package dictionaries-common 1.11.5ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 255

[Graham Williams]

Was just following the upgrade instructions from 11.04 to 11.10 and got this error then it said the upgrade failed. I can now no loner seem to update the system because it can't configure dictionary-common.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: dictionaries-common 1.11.5ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-12.51-generic 2.6.38.8
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-12-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sat Oct 15 11:03:50 2011
ErrorMessage: ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 255
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: dictionaries-common
Title: package dictionaries-common 1.11.5ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 255
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-14 (0 days ago)

[era (era)]

Quoting the attached VarLogDistupgradeTermlog.gz:
> Setting up dictionaries-common (1.11.5ubuntu1) ...
> Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <GEN0> chunk 1.
> Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN0> chunk 1.
> Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN0> chunk 1.
> Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <GEN0> chunk 2.
> Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN0> chunk 2.
> Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN0> chunk 2.
> Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <GEN0> chunk 3.
> Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN0> chunk 3.
> Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN0> chunk 3.
> ate.pm line 81, <GEN0> chunk 2.
> Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <GEN0> chunk 4.
> Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN0> chunk 4.
> Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN0> chunk 4.
:
> Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN0> chunk 8.
> dictionaries-common/default-ispell: return code: "0", value: ""
> Choices: , Manual symlink setting
> shared/packages-ispell: return code: "10" owners/error: "shared/packages-ispell doesn't exist"
> Installed elements: american (American English)
> Please see "/usr/share/doc/dictionaries-common/README.problems", section
> "Debconf database corruption" for recovery info.
> update-default-ispell: Selected ispell dictionary ""
> does not correspond to any installed package in the system
> and no alternative ispell dictionary could be selected.
> dpkg: error processing dictionaries-common (--configure):
> subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 255

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This particular bug has already been reported and is a duplicate of bug #873551, so it 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. Feel free to continue to report any other bugs you may find.