[MASTER] Exec format error : package failed to install/remove : installation/removal script returned error exit status 2

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement]

Under some conditions package installation/upgrade/removal fails with the following error:

-- Error during installation --
Setting up screenlets (0.1.2-7) ...
dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script: Exec format error
dpkg: error processing screenlets (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2

-- Error during removal --
Removing gnome-do ...
dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed pre-removal script: Exec format error
dpkg: error processing gnome-do (--purge):
 subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2

This error occurs when one of the installation or removal scripts (/var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE.p*) is empty or corrupted.

== HOW TO REPRODUCE ==
Install a package and emulates a system crash before 30 seconds:
# apt-get install hello; sleep 20; echo b > /proc/sysrq-trigger
[simulates a system crash]
After reboot both installation and removal scripts are 0 bytes. You will notice that hello.list was correctly written to disk because of the fsync call in dpkg/src/filesdb.c
$ ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 323 2010-02-09 00:42 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.list
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 2009-08-15 19:17 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.postinst
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 2009-08-15 19:17 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.prerm

If you replay the test but adding a sync before the system crash:
# apt-get install hello; sync; echo b > /proc/sysrq-trigger
After reboot the files are fine:
$ ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 323 2010-02-09 00:46 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.list
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 103 2009-08-15 19:17 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.postinst
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 74 2009-08-15 19:17 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.prerm

If I adjust /proc/sys/vm/dirty_expire_centisecs to be below the sleep time, ( for exemple 1000 in the test above ) then data are correctly written to disk.

== WORKAROUNDS ==
Execute the following commands in a terminal
(GNOME: Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal
 KDE: KMenu -> Applications -> System -> Terminal [Konsole] )

Workaround A: Remove the package and reinstall

$ sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE_VERSION.p*
$ sudo apt-get remove --purge PACKAGE
$ sudo apt-get clean
$ sudo apt-get update

Then reinstall the package

Workaround B: Finish the install when the package can't be removed

$ sudo apt-get clean
$ sudo aptitude download PACKAGE
$ sudo dpkg --unpack ./PACKAGE_VERSION.deb
$ sudo dpkg --configure PACKAGE

Replace PACKAGE with the package name which fails to install/remove.

== Localization ==
The same error in non-english language:
 . fr: Erreur de format pour exec()
 . Error de formato ejecutable
 . Errore di formato di exec
 . en: Exec format error
 . hu: Érvénytelen végrehajtható fájlformátum
 . Exec formátum hiba
 . nl: Verkeerd uitvoerbaar bestand
 . Exec 格式错误
 . sv: Formatfel på körbar fil
 . fi: Käynnistettävän tiedoston muoto virheellinen
 . zh_CN: 可执行文件格式错误
 . ja: 実行形式エラー
 . ru: Ошибка формата выполняемого файла
 . es: Formato de ejecutable incorrecto
 . ca: L’executable té un format erroni
 . it: Formato eseguibile non valido
 . de: Fehler im Format der Programmdatei
 . pt: Erro de formato de executável
 . pt_BR: Erro no formato exec
 . da: Ugyldigt format på eksekverbar fil
More localizations can be found at https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu/lucid/+source/eglibc/+pots/

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

Here is a patch proposal which add some fsync on files and directories to prevent delayed allocation and the zero-length file problem after a system crash.

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

u-m-s team please wait before reviewing the patch, work is still in progress with upstream to push the fix in Debian. I'll provide another patch once it's done. Thanks.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

I've unsubscribed ubuntu-main-sponsors for now. Please feel free to resubscribe once something has been merged upstream that we can backport.

[shamnad (hindustani-india)]

in my openion " so many bugs are 9.10 than 9.04" am i right?

