package apache2 (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: el subproceso script pre-installation nuevo devolvió el código de salida de error 1

[Pablo Andrés]

I previously uninstalled apache2. Now, i'm installing via apt-get, and appears a proccess that doesn't exists.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: apache2 (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.46-generic 3.13.9
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
Apache2ConfdDirListing: False
Apache2Modules: Error: [Errno 2] No existe el archivo o el directorio: '/usr/sbin/apachectl'
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Apr 21 16:39:02 2014
DuplicateSignature: package:apache2:(not installed):el subproceso script pre-installation nuevo devolvió el código de salida de error 1
ErrorMessage: el subproceso script pre-installation nuevo devolvió el código de salida de error 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-11-08 (164 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1)
SourcePackage: apache2
Title: package apache2 (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: el subproceso script pre-installation nuevo devolvió el código de salida de error 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-04-20 (1 days ago)
error.log:

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Manfred Hampl (m-hampl)]

Just a guess based on https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+question/251022

Text snipped from the preinst script

if [ -n "$2" ] && dpkg --compare-versions "$2" 'lt' '2.4.7-1~' && dpkg --compare-versions "$2" 'ge' '2.4.1-1' ; then
 CUR_MPM=$(a2query -M) || exit 1
 if [ "$CUR_MPM" == "itk" ] ; then
  echo "apache2-mpm-itk" >> /etc/apache2/.apache2_mpm_selected
 fi
fi

At the moment that the preinst script is executed, the executable /usr/sbin/a2query does not yet exist.

I guess the line "CUR_MPM=$(a2query -M) || exit 1" would have to be put inside an "if [ -x '/usr/sbin/a2query' ]"

Similar with the postrm script that also tries accessing some files that just have been deleted, see bug #1308722

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

It looks like the preinst script only runs when installing quite old versions of Apache2, so this issue should no longer be present on supported ubuntu releases.