My system has been running quite smoothly for a while now but several days ago, package operations kept failing. This is the output of apt-get:
update-initramfs: deferring update (hook will be called later)
Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 3.2.0-49-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-49-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms 3.2.0-49-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-49-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 3.2.0-49-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-49-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-49-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/pm-utils 3.2.0-49-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-49-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/update-notifier 3.2.0-49-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-49-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-extlinux 3.2.0-49-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-49-generic
P: Checking for EXTLINUX directory... found.
P: Writing config for /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-49-generic...
P: Writing config for /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-48-generic...
P: Writing config for /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-47-generic...
cp: `/usr/lib/extlinux/memdisk' and `/boot/extlinux/memdisk' are the same file
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-extlinux exited with return code 1
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-3.2.0-49-generic.postinst line 1010.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-3.2.0-49-generic (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Setting up gconf2 (3.2.5-0ubuntu2) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/gconf2.postinst: 82: /var/lib/dpkg/info/gconf2.postinst: update-gconf-defaults: Permission denied
dpkg: error processing gconf2 (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 126
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of compiz-gnome:
compiz-gnome depends on gconf2 (>= 2.28.1-2); however:
Package gconf2 is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing compiz-gnome (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of compiz-plugins-main-default:
compiz-plugins-main-default depends on gconf2 (>= 2.28.1-2); however:
Package gconf2 is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing compiz-plugins-main-default (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of compiz:
compiz depends on compiz-gnome | compiz-kde; however:
Package compiz-gnome is not configured yet.
Package compiz-kde is not installed.
compiz depends on compiz-plugins-main-default (>= 0.9); however:
Package compiz-plugins-main-default is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing compiz (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent No apport report written because the error message indicates it's a follow-up error from a previous failure.
No apport report written because MaxReports has already been reached
No apport report written because MaxReports has already been reached
No apport report written because MaxReports has already been reached
No apport report written because MaxReports has already been reached
No apport report written because MaxReports has already been reached
No apport report written because MaxReports has already been reached
configuration of linux-image-generic:
linux-image-generic depends on linux-image-3.2.0-49-generic; however:
Package linux-image-3.2.0-49-generic is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-generic (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-generic:
linux-generic depends on linux-image-generic (= 3.2.0.49.59); however:
Package linux-image-generic is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing linux-generic (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of unity-common:
unity-common depends on gconf2 (>= 2.28.1-2); however:
Package gconf2 is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing unity-common (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of unity:
unity depends on unity-common (= 5.20.0-0ubuntu1); however:
Package unity-common is not configured yet.
unity depends on compiz; however:
Package compiz is not configured yet.
unity depends on compiz-plugins-main-default; however:
Package compiz-plugins-main-default is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing unity (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
linux-image-3.2.0-49-generic
gconf2
compiz-gnome
compiz-plugins-main-default
compiz
linux-image-generic
linux-generic
unity-common
unity
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
zsh: exit 100 sudo apt-get --fix-broken install
And this is the file that generates the permission error:
# ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info/gconf2.postinst
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2679 Mar 23 2012 /var/lib/dpkg/info/gconf2.postinst*
ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: gconf2 3.2.5-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-48.74-generic 3.2.46
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-48-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.3
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Jun 21 10:03:48 2013
DuplicateSignature: package:gconf2:3.2.5-0ubuntu2:subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 126
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 126
InstallationMedia: Lubuntu 12.04 "Precise Pangolin" - Alpha amd64 (20120201.1)
MarkForUpload: True
SourcePackage: gconf
Title: package gconf2 3.2.5-0ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 126
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
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