On Mon, Mar 1, 2010 at 5:00 PM, Brian Murray <email address hidden> wrote:

> ** Tags added: patch
>
> --
> [MASTER] Exec format error : package failed to install/remove :
> installation/removal script returned error exit status 2
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/512096
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of a duplicate bug.
>
> Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu: In Progress
> Status in “dpkg” package in Debian: New
>
> Bug description:
> Under some conditions package installation/upgrade/removal fails with the
> following error:
>
> -- Error during installation --
> Setting up screenlets (0.1.2-7) ...
> dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script:
> Exec format error
> dpkg: error processing screenlets (--configure):
> subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
>
> -- Error during removal --
> Removing gnome-do ...
> dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed pre-removal script: Exec
> format error
> dpkg: error processing gnome-do (--purge):
> subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
>
> This error occurs when one of the installation or removal scripts
> (/var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE.p*) is empty or corrupted.
>
> == HOW TO REPRODUCE ==
> Install a package and emulates a system crash before 30 seconds:
> # apt-get install hello; sleep 20; echo b > /proc/sysrq-trigger
> [simulates a system crash]
> After reboot both installation and removal scripts are 0 bytes. You will
> notice that hello.list was correctly written to disk because of the fsync
> call in dpkg/src/filesdb.c
> $ ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.*
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 323 2010-02-09 00:42 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.list
> -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 2009-08-15 19:17
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.postinst
> -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 2009-08-15 19:17 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.prerm
>
> If you replay the test but adding a sync before the system crash:
> # apt-get install hello; sync; echo b > /proc/sysrq-trigger
> After reboot the files are fine:
> $ ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.*
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 323 2010-02-09 00:46 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.list
> -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 103 2009-08-15 19:17
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.postinst
> -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 74 2009-08-15 19:17 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.prerm
>
> If I adjust /proc/sys/vm/dirty_expire_centisecs to be below the sleep time,
> ( for exemple 1000 in the test above ) then data are correctly written to
> disk.
>
> == WORKAROUNDS ==
> Execute the following commands in a terminal
> (GNOME: Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal
> KDE: KMenu -> Applications -> System -> Terminal [Konsole] )
>
> Workaround A: Remove the package and reinstall
>
> $ sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE_VERSION.p*
> $ sudo apt-get remove --purge PACKAGE
> $ sudo apt-get clean
> $ sudo apt-get update
>
> Then reinstall the package
>
> Workaround B: Finish the install when the package can't be removed
>
> $ sudo apt-get clean
> $ sudo aptitude download PACKAGE
> $ sudo dpkg --unpack ./PACKAGE_VERSION.deb
> $ sudo dpkg --configure PACKAGE
>
> Replace PACKAGE...

[Tony B (tonesbox)]

Hello Mr Murray,

Thank you very much for your email. I'm not sure I understand much of it but
I ran *sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE_VERSION.p* in accordance with your
"workaround" suggestion A to remove the package, but I got the message that
no such file or directory exists. So then I went to your workaround
alternative B to be used when package can't be removed. I got the following
printout:-*

tony@tony-laptop:~$ sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE_VERSION.p*
[sudo] password for tony:
rm: cannot remove `/var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE_VERSION.p*': No such file or
directory
tony@tony-laptop:~$ sudo apt-get clean
[sudo] password for tony:
tony@tony-laptop:~$ sudo aptitude download PACKAGE
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Initialising package states... Done
Writing extended state information... Done
E: Can't find a package named "PACKAGE"
tony@tony-laptop:~$ sudo dpkg --unpack./PACKAGE_VERSION.deb
dpkg: unknown option --unpack./PACKAGE_VERSION.deb

Type dpkg --help for help about installing and deinstalling packages [*];
Use `dselect' or `aptitude' for user-friendly package management;
Type dpkg -Dhelp for a list of dpkg debug flag values;
Type dpkg --force-help for a list of forcing options;
Type dpkg-deb --help for help about manipulating *.deb files;
Type dpkg --license|--licence for copyright licence and lack of warranty
(GNU GPL) [*].

