debconf upgrade: xargs Assertion `bc_ctl.arg_max <= (131072-2048)' failed.

[Grant Grundler]

running "apt-get dist-upgrade" to upgrade from hardy to integrity, debconf.prerm script failed. I added "-x" to the debconf.prerm script and re-ran the dpkg command and it failed again the same way:

root@mb500:/var/cache/apt/archives # dpkg -i debconf_1.5.21_all.deb
(Reading database ... 135672 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace debconf 1.5.20 (using debconf_1.5.21_all.deb) ...
+ set -e
+ dpkg -L debconf
+ awk $0~/\.py$/ {print $0"c\n" $0"o"}
+ tee /dev/tty
+ xargs rm -f
xargs: xargs.c:443: main: Assertion `bc_ctl.arg_max <= (131072-2048)' failed.
Aborted
dpkg: warning - old pre-removal script returned error exit status 134
dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
xargs: xargs.c:443: main: Assertion `bc_ctl.arg_max <= (131072-2048)' failed.
Aborted
dpkg: error processing debconf_1.5.21_all.deb (--install):
 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 134
Errors were encountered while processing:
 debconf_1.5.21_all.deb

So xargs was hosed by something in the upgrade. NFC. I then replaced the use of xargs since it was only a few files that were to be removed:
   while read x
   do
     rm -f $x
   done

I have NFC why xargs failed and honestly don't care. debconf failing during a dist-upgrade just shouldn't be possible and not using xargs reduces the odds of that by a bit. awk b0rkage is still a bigger risk (more code than xargs I expect).

root@mb500:/var/cache/apt/archives # dpkg -i debconf_1.5.21_all.deb
(Reading database ... 135672 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace debconf 1.5.20 (using debconf_1.5.21_all.deb) ...
+ set -e
+ dpkg -L debconf
+ awk $0~/\.py$/ {print $0"c\n" $0"o"}
+ tee /dev/tty
+ read x
/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/debconf.pyc
/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/debconf.pyo
/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/debconf.pyc
/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/debconf.pyo
+ rm -f /usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/debconf.pyc
+ read x
+ rm -f /usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/debconf.pyo
+ read x
+ rm -f /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/debconf.pyc
+ read x
+ rm -f /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/debconf.pyo
+ read x
+ exit 0
Unpacking replacement debconf ...
Setting up debconf (1.5.21) ...

[Francesc Vicent (fransex)]

I can confirm this on i386.

Same issue when "aptitude safe-upgrade" from hardy to intrepid.

The xargs replacement in /var/lib/dpkg/info/debconf.prerm also worked for me.

Thanks Grant!

[Andrew Pollock (apollock)]

This is actually a bug in xargs. See #234345

[Nicolò Chieffo (yelo3)]

you can fix this by upgrading findutils before dist-upgrading

sudo apt-get install findutils
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade