dbmail cannot find create_user during postinst

[Psi-Jack]

Binary package hint: dbmail

Below, is the dpkg --configure -a output of a failed upgrade from 7.04 to 7.10's dbmail. It seems to be looking for create_user, which does not exist.

Setting up dbmail (2.2.5-1ubuntu1) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/dbmail.postinst: 170: create_user: not found
dpkg: error processing dbmail (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 127
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of dbmail-mysql:
 dbmail-mysql depends on dbmail (= 2.2.5-1ubuntu1); however:
  Package dbmail is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing dbmail-mysql (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of dbmail-pgsql:
 dbmail-pgsql depends on dbmail (= 2.2.5-1ubuntu1); however:
  Package dbmail is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing dbmail-pgsql (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 dbmail
 dbmail-mysql
 dbmail-pgsql

[Emanuel Greisen (ubuntu-emanuelgreisen)]

I am getting the same error:

emanuel@sp0344a:~$ sudo apt-get install dbmail
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  libgmime-2.0-2 libsieve2-1
Suggested packages:
  dbmail-pgsql dbmail-mysql sqlite3
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  dbmail libgmime-2.0-2 libsieve2-1
0 upgraded, 3 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 575kB of archives.
After unpacking 1757kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main libgmime-2.0-2 2.2.10-0ubuntu1 [191kB]
Get:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe libsieve2-1 2.2.3-1 [77.8kB]
Get:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe dbmail 2.2.5-1ubuntu1 [306kB]
Fetched 575kB in 1s (437kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously deselected package libgmime-2.0-2.
(Reading database ... 38535 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking libgmime-2.0-2 (from .../libgmime-2.0-2_2.2.10-0ubuntu1_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libsieve2-1.
Unpacking libsieve2-1 (from .../libsieve2-1_2.2.3-1_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package dbmail.
Unpacking dbmail (from .../dbmail_2.2.5-1ubuntu1_i386.deb) ...
Setting up libgmime-2.0-2 (2.2.10-0ubuntu1) ...

Setting up libsieve2-1 (2.2.3-1) ...

Setting up dbmail (2.2.5-1ubuntu1) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/dbmail.postinst: 170: create_user: not found
dpkg: error processing dbmail (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 127
Processing triggers for libc6 ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
Errors were encountered while processing:
 dbmail
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
emanuel@sp0344a:~$ sudo apt-get install dbmail
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
dbmail is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B of archives.
After unpacking 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up dbmail (2.2.5-1ubuntu1) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/dbmail.postinst: 170: create_user: not found
dpkg: error processing dbmail (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 127
Errors were encountered while processing:
 dbmail
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[Andrewl (andrewl-vif-deactivatedaccount)]

I am having the same problem.

[Andrewl (andrewl-vif-deactivatedaccount)]

I used for the installation packages for hardy and they worked OK.

[Hassan El Jacifi (waver)]

root@domain-db:/data> apt-get install -f
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B of archives.
After unpacking 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up dbmail (2.2.5-1ubuntu1) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/dbmail.postinst: 170: create_user: not found
dpkg: error processing dbmail (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 127
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of dbmail-mysql:
 dbmail-mysql depends on dbmail (= 2.2.5-1ubuntu1); however:
  Package dbmail is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing dbmail-mysql (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 dbmail
 dbmail-mysql
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[Hassan El Jacifi (waver)]

Confirmed

[Johan Christiansen (johandc)]

Removing the create_user line from the postinst script fixes the install, and everything seems to run fine still.

Attached nmu updated .debs

[Darrick (darrick)]

To work around. I cheated.

sudo echo "#!/bin/sh" > /bin/create_user
sudo chmod 755 /bin/create_user
sudo apt-get install dbmail
sudo rm /bin/create_user

[Darrick (darrick)]

While my cheat above allows installation, the configuration isn't sticking.

dpkg-reconfigure dbmail results in empty /etc/dbmail/dbmail.conf and /etc/default/dbmail files.

To get things configured:

Setup the database:
http://www.dbmail.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=setup_database

Edit /etc/dbmail/dbmail.conf (it's documented well enough)

Edit /etc/default/dbmail

There have been a number of bug fixes between 2.2.5 and 2.2.9. create_user was removed.

[Andreas Moog (ampelbein)]

This issue is fixed in natty/oneiric (there is another, unrelated issue now though :-(