package gcc-doc 4:4.6.1-2ubuntu5 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1

[Alan Lehotsky]

Using either the gui software updater or apt-get directly complains trying to update bison-doc

An attempt to

  apt-get remove bison-doc

reports that the config info is corrupted and that I should reinstall before trying to remove. The reinstall results in the autogeneration of this bug report.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: gcc-doc 4:4.6.1-2ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-26.41-generic 3.2.19
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-26-generic i686
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu11
Architecture: i386
Date: Sun Jul 22 15:27:37 2012
ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
SourcePackage: gcc-defaults
Title: package gcc-doc 4:4.6.1-2ubuntu5 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-05-27 (56 days ago)

[Matthias Klose (doko)]

this is fixed in utopic