package samba 2:3.5.8~dfsg-1ubuntu2.3 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: package samba is not ready for configuration cannot configure (current status `half-installed') - version upgrade from 10.04 LTS to 10.10 to 11.04. various errors flashed up during upgrade from 10.04 to 10.10

[Guy Attfield]

I broke the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" life rule.

I'm a Linux neophyte who built a 'silent' home office 'server' to unload a creaking WinXP laptop used for both home and business and to provide an 'always-on' Internet facility. The idea, which was starting to work well, was to transfer everything onto the Linux server (running 24/7) leaving the laptop with just synced copies of client files plus a few legacy Windows applications for which I have yet to find suitable Linux counter-parts.

Enabled automatic release upgrade (as explained in the relevant notes) - from a pretty standard 10.04.3 LTS installation that was working perfectly. The successive upgrades were incredibly lengthy (over 3 day/nights), stopping repeatedly with incomprehensible questions about replacing various system files about which a non-expert will know nothing. Some idiot decided that failure of a user to respond promptly to one question should be punished by an imitation of a fire alarm - not funny at 2:30 am this morning! In a commercial environment the consequences could have been far more serious.

Apart from samba, I do not yet know what else doesn't work.

I do appreciate that Ubuntu is free and depends on the hard work of volunteers. From my experience, it is clear that updates across intermediate releases is a complete non-starter and should be actively DIScouraged in the documentation instead of the impression being given that it's a painless way of moving to a later release.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: samba 2:3.5.8~dfsg-1ubuntu2.3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-13.53-generic 2.6.38.8
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-13-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Jan 4 22:16:53 2012
ErrorMessage: ErrorMessage: package samba is not ready for configuration cannot configure (current status `half-installed')
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20110211.1)
NmbdLog:
 become_local_master_fail2: failed to register name WORKGROUP<1d> on subnet 192.168.0.2. Failed to become a local master browser.
   standard_fail_register: Failed to register/refresh name WORKGROUP<1d> on subnet 192.168.0.2
OtherFailedConnect: Yes
SambaServerRegression: Yes
SmbConfIncluded: Yes
SmbLog:

SourcePackage: samba
Title: package samba 2:3.5.8~dfsg-1ubuntu2.3 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: package samba is not ready for configuration cannot configure (current status `half-installed')
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2012-01-04 (0 days ago)

[Robie Basak (racb)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This particular bug has already been reported and is a duplicate of bug 862129, so it is being marked as such. Please look at the other bug report to see if there is any missing information that you can provide, or to see if there is a workaround for the bug. Additionally, any further discussion regarding the bug should occur in the other report. Please continue to report any other bugs you may find.

[Robie Basak (racb)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This particular bug has already been reported and is a duplicate of bug 877852, so it is being marked as such. Please look at the other bug report to see if there is any missing information that you can provide, or to see if there is a workaround for the bug. Additionally, any further discussion regarding the bug should occur in the other report. Please continue to report any other bugs you may find.

[Guy Attfield (itdept-l)]

Bug 877852 is recorded as a duplicate of 862129 for which
afix was released on 2011-11-29.

So my problems today either mean that fix doesn't work or
it's not a duplicate.

In fact, samba seems to be working: from my Windows (XP)
laptop, I can still access the shared files on the Ubuntu
server and Windows recognises the networked printer. I
can't find the Windows PC on the server, but with the
difficulty finding anything hidden under 'Dash', that too
may be working.

As it happens, I'm so disillusioned with the slow speed of
11.10 and it's Vista-clone GUI that I'm going to do a clean
re-install of 10.04 LTS tonight. A lot of work to get back
a fast reliable working system, but at least I know that's
what I'll have. I have no confidence that 11.10 will
readily provide either the reliability (it shutdown once
already without warning) or the functionality that I depend
upon as a business user. The lesson is clear: only upgrade
to LTS releases and then only 6-12 months after initial
release. When I retire in April 2013, I shall have the time
to install Pangolin on an old spare PC to explore the
cumbersome 'Dash' GUI at leisure before I risk the server again.

On 05/01/2012 14:13, Robie Basak wrote:
> *** This bug is a duplicate of bug 877852 ***
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/877852
>
> Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make
> Ubuntu better. This particular bug has already been reported and is a
> duplicate of bug 877852, so it is being marked as such. Please look at
> the other bug report to see if there is any missing information that you
> can provide, or to see if there is a workaround for the bug.
> Additionally, any further discussion regarding the bug should occur in
> the other report. Please continue to report any other bugs you may
> find.
>
> ** This bug has been marked a duplicate of bug 877852
> samba failed to install when updating from ubuntu 11.04 to 11.10
>