package base-files 10.1ubuntu2.2 failed to install/upgrade: end of file on stdin at conffile prompt

[Tarciso Junior]

I have been facing update problems every month.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: base-files 10.1ubuntu2.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-32.35-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-32-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.2
AptOrdering:
 base-files:amd64: Install
 base-files:amd64: Configure
 NULL: ConfigurePending
Architecture: amd64
Date: Tue Aug 21 10:15:39 2018
Dependencies:

ErrorMessage: end of file on stdin at conffile prompt
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-03-14 (159 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 17.10 "Artful Aardvark" - Release amd64 (20180105.1)
Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.6, Python 3.6.5, unpackaged
PythonDetails: /usr/bin/python2.7, Python 2.7.15rc1, unpackaged
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.19.0.5ubuntu2
 apt 1.6.3
SourcePackage: base-files
Title: package base-files 10.1ubuntu2.2 failed to install/upgrade: end of file on stdin at conffile prompt
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
modified.conffile..etc.issue:
 Ubuntu 18.04 LTS \n \l
modified.conffile..etc.issue.net: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
modified.conffile..etc.lsb-release:
 DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
 DISTRIB_RELEASE=18.04
 DISTRIB_CODENAME=bionic
 DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 18.04 LTS"
mtime.conffile..etc.issue: 2018-04-24T05:34:22
mtime.conffile..etc.issue.net: 2018-04-24T05:34:22
mtime.conffile..etc.legal: 2015-10-22T15:15:21
mtime.conffile..etc.lsb-release: 2018-04-24T05:33:11
mtime.conffile..etc.update-motd.d.00-header: 2015-10-22T15:15:21
mtime.conffile..etc.update-motd.d.10-help-text: 2016-06-14T09:23:23
mtime.conffile..etc.update-motd.d.50-motd-news: 2017-06-29T12:35:01

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

You seem to have an upgrade failure because the configuration files from the base-files package have been locally modified on your system, and a new version of the configuration files is available in the updated package, and this requires guidance from the end user to know which version of the config files you want. Are these updates being applied noninteractively through unattended-upgrades? While the specific error message is unhelpful, I don't know that we would fix the root of this issue in unattended-upgrades; instead, you probably want to run 'update-manager' on your desktop to upgrade the package interactively and decide what to do with these config files using the prompt.

It is also strange that apport reports all of these conffiles as modified on your system. The ones attached to your bug report appear to be identical to the ones shipped in the base-files package.

[Val (pubalapoub)]

Same severe issue here - Kubuntu 18.04.1, recently upgraded from 16.04.5 without problems.
Since base-files 10.1ubuntu2.2 was released, it's been impossible to install it via Discover. No user password is asked for in order to install the update. Discover just hangs, even preventing the disconnection from my Plasma session ("Disconnection canceled by /usr/bin/plasma-discover") - I have to kill the plasma-discover process manually in order to shutdown or reboot my PC.
Additional package updates came in for installation today (now a total of 7 package updates pending installation), the issue persists of course, base-files 10.1ubuntu2.2 prevents the installation of all other package updates.
This bug needs to be taken in account very seriously, I'm afraid novice users will get stuck with their graphical update manager (be it Discover or not), unable to install any more package updates from August 21st until this issue gets fixed.
Do you need additional information about my own configuration files (in order to analyze the cause of this issue) or should I test an "apt update" in a terminal without waiting?
Thank you.

[Val (pubalapoub)]

UPDATE to comment #3.
Executing plasma-discover from a terminal magically solved the issue!
I'll now attach a copy of what displayed in my terminal (see file "successful installation of pending updates thanks to a manual execution of plasma-discover.txt").

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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