Options marked [*] produce a lot of output - pipe it through `less' or
`more' !
tony@tony-laptop:~$ sudo dpkg --configure PACKAGE
dpkg: error processing package (--configure):
 no package named `package' is installed, cannot configure
Errors were encountered while processing:
 package
tony@tony-laptop:~$

I think I've probably done something wrong, haven't I?

Regards,
Tony Boulind

On 5 March 2010 23:43, Brian Murray <email address hidden> wrote:

> ** Tags added: patch-upstreaminput
> ** Tags removed: patch
>
> --
> [MASTER] Exec format error : package failed to install/remove :
> installation/removal script returned error exit status 2
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/512096
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of a duplicate bug.
>
> Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu: In Progress
> Status in “dpkg” package in Debian: New
>
> Bug description:
> Under some conditions package installation/upgrade/removal fails with the
> following error:
>
> -- Error during installation --
> Setting up screenlets (0.1.2-7) ...
> dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script:
> Exec format error
> dpkg: error processing screenlets (--configure):
> subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
>
> -- Error during removal --
> Removing gnome-do ...
> dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed pre-removal script: Exec
> format error
> dpkg: error processing gnome-do (--purge):
> subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
>
> This error occurs when one of the installation or removal scripts
> (/var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE.p*) is empty or corrupted.
>
> == HOW TO REPRODUCE ==
> Install a package and emulates a system crash before 30 seconds:
> # apt-ge...

[Jeff. (jules-17)]

You must instead of PACKAGE the name of your package which you are problems.

> Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2010 15:22:40 +0000
> From: <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Subject: Re: [Bug 512096] Re: [MASTER] Exec format error : package failed to install/remove : installation/removal script returned error exit status 2
>
> Hello Mr Murray,
>
> Thank you very much for your email. I'm not sure I understand much of it but
> I ran *sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE_VERSION.p* in accordance with your
> "workaround" suggestion A to remove the package, but I got the message that
> no such file or directory exists. So then I went to your workaround
> alternative B to be used when package can't be removed. I got the following
> printout:-*
>
>
> tony@tony-laptop:~$ sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE_VERSION.p*
> [sudo] password for tony:
> rm: cannot remove `/var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE_VERSION.p*': No such file or
> directory
> tony@tony-laptop:~$ sudo apt-get clean
> [sudo] password for tony:
> tony@tony-laptop:~$ sudo aptitude download PACKAGE
> Reading package lists... Done
> Building dependency tree
> Reading state information... Done
> Initialising package states... Done
> Writing extended state information... Done
> E: Can't find a package named "PACKAGE"
> tony@tony-laptop:~$ sudo dpkg --unpack./PACKAGE_VERSION.deb
> dpkg: unknown option --unpack./PACKAGE_VERSION.deb
>
> Type dpkg --help for help about installing and deinstalling packages [*];
> Use `dselect' or `aptitude' for user-friendly package management;
> Type dpkg -Dhelp for a list of dpkg debug flag values;
> Type dpkg --force-help for a list of forcing options;
> Type dpkg-deb --help for help about manipulating *.deb files;
> Type dpkg --license|--licence for copyright licence and lack of warranty
> (GNU GPL) [*].
>
> Options marked [*] produce a lot of output - pipe it through `less' or
> `more' !
> tony@tony-laptop:~$ sudo dpkg --configure PACKAGE
> dpkg: error processing package (--configure):
> no package named `package' is installed, cannot configure
> Errors were encountered while processing:
> package
> tony@tony-laptop:~$
>
>
> I think I've probably done something wrong, haven't I?
>
> Regards,
> Tony Boulind
>
> On 5 March 2010 23:43, Brian Murray <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> > ** Tags added: patch-upstreaminput
> > ** Tags removed: patch
> >
> > --
> > [MASTER] Exec format error : package failed to install/remove :
> > installation/removal script returned error exit status 2
> > https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/512096
> > You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> > of a duplicate bug.
> >
> > Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu: In Progress
> > Status in “dpkg” package in Debian: New
> >
> > Bug description:
> > Under some conditions package installation/upgrade/removal fails with the
> > following error:
> >
> > -- Error during installation --
> > Setting up screenlets (0.1.2-7) ...
> > dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script:
> > Exec format error
> > dpkg: error processing screenlets (--configure):
> > subprocess ins...

