package man-db 2.5.9-4 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[crf]

This error messsage happened while trying to uninstall something in synaptic.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: man-db 2.5.9-4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-999-generic x86_64
AptOrdering: man-db: Configure
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Oct 21 09:30:10 2011
DpkgTerminalLog:
 Setting up man-db (2.5.9-4) ...
 debconf: DbDriver "config": could not open /var/cache/debconf/config.dat
 dpkg: error processing man-db (--configure):
  subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
SourcePackage: man-db
Title: package man-db 2.5.9-4 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to natty on 2011-04-30 (173 days ago)

[crf (chrisfahlman)]

chris@dellie-linux:/usr/include$ sudo apt-get install man-db
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
man-db is already the newest version.
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  libart-2.0-dev libsepol1-dev libselinux1-dev libgail-dev libgnomecanvas2-dev
  libbonobo2-dev
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
debconf: DbDriver "config": could not open /var/cache/debconf/config.dat
Setting up man-db (2.5.9-4) ...
debconf: DbDriver "config": could not open /var/cache/debconf/config.dat
dpkg: error processing man-db (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 man-db
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[crf (chrisfahlman)]

By creating the missing /var/cache/debconf/config.dat, the error message went away.