package flashplugin-nonfree 9.0.159.0ubuntu1~hardy1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2

[Hummingbird]

NOTE: SOLUTION FOUND TO FIX THE PROBLEM, SEE ADDED COMMENT!

Binary package hint: initramfs-tools

1. Description: Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS
Release: 10.04
----------------------------
2. flashplugin-nonfree:
  Installed: 9.0.159.0ubuntu1~hardy1
  Candidate: 10.2.153.1ubuntu0.10.04.1
  Version table:
     10.2.153.1ubuntu0.10.04.1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/multiverse Packages
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-security/multiverse Packages
     10.0.45.2ubuntu1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/multiverse Packages
 *** 9.0.159.0ubuntu1~hardy1 0
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
-----------------------
3. I expected the flashplugin update to remove the old flashplugin-nonfree and replace it. And that is what it tried to do and failed. (about a dozen times) Oh and using "sudo apt-get --reinstall install flashplugin-installer" works the same way, error 2.
-----------------
4. What happens simply put is that update manager closes with an error 2 whatever the heck that is. Not very descriptive but certainly potent. The update doesn't happen because it can't purge the old version. But the old version files don't exist for the most part (I looked) and there are a few empty directories. BTW, the update manager says the new flashplugin can be installed and then the old one removed. But that was never tried by the manager, and I could not get it to ignore the old version.

Evidently, several of the files and directories on the drive were removed but not all of them. I am not sure if the purge process in the update did that or if the purge processes from the upgrade I did two weeks ago did that and left a mess.

And per usual there is more to this than meets the eye. First of all I upgraded to 10.04 (3/17 or 3/18) from the previous LTS version 8.04. I have a policy of sticking with the LTS series and then I wait awhile after the new release before actually making the upgrade.

Why is this important and possibly a bug? I believe that the upgrade to 10.04 installation didn't complete although after watching several thousand commands whip by on the screen I haven't a clue. I can tell you this though, I don't think grub updated, the version on my machine is 0.97 not 1.98. The upgrade was the on-line upgrade, I was going to use the live disk for an upgrade but it says that it will wipe out all disks and while I don't think that would be a big deal for the root directory, it would be for the home dir. So I skipped it.

The reason I got into looking at the grub version is that when I first boot up I get an error that the system is trying to mount hda1 and hda2. I know that sda... is correct, however my machine lost what was the 'normal' boot hard drive that had windows installed and I was running a dual boot to Ubuntu. So I pulled the broken hard drive and moved the ubuntu drive into its position. I am thinking that hda1 and hda2 are artifacts of that. I did find an article on Ubuntu forums: Ubuntu Forum:Installation & Upgrades titled: upgrade 8.04 LTS to 10.04 LTS error at boot which talks about a very similar problem that I have. And a proposed solution although I don't think they mention the version of grub being used. I was wondering if I upgraded my grub to grub 2 if that might solve the problem...naah its never that easy.

So that is the basic story. I'll help all I can. I can even disk image the root if that would help any.

Thanks for your help, sorry to be a bother
Donald Dunsmore
---------------

I have some more information for you because I have spent several hours on this and went through the Ubuntu Forum for help.

The first information is from a bash script for firefox info by one of the folks on the forum and then follows the output of the "boot info script 0.55". And last but not least are paths that are presented for flashplugin-nonfree in its properties dialog. Evidently, synaptic never updates based on the actual directories on the drives, is there a way to get it to do that?

======================
NOTE: <<xx xx xx>> are my comments added when I visited the directory/file to see what was going on. Evidently, the purge had worked somewhat but some junk was left around. I tried removing stuff on my own, but either I haven't found it all or the update-manager has a config somewhere that keeps telling it that flashplugin is still around but it can't find it. I dunno.
-----------------------------------------
Ubuntu Architecture

Linux TiggerDog 2.6.32-30-generic #59-Ubuntu SMP Tue Mar 1 21:30:21 UTC 2011 i686 GNU/Linux

Ubuntu Version

DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=10.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=lucid
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS"

Firefox Packages

firefox install
firefox-3.0 install
firefox-3.0-gnome-support install
firefox-branding install
firefox-gnome-support install

Firefox binaries

/usr/bin/firefox
/usr/bin/firefox: symbolic link to `../lib/firefox-3.6.16/firefox.sh'
/usr/local/bin/firefox: ERROR: cannot open `/usr/local/bin/firefox' (No such file or directory)<<bin is empty>>
/opt/firefox/firefox: ERROR: cannot open `/opt/firefox/firefox' (No such file or directory)<<no file and no dir>>>