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

A change to use fsync has been committed upstream; I'll deal with backporting it to Lucid.

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

Tests done with the latest git and bzr revisions are positives. The only thing that remains is that the file status-new is not synced to status. This is a minor a annoyance since running 'dpkg --configure -a' after the crash will correct the error.

There is a performance impact of a factor 2 (2 times slower) on installation and upgrade of a package.
It would be great if additional testing could be done.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

I agree that (subjectively - I haven't timed it) it seems somewhat
slower. Correctness over performance, though, so I'm going to go ahead
with this for Lucid at the moment - we can backport additional
performance fixes as they're done upstream.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package dpkg - 1.15.5.6ubuntu2

---------------
dpkg (1.15.5.6ubuntu2) lucid; urgency=high

  * Backport from upstream:
    - Use FIEMAP when available (on Linux based systems) to sort the .list
      files loading order. With a cold cache it improves up to a 70%.
      Thanks to Morten Hustveit <email address hidden>. LP: #442114
    - Call fsync(2) after writing files on disk, to get the atomicity
      guarantees when doing rename(2). Based on a patch by Jean-Baptiste
      Lallement <email address hidden>.
      Closes: #430958, LP: #512096
  * Security fixes by Raphaël Hertzog, also backported from upstream
    (CVE-2010-0396):
    - Modify dpkg-source to error out when it would apply patches containing
      insecure paths (with "/../") and also error out when it would apply a
      patch through a symlink. Those checks are required as patch will
      happily modify files outside of the target directory and unpacking a
      source package should not be able to have any side-effect outside of
      the target directory. LP: #532445
    - Also error out when the quilt series contains a path with "/../" as
      this can cause patch to create files outside of the source package due
      to the -B .pc/$path option that it gets.
 -- Colin Watson <email address hidden> Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:34:28 +0000

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

anoop: When you reopen a bug, you must explain why - otherwise we'll close it again (like this).

[Philip Muškovac (yofel)]

According to the changelog the patch was reverted to fix bug 537241. (fsync making dpkg too slow)

dpkg (1.15.5.6ubuntu3) lucid; urgency=low

  * Revert fsync during package unpack for now; it's unacceptably slow for
    packages with lots of small files, and we can't ship beta-1 this way.
    We'll do something better once it's decided upstream (LP: #537241).
 -- Colin Watson <email address hidden> Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:04:38 +0000

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Philip, only one small part of the patch was reverted, and that part shouldn't have been relevant to the error that's the subject of this bug.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

> I agree that (subjectively - I haven't timed it) it seems somewhat slower.

Just to throw in some numbers for comparison:

$ sudo time dpkg -i /var/cache/apt/archives/openoffice.org-common_1%3a3.2.0-7ubuntu3_all.deb
-> 64 s
$ sudo time /home/dchroot/karmic/usr/bin/dpkg -i /var/cache/apt/archives/openoffice.org-common_1%3a3.2.0-7ubuntu3_all.deb
-> 21 s

given that the 5 triggers alone take some 10 s, this is a times-5 performance penalty (and load goes to 1.8 in the first run, which makes the machine quite sluggish).

But of course correctness > performance.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Ideally there would be some way to interrogate the kernel to discover
whether we need to do this rubbish for a given filesystem.

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

reopening due to recent cases in lucid.
Only maintainer scripts are affected by this problem, data files are correctly synced.

