package dictionaries-common 1.26.2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Will Jackson]

Removing and reinstalling a faulty Emacs 24.5.1 caused this problem. I was unable to remove Emacs using Synaptic so went through folders manually. Compiled and installed Emacs from source myself, as it would not install via Synaptic or apt-get.

Ubuntu 15.10

Info from synaptic:

http://askubuntu.com/questions/295234/broken-emacs-installation

/usr/lib/emacsen-common/packages/install/a2ps: 35: cd: can't cd to /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/a2ps
ERROR: install script from a2ps package failed
dpkg: error processing package emacs24 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 emacs24
[ Rootkit Hunter version 1.4.2 ]
File updated: searched for 177 files, found 154
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
Setting up emacs24 (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
tsort: -: input contains a loop:
tsort: latex-cjk-common
tsort: emacsen-common
Install a2ps for emacs24
install/a2ps: Handling install for emacsen flavor emacs24
/usr/lib/emacsen-common/packages/install/a2ps: 35: cd: can't cd to /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/a2ps
ERROR: install script from a2ps package failed
dpkg: error processing package emacs24 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 emacs24

(synaptic:19081): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_child_watch_add_full: assertion 'pid > 0' failed
(Reading database ... 1907739 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../emacsen-common_2.0.8_all.deb ...
Remove emacsen-common for emacs24
emacsen-common: Handling removal of emacsen flavor emacs24
Unpacking emacsen-common (2.0.8) over (2.0.8) ...
Setting up emacs24 (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
Install a2ps for emacs24
install/a2ps: Handling install for emacsen flavor emacs24
/usr/lib/emacsen-common/packages/install/a2ps: 35: cd: can't cd to /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/a2ps
ERROR: install script from a2ps package failed
dpkg: error processing package emacs24 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up emacsen-common (2.0.8) ...
Install emacsen-common for emacs24
emacsen-common: Handling install of emacsen flavor emacs24
Wrote /etc/emacs24/site-start.d/00debian-vars.elc
Wrote /usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/debian-startup.elc
Errors were encountered while processing:
 emacs24
[ Rootkit Hunter version 1.4.2 ]
File updated: searched for 177 files, found 154
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
Setting up emacs24 (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
tsort: -: input contains a loop:
tsort: latex-cjk-common
tsort: emacsen-common
Install a2ps for emacs24
install/a2ps: Handling install for emacsen flavor emacs24
/usr/lib/emacsen-common/packages/install/a2ps: 35: cd: can't cd to /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/a2ps
ERROR: install script from a2ps package failed
dpkg: error processing package emacs24 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 emacs24

(synaptic:19081): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_child_watch_add_full: assertion 'pid > 0' failed
(Reading database ... 1907739 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../emacsen-common_2.0.8_all.deb ...
Remove emacsen-common for emacs24
emacsen-common: Handling removal of emacsen flavor emacs24
Unpacking emacsen-common (2.0.8) over (2.0.8) ...
Setting up emacs24 (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
Install a2ps for emacs24
install/a2ps: Handling install for emacsen flavor emacs24
/usr/lib/emacsen-common/packages/install/a2ps: 35: cd: can't cd to /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/a2ps
ERROR: install script from a2ps package failed
dpkg: error processing package emacs24 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up emacsen-common (2.0.8) ...
Install emacsen-common for emacs24
emacsen-common: Handling install of emacsen flavor emacs24
Wrote /etc/emacs24/site-start.d/00debian-vars.elc
Wrote /usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/debian-startup.elc
Errors were encountered while processing:
 emacs24
[ Rootkit Hunter version 1.4.2 ]
File updated: searched for 177 files, found 154
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
Setting up emacs24 (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
tsort: -: input contains a loop:
tsort: latex-cjk-common
tsort: emacsen-common
Install a2ps for emacs24
install/a2ps: Handling install for emacsen flavor emacs24
/usr/lib/emacsen-common/packages/install/a2ps: 35: cd: can't cd to /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/a2ps
ERROR: install script from a2ps package failed
dpkg: error processing package emacs24 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 emacs24
--------

sudo dpkg --configure -a
[sudo] password for will:
Setting up emacs24 (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
Install a2ps for emacs24
install/a2ps: Handling install for emacsen flavor emacs24
/usr/lib/emacsen-common/packages/install/a2ps: 35: cd: can't cd to /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/a2ps
ERROR: install script from a2ps package failed
dpkg: error processing package emacs24 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 emacs24