Firefox divertion

/usr/bin/firefox.ubuntu: ERROR: cannot open `/usr/bin/firefox.ubuntu' (No such file or directory)

Sources

edgy-universe.list
edgy-universe.list.distUpgrade
edgy-universe.list.save
google-chrome.list
google-chrome.list.distUpgrade
google-chrome.list.save
libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list
libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list.save

Flash packages

flashplugin-nonfree deinstall
libflash-mozplugin deinstall
libflash0c2 deinstall

Plugin locations

/home/don/.mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so<<deleted this one>>

Flash symlinks

/usr/lib/firefox-addons/plugins/libflashplayer.so: ERROR: cannot open `/usr/lib/firefox-addons/plugins/libflashplayer.so' (No such file or directory)<<<file doesn't exist>>>
/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/flashplugin-alternative.so: ERROR: cannot open `/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/flashplugin-alternative.so' (No such file or directory)<<<file doesn't exist>>>
/etc/alternatives/mozilla-flashplugin: ERROR: cannot open `/etc/alternatives/mozilla-flashplugin' (No such file or directory)<<<file doesn't exist>>>
/var/lib/flashplugin-installer/npwrapper.libflashplayer.so: ERROR: cannot open `/var/lib/flashplugin-installer/npwrapper.libflashplayer.so' (No such file or directory)<<<file doesn't exist>>>
<<removed /var/lib/flashplugin-nonfree folder too>>
===========================================================
===========================================================
Boot Info Script 0.55:

                Boot Info Script 0.55 dated February 15th, 2010

============================= Boot Info Summary: ==============================

 => Grub 0.97 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks on the same drive
    in partition #8 for /boot/grub/stage2 and /boot/grub/menu.lst.

sda1: _________________________________________________________________________

    File system: ntfs
    Boot sector type: Windows XP
    Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:
    Boot files/dirs:

sda2: _________________________________________________________________________

    File system: Extended Partition
    Boot sector type: -
    Boot sector info:

sda5: _________________________________________________________________________

    File system: vfat
    Boot sector type: Windows XP: Fat32
    Boot sector info: According to the info in the boot sector, sda5 starts
                       at sector 63.
    Operating System:
    Boot files/dirs:

sda6: _________________________________________________________________________

    File system: swap
    Boot sector type: -
    Boot sector info:

sda7: _________________________________________________________________________

    File system: ext3
    Boot sector type: -
    Boot sector info:
    Operating System:
    Boot files/dirs:

sda8: _________________________________________________________________________

    File system: ext3
    Boot sector type: -
    Boot sector info:
    Operating System: Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS
    Boot files/dirs: /boot/grub/menu.lst /etc/fstab

=========================== Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda ___________________ _____________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sda: 251.0 GB, 251000193024 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30515 cylinders, total 490234752 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sda1 63 246,260,384 246,260,322 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 246,260,385 490,223,474 243,963,090 f W95 Ext d (LBA)
/dev/sda5 451,057,068 490,223,474 39,166,407 b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda6 287,627,823 290,246,354 2,618,532 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7 290,246,418 451,057,004 160,810,587 83 Linux
/dev/sda8 246,260,511 287,627,759 41,367,249 83 Linux

blkid -c /dev/null: ____________________________________________________________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/sda1 A68C89B68C898213 ntfs PhotoData1
/dev/sda2: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sda5 AC55-92E0 vfat IMAGEPART
/dev/sda6 5fd99bdd-f30e-46c1-a778-3009e5566d40 swap
/dev/sda7 840d6b08-10a4-4cab-8d44-4edb055d5313 ext3
/dev/sda8 0a63cb84-0f67-4d2d-9b62-23c688f5c312 ext3
/dev/sda: PTTYPE="dos"

============================ "mount | grep ^/dev output: ===========================

Device Mount_Point Type Options

/dev/sda8 / ext3 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
/dev/sda7 /home ext3 (rw)
/dev/sda1 /media/hdb1 fuseblk (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_permissions)
/dev/sda5 /media/hdb5 vfat (rw,utf8,umask=007,gid=46)

=========================== sda8/boot/grub/menu.lst: ===========================

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 10

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=0a63cb84-0f67-4d2d-9b62-23c688f5c312 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,7)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## specify if running in Xen domU or have grub detect automatically
## update-grub will ignore non-xen kernels when running in domU and vice versa
## e.g. indomU=detect
## indomU=true
## indomU=false
# indomU=detect