[ndstate (ndstate)]

Workaround A worked on:

bzr
bzrtools
python-dateutil
python-gnomedesktop
python-gweather
python-paramiko
python-vobject

Thank you very much!!! :D

[Raghav Sethi (raghavsethi62)]

Workaround A works awesomely! :D

Thank you all very much! :D

[ibrahim.k (bero-hacker)]

I don't Understand anything :(

[Chris (crido)]

2010/6/9 ibrahim.k <email address hidden>

> I don't Understand anything :(
>
>
no worries, case is resolved, the reply was just a "thank-you" to your
fantastic support!!!!

Kind regards,
Xian

[Behrooz Amoozad (behrooz0az)]

I'm new to Linux and don't understand anything.
last line before hang is:
Preparing to replace mysql-server-5.1 5.1.41-3ubuntu12.1 (using .../mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.3_amd64.deb) ...

what should i exactly do?
I cannot install anything.I'm trying any dpkg command for +7 days.
nothing helped me.somebody please help me.

[maria rossi (iperbole10)]

SOLVED :
1. Close Synaptic or any package manager. Wait for or cancel any updates or install\uninstall.
2. Make Backups of current /var/lib/dpkg/status file. Just copy and paste to your home directory or Desktop.
3. Alt+F2 and launch type in gksu gedit /var/lib/dpkg/status and run it. Gedit will be launched with a text file open.
4. Now, search for the exact name of the package with problems and find it.
5. In my case, it I found the entry for the package thunderbird: Half configurated : I'have deleted that information and Ive solved my problem.

[milan_n (novotny-mila)]

E: libboost-date-time1.40.0: sub-process installed post-removal script returned error status 2
E: libgtkglext1: sub-process installed post-removal script returned error status 2
E: libmagick++2: sub-process installed post-removal script returned error status 2

 sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned error code (1)

I tried to reinstal gimp only. Upper errors appeared and then I tried to remove some libs.
I need some advices to solving my problem.

I have Ubuntu 10.04 LTS - Lucid Lynx

[chipppy (chipppy)]

Good Morning

I am trying to follow the work around instructions but not having full
success yet.

I am using libglew1.5 to replace PACKAGE and that works fine
what do I use to replace PACKAGE_VERSION?? I tried 1.5.2.0ubuntu1 but
that doesn't seem to work

Cheers
chipppy

On Tue, 2010-07-06 at 15:30 +0000, enguerran wrote:
> ** Description changed:
>
> Under some conditions package installation/upgrade/removal fails with
> the following error:
>
> -- Error during installation --
> Setting up screenlets (0.1.2-7) ...
> dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script: Exec format error
> dpkg: error processing screenlets (--configure):
> subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
>
> -- Error during removal --
> Removing gnome-do ...
> dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed pre-removal script: Exec format error
> dpkg: error processing gnome-do (--purge):
> subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
>
> This error occurs when one of the installation or removal scripts
> (/var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE.p*) is empty or corrupted.
>
> == HOW TO REPRODUCE ==
> Install a package and emulates a system crash before 30 seconds:
> # apt-get install hello; sleep 20; echo b > /proc/sysrq-trigger
> [simulates a system crash]
> After reboot both installation and removal scripts are 0 bytes. You will notice that hello.list was correctly written to disk because of the fsync call in dpkg/src/filesdb.c
> $ ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.*
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 323 2010-02-09 00:42 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.list
> -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 2009-08-15 19:17 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.postinst
> -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 2009-08-15 19:17 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.prerm
>
> If you replay the test but adding a sync before the system crash:
> # apt-get install hello; sync; echo b > /proc/sysrq-trigger
> After reboot the files are fine:
> $ ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.*
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 323 2010-02-09 00:46 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.list
> -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 103 2009-08-15 19:17 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.postinst
> -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 74 2009-08-15 19:17 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.prerm
>
> If I adjust /proc/sys/vm/dirty_expire_centisecs to be below the sleep
> time, ( for exemple 1000 in the test above ) then data are correctly
> written to disk.
>
> == WORKAROUNDS ==
> Execute the following commands in a terminal
> (GNOME: Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal
> KDE: KMenu -> Applications -> System -> Terminal [Konsole] )
>
> Workaround A: Remove the package and reinstall
>
> $ sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE_VERSION.p*
> $ sudo apt-get remove --purge PACKAGE
> $ sudo apt-get clean
> $ sudo apt-get update
>
> Then reinstall the package
>
> Workaround B: Finish the install when the package can't be removed
>
> $ sudo apt-get clean
> $ sudo aptitude download PACKAGE
> $ sudo dpkg --unpack ./PACKAGE_VERSION.deb
> $ sudo dpkg --configure PACKAGE
>
> Replace PACKAGE with the package name which fails to install/remove.
>
...