===================

emacs24
[ Rootkit Hunter version 1.4.2 ]
File updated: searched for 177 files, found 154
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
Setting up emacs24 (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
Install a2ps for emacs24
install/a2ps: Handling install for emacsen flavor emacs24
Wrote /usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/a2ps/a2ps-print.elc
Wrote /usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/a2ps/a2ps.elc
Install cmake-data for emacs24
install/cmake-data: Byte-compiling for emacs24
>>Error occurred processing cmake-mode.el: File error (("Opening input file" "no such file or directory" "/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/cmake-data/cmake-mode.el"))
Install emacsen-common for emacs24
emacsen-common: Handling install of emacsen flavor emacs24
/usr/lib/emacsen-common/packages/install/emacsen-common: 23: cd: can't cd to /etc/emacs24/site-start.d
ERROR: install script from emacsen-common package failed
dpkg: error processing package emacs24 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 emacs24

==============
sudo apt-get install --reinstall dictionaries-common

sudo apt-get install --reinstall emacsen-common

=======================

(synaptic:18686): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_child_watch_add_full: assertion 'pid > 0' failed
Selecting previously unselected package emacs24.
(Reading database ... 1907727 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../emacs24_24.5+1-1ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking emacs24 (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package emacs.
Preparing to unpack .../archives/emacs_46.1_all.deb ...
Unpacking emacs (46.1) ...
Processing triggers for menu (2.1.47ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.4-1) ...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon (0.5.2~bzr0+15.10.20150627.1-0ubuntu1) ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf-2.index...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.13.3-6ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.22-1ubuntu3) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.58ubuntu1) ...
Setting up emacs24 (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/emacs24-x to provide /usr/bin/emacs (emacs) in auto mode
Install a2ps for emacs24
install/a2ps: Handling install for emacsen flavor emacs24
Wrote /usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/a2ps/a2ps-print.elc
Wrote /usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/a2ps/a2ps.elc
Install cmake-data for emacs24
install/cmake-data: Byte-compiling for emacs24
>>Error occurred processing cmake-mode.el: File error (("Opening input file" "no such file or directory" "/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/cmake-data/cmake-mode.el"))
Install emacsen-common for emacs24
emacsen-common: Handling install of emacsen flavor emacs24
/usr/lib/emacsen-common/packages/install/emacsen-common: 23: cd: can't cd to /etc/emacs24/site-start.d
ERROR: install script from emacsen-common package failed
dpkg: error processing package emacs24 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of emacs:
 emacs depends on emacs24 | emacs24-lucid | emacs24-nox; however:
  Package emacs24 is not configured yet.
  Package emacs24-lucid is not installed.
  Package emacs24-nox is not installed.

dpkg: error processing package emacs (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a previous failure.
                          Errors were encountered while processing:
 emacs24
 emacs
[ Rootkit Hunter version 1.4.2 ]
File updated: searched for 177 files, found 154
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
Setting up emacs24 (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
Install a2ps for emacs24
install/a2ps: Handling install for emacsen flavor emacs24
Wrote /usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/a2ps/a2ps-print.elc
Wrote /usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/a2ps/a2ps.elc
Install cmake-data for emacs24
install/cmake-data: Byte-compiling for emacs24
ln: failed to create symbolic link ‘/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/cmake-data/cmake-mode.el’: File exists
>>Error occurred processing cmake-mode.el: File error (("Opening input file" "no such file or directory" "/usr/share/emacs24/site-lisp/cmake-data/cmake-mode.el"))
Install emacsen-common for emacs24
emacsen-common: Handling install of emacsen flavor emacs24
/usr/lib/emacsen-common/packages/install/emacsen-common: 23: cd: can't cd to /etc/emacs24/site-start.d
ERROR: install script from emacsen-common package failed
dpkg: error processing package emacs24 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of emacs:
 emacs depends on emacs24 | emacs24-lucid | emacs24-nox; however:
  Package emacs24 is not configured yet.
  Package emacs24-lucid is not installed.
  Package emacs24-nox is not installed.

dpkg: error processing package emacs (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 emacs24
 emacs

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.10
Package: dictionaries-common 1.26.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-23.28-generic 4.2.6
Uname: Linux 4.2.0-23-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu5
AptOrdering:
 dictionaries-common: Install
 emacs24: Configure
 dictionaries-common: Configure
 NULL: ConfigurePending
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Jan 8 12:25:34 2016
DuplicateSignature: package:dictionaries-common:1.26.2:subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2011-01-07 (1827 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release amd64 (20101007)
PackageArchitecture: all
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.2ubuntu5.1
 apt 1.0.10.2ubuntu1
SourcePackage: dictionaries-common
Title: package dictionaries-common 1.26.2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
modified.conffile..etc.emacs.site.start.d.50dictionaries.common.el: [deleted]

[Apport retracing service (apport)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this crash and helping to make this software better. This particular crash has already been reported and is a duplicate of bug #1510938, so is being marked as such. Please look at the other bug report to see if there is any missing information that you can provide, or to see if there is a workaround for the bug. Additionally, any further discussion regarding the bug should occur in the other report. Please continue to report any other bugs you may find.