package emacs24-nox (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[dick7]

dick@dick-OptiPlex-360:~$ sudo apt-get purge emacs
[sudo] password for dick:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Package 'emacs' is not installed, so not removed
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up emacs24 (24.3+1-2ubuntu1) ...
Install apel for emacs24
install/apel: byte-compiling for emacs24, logged in /tmp/elc.cuyUS7lLWUqb
/usr/lib/emacsen-common/packages/install/apel: 42: cd: can't cd to /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/apel
ERROR: install script from apel package failed
dpkg: error processing package emacs24 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 emacs24
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: emacs24-nox (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.19.0-31.36~14.04.1-generic 3.19.8-ckt7
Uname: Linux 3.19.0-31-generic i686
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.18
AptOrdering:
 emacs: Install
 emacs24: Remove
 emacs24-nox: Install
 emacs24-nox: Configure
 emacs: Configure
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Nov 4 16:18:55 2015
DuplicateSignature: package:emacs24-nox:(not installed):subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-10-27 (7 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Beta i386 (20150805)
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.17.5ubuntu5.4
 apt 1.0.1ubuntu2.10
SourcePackage: emacs24
Title: package emacs24-nox (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[era (era)]

I tried to reproduce this in 15.10 but couldn't. Which precise packages are involved here? "purge emacs" alone should do nothing much at all, whereas "apt-get purge emacs24-nox" produces something a little bit closer to what you are reporting. What versions of emacs24* and apel did you have installed?

[era (era)]

Also, can you attach /tmp/elc.cuyUS7lLWUqb or reproduce the bug and generate a new similar file for inclusion here?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for emacs24 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]