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS, kernel 2.6.32-30-generic
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-30-generic root=UUID=0a63cb84-0f67-4d2d-9b62-23c688f5c312 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-30-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS, kernel 2.6.32-30-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-30-generic root=UUID=0a63cb84-0f67-4d2d-9b62-23c688f5c312 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-30-generic

title Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS, kernel 2.6.24-28-generic
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-28-generic root=UUID=0a63cb84-0f67-4d2d-9b62-23c688f5c312 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-28-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS, kernel 2.6.24-28-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-28-generic root=UUID=0a63cb84-0f67-4d2d-9b62-23c688f5c312 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-28-generic

title Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS, memtest86+
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/hda2
#title Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
#root (hd0,1)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

=============================== sda8/etc/fstab: ===============================

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# /dev/hdb8
UUID=0a63cb84-0f67-4d2d-9b62-23c688f5c312 / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /dev/hdb7
UUID=840d6b08-10a4-4cab-8d44-4edb055d5313 /home ext3 defaults 0 2
# /dev/hda1
UUID=07D2-0401 /media/hda1 vfat defaults,utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0 1
# /dev/hda2
UUID=38C01734C016F7B8 /media/hda2 ntfs defaults,nls=utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0 1
# /dev/hdb1
UUID=A68C89B68C898213 /media/hdb1 ntfs defaults,nls=utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0 1
# /dev/hdb5
UUID=AC55-92E0 /media/hdb5 vfat defaults,utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0 1
# /dev/hdb6
UUID=5fd99bdd-f30e-46c1-a778-3009e5566d40 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/cdrom /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto 0 0
/dev/ /media/floppy0 auto rw,user,noauto 0 0
=================== sda8: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================

 132.8GB: boot/grub/menu.lst
 132.9GB: boot/grub/stage2
 132.9GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.17-12-generic.bak
 132.8GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-28-generic
 132.8GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-28-generic.bak
 132.8GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-30-generic
 132.8GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-28-generic
 132.8GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-30-generic
 132.8GB: initrd.img
 132.8GB: initrd.img.old
 132.8GB: vmlinuz
 132.8GB: vmlinuz.old

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

Properties Paths from FlashPlugin-nonfree in Snaptic
/.
/usr
/usr/lib
/usr/lib/firefox
/usr/lib/firefox/plugins
/usr/lib/flashplugin-nonfree
/usr/lib/iceape
/usr/lib/iceape/plugins
/usr/lib/iceweasel
/usr/lib/iceweasel/plugins
/usr/lib/midbrowser
/usr/lib/midbrowser/plugins
/usr/lib/mozilla
/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins
/usr/lib/xulrunner
/usr/lib/xulrunner-addons
/usr/lib/xulrunner-addons/plugins
/usr/lib/xulrunner/plugins
/usr/share
/usr/share/doc
/usr/share/doc/flashplugin-nonfree
/usr/share/doc/flashplugin-nonfree/changelog.gz
/usr/share/doc/flashplugin-nonfree/copyright
/usr/share/lintian
/usr/share/lintian/overrides
/usr/share/lintian/overrides/flashplugin-nonfree
/var
/var/cache
/var/cache/flashplugin-nonfree
/var/lib
/var/lib/flashplugin-nonfree

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: flashplugin-nonfree 9.0.159.0ubuntu1~hardy1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-30.59-generic 2.6.32.29+drm33.13
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-30-generic i686
AptOrdering:
 flashplugin-nonfree: Remove
 flashplugin-installer: Install
 flashplugin-installer: Configure
Architecture: i386
Date: Thu Mar 31 14:48:35 2011
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
SourcePackage: initramfs-tools
Title: package flashplugin-nonfree 9.0.159.0ubuntu1~hardy1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2

[Hummingbird (hummer)]

Hiddy...

I don't know what to do exactly, I solved the problem by creating a directory in /var/cache/flashplugin-nonfree
Seemed like the thing to try since the update installer kept complaining about not being able to find that directory.

Let me know if you want the whole bloody story, but its really not worth it. I followed the instructions in the Launchpad answers for "Ubuntu “initramfs-tools” package Questions Question #117247" Only got part way through when everything started working.

I don't know how to report this as SOLVED!

Thanks,
Don

[Hummingbird (hummer)]

Hiddy...

One additional thought. It appears that there is a bug somewhere in the update manager since when it can't find a directory it just gives up the ship and declares an error 2. Seems to me that is a bug of some sort, if I can fix it by manually adding a directory, then why can't the update manager?

Thanks,
Don

[dino99 (9d9)]

That distro have reached EOL since a while; and such problem has been resolved long time ago.