[G. MATHEW (babumathew2000)]

hello

Thanks for the write up. But I cannot do a thing for the machine with
reported problem was stolen and now I am using a borrowed machine which runs
on windows. but thanks for the description you have depicted

chears
GM

On 7 July 2010 01:05, chipppy <email address hidden> wrote:

> Good Morning
>
> I am trying to follow the work around instructions but not having full
> success yet.
>
> I am using libglew1.5 to replace PACKAGE and that works fine
> what do I use to replace PACKAGE_VERSION?? I tried 1.5.2.0ubuntu1 but
> that doesn't seem to work
>
> Cheers
> chipppy
>
> On Tue, 2010-07-06 at 15:30 +0000, enguerran wrote:
> > ** Description changed:
> >
> > Under some conditions package installation/upgrade/removal fails with
> > the following error:
> >
> > -- Error during installation --
> > Setting up screenlets (0.1.2-7) ...
> > dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation
> script: Exec format error
> > dpkg: error processing screenlets (--configure):
> > subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit
> status 2
> >
> > -- Error during removal --
> > Removing gnome-do ...
> > dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed pre-removal script: Exec
> format error
> > dpkg: error processing gnome-do (--purge):
> > subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
> >
> > This error occurs when one of the installation or removal scripts
> > (/var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE.p*) is empty or corrupted.
> >
> > == HOW TO REPRODUCE ==
> > Install a package and emulates a system crash before 30 seconds:
> > # apt-get install hello; sleep 20; echo b > /proc/sysrq-trigger
> > [simulates a system crash]
> > After reboot both installation and removal scripts are 0 bytes. You
> will notice that hello.list was correctly written to disk because of the
> fsync call in dpkg/src/filesdb.c
> > $ ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.*
> > -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 323 2010-02-09 00:42
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.list
> > -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 2009-08-15 19:17
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.postinst
> > -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 2009-08-15 19:17
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.prerm
> >
> > If you replay the test but adding a sync before the system crash:
> > # apt-get install hello; sync; echo b > /proc/sysrq-trigger
> > After reboot the files are fine:
> > $ ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.*
> > -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 323 2010-02-09 00:46
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.list
> > -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 103 2009-08-15 19:17
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.postinst
> > -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 74 2009-08-15 19:17
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.prerm
> >
> > If I adjust /proc/sys/vm/dirty_expire_centisecs to be below the sleep
> > time, ( for exemple 1000 in the test above ) then data are correctly
> > written to disk.
> >
> > == WORKAROUNDS ==
> > Execute the following commands in a terminal
> > (GNOME: Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal
> > KDE: KMenu -> Applications -> System -> Terminal [Konsole] )
> >
> > Workaround A: Remove the package and reinstall
> >
> > $ sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE_VERSION.p*
> > $ sudo apt-get remove -...

