package keyboard-configuration 1.108ubuntu15.2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 128

[Rained23]

Running update manager and suddenly its freezing.

Running back update manager giving the following problem.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: keyboard-configuration 1.108ubuntu15.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-24.43-generic 4.4.10
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-24-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Tue Jun 21 05:50:37 2016
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 128
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-03-30 (82 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf" - Release amd64 (20151021)
PackageArchitecture: all
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1.1
 apt 1.2.12~ubuntu16.04.1
SourcePackage: console-setup
Title: package keyboard-configuration 1.108ubuntu15.2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 128
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2016-04-14 (67 days ago)
modified.conffile..etc.init.d.keyboard-setup: [deleted]

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Loïck Bonniot (lbonniot)]

The software froze with 100% usage on one CPU.
After waiting for some minutes:

- Killed the python3 process related to the update manager (SIGTERM)
- Waited for dpkg to terminate by itself
- Ensured stable system status by issuing `apt upgrade`
- Rebooted

[ironstorm (ironstorm-gmail)]

/usr/bin/perl -w /usr/share/debconf/frontend /var/lib/dpkg/info/keyboard-configuration.postinst configure 1.108ubuntu15

This crap is blocking me from properly updating my system, I'm attempting to upgrade over ssh inside a byobu session.

adding set -x to the script /var/lib/dpkg/info/keyboard-configuration.postinst and manually rerunning it, it stalls here (line 128):

+ which setxkbmap
+ local IFS
+ IFS=:
+ [ -x /usr/local/sbin/setxkbmap ]
+ [ -x /usr/local/bin/setxkbmap ]
+ [ -x /usr/sbin/setxkbmap ]
+ [ -x /usr/bin/setxkbmap ]
+ echo /usr/bin/setxkbmap
+ return 0
+ setxkbmap -option -model pc105 us
^C

Running "setxkbmap -option -model pc105 us" stalls at the terminal as well suggesting the problem is actually with x11-xkb-utils or something.

[ironstorm (ironstorm-gmail)]

I was able to work around this stupidity by temporarily pulling the execute bit from setxkbmap as follows:

/var/cache/apt/archives⟫ which setxkbmap
/usr/bin/setxkbmap

/var/cache/apt/archives⟫ sudo chmod -x /usr/bin/setxkbmap

/var/cache/apt/archives⟫ sudo dpkg -i keyboard-configuration_1.108ubuntu15.2_all.deb
(Reading database ... 288650 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack keyboard-configuration_1.108ubuntu15.2_all.deb ...
Unpacking keyboard-configuration (1.108ubuntu15.2) over (1.108ubuntu15.2) ...
Setting up keyboard-configuration (1.108ubuntu15.2) ...
update-rc.d: warning: start and stop actions are no longer supported; falling back to defaults
update-rc.d: warning: start and stop actions are no longer supported; falling back to defaults
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
Processing triggers for systemd (229-4ubuntu8) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ...
Processing triggers for initramfs-tools (0.122ubuntu8.1) ...
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-38-generic

/var/cache/apt/archives⟫ sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/setxkbmap

After doing that I was finally able to complete the rest of the upgrade.