$sudo apt-get install debootstrap
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be upgraded:
debootstrap
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 76 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/34.4 kB of archives.
After this operation, 231 kB of additional disk space will be used.
(Reading database ... 346425 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace debootstrap 1.0.42ubuntu0.1 (using .../debootstrap_1.0.42ubuntu0.1_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement debootstrap ...
ps shows:
root 17493 17456 0 14:11 pts/8 00:00:00 /usr/bin/dpkg --status-fd 101 --unpack --auto-deconfigure /var/cache/apt/archives/debootstrap_1.0.42ubuntu0.1_all.deb
root 17500 17493 0 14:11 pts/8 00:00:00 [dpkg-deb] <defunct>
I ran apport-cli to collect a trace, but it failed to report it and I couldn't get anything to upload it, so I have attached it to this report
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: dpkg 1.16.7ubuntu6
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-19.30-generic 3.5.7
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-19-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: symap_custom_3.5.0_19_generic_x86_64 symev_custom_3.5.0_19_generic_x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu6
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Nov 30 14:19:24 2012
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-10-12 (49 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Beta amd64 (20120926)
MarkForUpload: True
SourcePackage: dpkg
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
This sees pretty repeatable - every time I try to install debootstrap, it hangs with a defunct dpkg process lying around.