package dovecot-core 1:2.2.22-1ubuntu2.7 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[khaleel basha]

I'm getting " master: Fatal: service(pop3) access(/usr/lib/dovecot/pop3) failed: No such file or directory." this error when i'm restart dovecot package. and I can't remove this package also.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: dovecot-core 1:2.2.22-1ubuntu2.7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-116.140-generic 4.4.98
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-116-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15
AptOrdering:
 dovecot-imapd: Remove
 courier-imap: Install
 courier-imap: Configure
 NULL: ConfigurePending
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Apr 4 15:59:57 2018
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-04-02 (1 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 16.04.4 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20180228)
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1.4
 apt 1.2.26
SourcePackage: dovecot
Title: package dovecot-core 1:2.2.22-1ubuntu2.7 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Christian Ehrhardt  (paelzer)]

dovecot-pop3d: /usr/lib/dovecot/pop3

This binary is part of the package.
That it is gone breaks your current config.

But this should be no normal state, even installing and removing dovecot-pop3d will not break it that way, so I'd assume something like a manual rm or by a script got you in this state.
You'd have to fix up your config to upgrade it properly.

[Christian Ehrhardt  (paelzer)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better.

On upgrading a service this service has to be restarted to pick up the fixes.
Rather rarely a real issue occurs that the newer version does e.g. fail with the formerly working configuration.
But most of the time what happens is, that a service was installed, but stays unconfigured or experimented with but left in a broken state.

Now on any update of the related packages that service has to be restarted, but since its config is incomplete/faulty it fails to restart.
Therefore the update of that package has to consider itself incomplete.

Depending on your particular case there are two solutions:
- either remove the offending package if you don't want to continue using it.
- Or if you do want to keep it please fix the configuration so that re-starting the service will work.

Since it seems likely to me that this is a local configuration problem, rather than a bug in Ubuntu, I'm marking this bug as Incomplete.

If indeed this is a local configuration problem, you can find pointers to get help for this sort of problem here: http://www.ubuntu.com/support/community

Or if you believe that this is really a bug, then you may find it helpful to read "How to report bugs effectively" http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html. We'd be grateful if you would then provide a more complete description of the problem, explain why you believe this is a bug in Ubuntu rather than a problem specific to your system, and then change the bug status back to New.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for dovecot (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]