[dYp (dubois-yaen-pujol)]

hello,
thanks to maria rossi for the clue.
SOLVED :
1. Close Synaptic or any package manager. Wait for or cancel any updates or install\uninstall.
2. Make Backups of current /var/lib/dpkg/status file. Just copy and paste to your home directory or Desktop.
3. Alt+F2 and launch type in gksu gedit /var/lib/dpkg/status and run it. Gedit will be launched with a text file open.
4. Now, search for the exact name of the package with problems and find it.
5. In my case, it I found the entry for the package nfs-common and nfs-kernel: Half configurated
6. I have deleted that information and I've solved my problem.

[Raphaël Hertzog (hertzog)]

Maverick and natty have the sync fixes.

[Donald Larimore Bland jr (dlblandjr)]

Thanx to everyone, ! this is a great group of engineers !

2011/3/9 Raphaël Hertzog <email address hidden>

> Maverick and natty have the sync fixes.
>
> ** Changed in: dpkg (Ubuntu)
> Status: Triaged => Fix Released
>
> ** Changed in: dpkg (Ubuntu Karmic)
> Status: New => Confirmed
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/512096
>
> Title:
> [MASTER] Exec format error : package failed to install/remove :
> installation/removal script returned error exit status 2
>
> Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
> Fix Released
> Status in “dpkg” source package in Karmic:
> Confirmed
> Status in “dpkg” package in Debian:
> Fix Released
>
> Bug description:
> Under some conditions package installation/upgrade/removal fails with
> the following error:
>
> -- Error during installation --
> Setting up screenlets (0.1.2-7) ...
> dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script:
> Exec format error
> dpkg: error processing screenlets (--configure):
> subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status
> 2
>
> -- Error during removal --
> Removing gnome-do ...
> dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed pre-removal script: Exec
> format error
> dpkg: error processing gnome-do (--purge):
> subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
>
> This error occurs when one of the installation or removal scripts
> (/var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE.p*) is empty or corrupted.
>
> == HOW TO REPRODUCE ==
> Install a package and emulates a system crash before 30 seconds:
> # apt-get install hello; sleep 20; echo b > /proc/sysrq-trigger
> [simulates a system crash]
> After reboot both installation and removal scripts are 0 bytes. You will
> notice that hello.list was correctly written to disk because of the fsync
> call in dpkg/src/filesdb.c
> $ ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.*
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 323 2010-02-09 00:42 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.list
> -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 2009-08-15 19:17
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.postinst
> -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 2009-08-15 19:17 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.prerm
>
> If you replay the test but adding a sync before the system crash:
> # apt-get install hello; sync; echo b > /proc/sysrq-trigger
> After reboot the files are fine:
> $ ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.*
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 323 2010-02-09 00:46 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.list
> -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 103 2009-08-15 19:17
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.postinst
> -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 74 2009-08-15 19:17 /var/lib/dpkg/info/hello.prerm
>
> If I adjust /proc/sys/vm/dirty_expire_centisecs to be below the sleep
> time, ( for exemple 1000 in the test above ) then data are correctly
> written to disk.
>
> == WORKAROUNDS ==
> Execute the following commands in a terminal
> (GNOME: Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal
> KDE: KMenu -> Applications -> System -> Terminal [Konsole] )
>
> Workaround A: Remove the package and reinstall
>
> $ sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/PACKAGE_VERSION.p*
> $ sudo apt-get remove --purge PACKAGE
> $ sudo apt-get clean
> $ sudo apt-get upda...

[Francewhoa (francewhoa)]

Confirming this issue. Same here upgrading from 8.04 to 10.04.1 caused the problem to appear.

All above solutions didn't work in my case. The following worked. In Terminal:

--------------------------------
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/flashplugin-nonfree.postinst
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/flashplugin-nonfree.postrm
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/flashplugin-nonfree.prerm
sudo dpkg --force all --purge flashplugin-nonfree
--------------------------------

Thanks to sandyd http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=9072362&postcount=21

[G. MATHEW (babumathew2000)]

LinkedIn
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Bug,

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- George

George Mathew
Senior Lecturer at Ministry of Health
Botswana

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