_upgrade_info', 'phpmyadmin', 'debian-5.1.flag']
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
Package: mysql-server-5.1 5.1.37-1ubuntu5.5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-22.68-generic
SourcePackage: mysql-dfsg-5.1
Tags: ubuntu-unr
Title: package mysql-server-5.1 5.1.37-1ubuntu5.5 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-22-generic i686

[Clint Byrum (clint-fewbar)]

Hi Dan, thanks for taking the time to submit this bug report and help us make Ubuntu better.

THis line from daemon.log suggests that maybe this was just a temporary problem while restarting the service after upgrade:

Dec 7 15:24:13 ubuntu mysqld: 101207 15:24:13 [ERROR] Can't start server: Bind on TCP/IP port: Cannot assign requested address
Dec 7 15:24:13 ubuntu mysqld: 101207 15:24:13 [ERROR] Do you already have another mysqld server running on port: 3306 ?
Dec 7 15:24:13 ubuntu mysqld: 101207 15:24:13 [ERROR] Aborting

This can happen if you have a lot of connections churning on your server when the restart is done, as it may take a couple of seconds before the LISTEN socket is unbound from the interface. If you can stop all clients from accessing the server before an update, that will probably prevent this from happening.

You may want to just try

sudo service mysql start

If that works, finish the update by running

sudo dpkg --configure -a

Marking Invalid as this does not appear to be a bug.