jockey-backend crashed with SystemError: E:Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[Matt 6:27]

error arises at boot of 11.10 from usb drive; all other ops appear to be working. I've been trying to get wifi going on a Dell Inspiron E1705 laptop.

ProblemType: Crash
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: jockey-common 0.9.4-0ubuntu10
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.20-generic 3.0.4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu3
Architecture: i386
CasperVersion: 1.287
Date: Sun Oct 16 22:52:18 2011
ExecutablePath: /usr/share/jockey/jockey-backend
InterpreterPath: /usr/bin/python2.7
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Beta i386 (20111006)
MachineType: Dell Inc. MP061
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcCmdline: /usr/bin/python /usr/share/jockey/jockey-backend --debug -l /var/log/jockey.log
ProcEnviron:

ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz noprompt cdrom-detect/try-usb=true persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/hostname.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash -- maybe-ubiquity
PythonArgs: ['/usr/share/jockey/jockey-backend', '--debug', '-l', '/var/log/jockey.log']
SourcePackage: jockey
Title: jockey-backend crashed with SystemError: E:Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
Traceback: SystemError: E:Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups:

dmi.bios.date: 04/02/2007
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A08
dmi.board.name: 0YD479
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA08:bd04/02/2007:svnDellInc.:pnMP061:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0YD479:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr:
dmi.product.name: MP061
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Apport retracing service (apport)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this crash and helping to make Ubuntu better. This particular crash has already been reported and is a duplicate of bug #850005, so is being marked as such. Please look at the other bug report to see if there is any missing information that you can provide, or to see if there is a workaround for the bug. Additionally, any further discussion regarding the bug should occur in the other report. Please continue to report any other bugs you may find.