package emacs24-lucid 24.5+1-1ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: libgif.so.4: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

[Troy Kinsella]

Installing emacs on a fresh install of Xubuntu 15.10 (not an upgrade) results in this:

======================
~> sudo apt-get install emacs
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  emacs24 emacs24-bin-common emacs24-common emacs24-common-non-dfsg
  imagemagick-common libfftw3-double3 liblockfile-bin liblockfile1 liblqr-1-0
  libm17n-0 libmagickcore-6.q16-2 libmagickwand-6.q16-2 libotf0 m17n-db
Suggested packages:
  emacs24-el libfftw3-bin libfftw3-dev m17n-docs libmagickcore-6.q16-2-extra
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  emacs emacs24 emacs24-bin-common emacs24-common emacs24-common-non-dfsg
  imagemagick-common libfftw3-double3 liblockfile-bin liblockfile1 liblqr-1-0
  libm17n-0 libmagickcore-6.q16-2 libmagickwand-6.q16-2 libotf0 m17n-db
0 upgraded, 15 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/24.8 MB of archives.
After this operation, 108 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
Selecting previously unselected package imagemagick-common.
(Reading database ... 202685 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../imagemagick-common_8%3a6.8.9.9-5ubuntu2_all.deb ...
Unpacking imagemagick-common (8:6.8.9.9-5ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libfftw3-double3:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../libfftw3-double3_3.3.4-2ubuntu1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libfftw3-double3:amd64 (3.3.4-2ubuntu1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package liblockfile-bin.
Preparing to unpack .../liblockfile-bin_1.09-6ubuntu1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking liblockfile-bin (1.09-6ubuntu1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package liblockfile1:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../liblockfile1_1.09-6ubuntu1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking liblockfile1:amd64 (1.09-6ubuntu1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package liblqr-1-0:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../liblqr-1-0_0.4.2-2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking liblqr-1-0:amd64 (0.4.2-2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libmagickcore-6.q16-2:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../libmagickcore-6.q16-2_8%3a6.8.9.9-5ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libmagickcore-6.q16-2:amd64 (8:6.8.9.9-5ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libmagickwand-6.q16-2:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../libmagickwand-6.q16-2_8%3a6.8.9.9-5ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libmagickwand-6.q16-2:amd64 (8:6.8.9.9-5ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libotf0:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../libotf0_0.9.13-1ubuntu1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libotf0:amd64 (0.9.13-1ubuntu1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package emacs24-common-non-dfsg.
Preparing to unpack .../emacs24-common-non-dfsg_24.4+1-2_all.deb ...
Unpacking emacs24-common-non-dfsg (24.4+1-2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package emacs24-common.
Preparing to unpack .../emacs24-common_24.5+1-1ubuntu2_all.deb ...
Unpacking emacs24-common (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package emacs24-bin-common.
Preparing to unpack .../emacs24-bin-common_24.5+1-1ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking emacs24-bin-common (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package m17n-db.
Preparing to unpack .../m17n-db_1.6.5-1_all.deb ...
Unpacking m17n-db (1.6.5-1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libm17n-0.
Preparing to unpack .../libm17n-0_1.6.4-3_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libm17n-0 (1.6.4-3) ...
Selecting previously unselected package emacs24.
Preparing to unpack .../emacs24_24.5+1-1ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking emacs24 (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package emacs.
Preparing to unpack .../archives/emacs_46.1_all.deb ...
Unpacking emacs (46.1) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.4-1) ...
Processing triggers for install-info (6.0.0.dfsg.1-3) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.15-0ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.13.3-6ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.22-1ubuntu3) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.58ubuntu1) ...
Setting up imagemagick-common (8:6.8.9.9-5ubuntu2) ...
Setting up libfftw3-double3:amd64 (3.3.4-2ubuntu1) ...
Setting up liblockfile-bin (1.09-6ubuntu1) ...
Setting up liblockfile1:amd64 (1.09-6ubuntu1) ...
Setting up liblqr-1-0:amd64 (0.4.2-2) ...
Setting up libmagickcore-6.q16-2:amd64 (8:6.8.9.9-5ubuntu2) ...
Setting up libmagickwand-6.q16-2:amd64 (8:6.8.9.9-5ubuntu2) ...
Setting up libotf0:amd64 (0.9.13-1ubuntu1) ...
Setting up emacs24-common-non-dfsg (24.4+1-2) ...
Setting up emacs24-common (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
Setting up emacs24-bin-common (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/ctags.emacs24 to provide /usr/bin/ctags (ctags) in auto mode
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/ebrowse.emacs24 to provide /usr/bin/ebrowse (ebrowse) in auto mode
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/emacsclient.emacs24 to provide /usr/bin/emacsclient (emacsclient) in auto mode
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/etags.emacs24 to provide /usr/bin/etags (etags) in auto mode
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/grep-changelog.emacs24 to provide /usr/bin/grep-changelog (grep-changelog) in auto mode
Setting up m17n-db (1.6.5-1) ...
Setting up libm17n-0 (1.6.4-3) ...
Setting up emacs24 (24.5+1-1ubuntu2) ...
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/emacs24-x to provide /usr/bin/emacs (emacs) in auto mode
Install emacsen-common for emacs24
emacsen-common: Handling install of emacsen flavor emacs24
emacs24: error while loading shared libraries: libgif.so.4: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
ERROR: install script from emacsen-common package failed
dpkg: error processing package emacs24 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of emacs:
 emacs depends on emacs24 | emacs24-lucid | emacs24-nox; however:
  Package emacs24 is not configured yet.
  Package emacs24-lucid is not installed.
  Package emacs24-nox is not installed.

dpkg: error processing package emacs (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.21-0ubuntu4) ...
No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a previous failure.
                          Errors were encountered while processing:
 emacs24
 emacs
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

======================

Installing libgif4 does not help, nor does manually symlinking the existing libgif.so to the apparently missing libgif.so.4

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.10
Package: emacs24-lucid 24.5+1-1ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-18.22-generic 4.2.3
Uname: Linux 4.2.0-18-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu5
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Nov 18 11:12:07 2015
DuplicateSignature: package:emacs24-lucid:24.5+1-1ubuntu2:subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.2ubuntu5
 apt 1.0.10.2ubuntu1
SourcePackage: emacs24
Title: package emacs24-lucid 24.5+1-1ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)