package bluez 5.37-0ubuntu5 [modified: lib/systemd/system/bluetooth.service] failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 5

[Mike Strickland]

I do not use bluetooth, so I was attempting to remove it and related packages.

bluez package removal resulted in the following, in the terminal:

$ sudo apt-get --purge remove bluez
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  libgeonames0 libtimezonemap-data libtimezonemap1 signon-keyring-extension
  ubuntu-system-service unity-control-center-faces
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  blueberry* bluez* gnome-bluetooth* gnome-user-share* indicator-bluetooth*
  pulseaudio-module-bluetooth* ubuntu-desktop* unity-control-center*
  unity-control-center-signon*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 9 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 13.1 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database ... 290528 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing blueberry (1.1.8-1~xenial0) ...
Purging configuration files for blueberry (1.1.8-1~xenial0) ...
Removing unity-control-center-signon (0.1.8+16.04.20160201-0ubuntu1) ...
Removing pulseaudio-module-bluetooth (1:8.0-0ubuntu3) ...
Removing gnome-user-share (3.14.2-2ubuntu4) ...
Purging configuration files for gnome-user-share (3.14.2-2ubuntu4) ...
Removing ubuntu-desktop (1.361) ...
Removing unity-control-center (15.04.0+16.04.20160705-0ubuntu1) ...
Purging configuration files for unity-control-center (15.04.0+16.04.20160705-0ubuntu1) ...
Removing indicator-bluetooth (0.0.6+16.04.20160526-0ubuntu1) ...
Purging configuration files for indicator-bluetooth (0.0.6+16.04.20160526-0ubuntu1) ...
Removing gnome-bluetooth (3.18.2-1ubuntu2) ...
Purging configuration files for gnome-bluetooth (3.18.2-1ubuntu2) ...
Removing bluez (5.37-0ubuntu5) ...
Failed to stop bluetooth.service: Unit bluetooth.service not loaded.
invoke-rc.d: initscript bluetooth, action "stop" failed.
dpkg: error processing package bluez (--purge):
 subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 5
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.15-0ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for libglib2.0-0:amd64 (2.48.1-1~ubuntu16.04.1) ...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon (0.5.3~bzr0+16.04.20160824-0ubuntu1) ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf-2.index...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.13.3-6ubuntu3.1) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.22-1ubuntu5) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.59ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for gconf2 (3.2.6-3ubuntu6) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 bluez
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: bluez 5.37-0ubuntu5 [modified: lib/systemd/system/bluetooth.service]
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-47.68-generic 4.4.24
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-47-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Tue Nov 15 17:26:12 2016
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 5
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-09-01 (75 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160719)
InterestingModules: bluetooth
MachineType: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. To be filled by O.E.M.
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-47-generic root=UUID=da27ec70-b5fe-49d8-b7ba-597e35657ae6 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1.1
 apt 1.2.15
SourcePackage: bluez
Title: package bluez 5.37-0ubuntu5 [modified: lib/systemd/system/bluetooth.service] failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 5
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 07/15/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: F2
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: 990FXA-UD3
dmi.board.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.board.version: x.x
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.chassis.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrF2:bd07/15/2013:svnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:pnTobefilledbyO.E.M.:pvrTobefilledbyO.E.M.:rvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:rn990FXA-UD3:rvrx.x:cvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:ct3:cvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:
dmi.product.name: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.product.version: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.sys.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
hciconfig:

rfkill:

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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