Debconf erroneously reports OpenOffice.org running during update

[Scott Cowles Jacobs]

Binary package hint: debconf

This first happened the other day (2010-06-08), but I didn't notice the error window was from debconf, and hence I reported it for Update Mgr. ("openoffice.org-emailmerge security update fails", Bug #591378 )
The earlier attempt to update openoffice.org-emailmerge failed with the same error message this time:
"OpenOffice.org running! / OpenOffice.org is running right now. A running OpenOffice.org makes extension (de-)registration not possible and it causes problems with (de-)registering components.
Please close OpenOffice.org (including an eventually running Quickstarter)."
[As before, Openoffice.org was NOT running.
There were 2 or 3 other Openoffice.org updates on the first attempt, and all were successful.]

A further message window appeared:
"An error occurred
The following details are provided:
E: /var/cache/apt/archives/openoffice.org-emailmerge_1%3a3.1.1-5ubuntu1.2_all.deb: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1"

The following is description of the particular update, in case it is important.
"Changes for the versions:
1:3.1.1-5ubuntu1.1
1:3.1.1-5ubuntu1.2

Version 1:3.1.1-5ubuntu1.2:

  * ooo-build/patches/dev300/apply:
    ooo-build/patches/dev300/cws-ooo321gsl04.diff: fix
    "auto-execution of python code when manually browsing macro names"
    - CVE-2010-0395
"

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
CheckboxSubmission: f5de0c2ab8de9869e4cee1e93ddc381d
CheckboxSystem: daed2f3d6643b4a84b4520a2427f8c2b
Date: Sat Jun 12 19:42:18 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
Package: debconf 1.5.27ubuntu2
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-22.60-generic
SourcePackage: debconf
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-22-generic i686
XsessionErrors:
 (gnome-settings-daemon:1279): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (gnome-settings-daemon:1279): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (nautilus:1385): Eel-CRITICAL **: eel_preferences_get_boolean: assertion `preferences_is_initialized ()' failed
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:1419): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed
 (firefox:1843): GLib-WARNING **: g_set_prgname() called multiple times

[Scott Cowles Jacobs (scott092707)]

My mistake. Quickstart WAS active. I noticed a strange icon in the notification area (near the volume control et al.), and when I hovered the mouse pointer over it it announced that it was OpenOffice Quickstarter 3.1.

My understanding was that Quickstart was only active after one had used OpenOffice, and then closed it - it would then start quickly the next time in the same session.

There is apparently a way to have it survive reboots, and that option was active.

I selected the option to close Quickstart, and the OpenOffice-emailmerge update sailed through with nary a hiccough.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

[I will repeat this Mea Culpa where I originally reported the bug - as an "Update Manager" bug (# Bug #591378).]