package lirc 0.10.1-6.1 failed to install/upgrade: installed lirc package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1

[Stephen Worthington]

root@vb-Ubuntu-20:/etc/lirc# lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
Release: 20.04
root@vb-Ubuntu-20:/etc/lirc# apt-cache policy lirc
lirc:
  Installed: 0.10.1-6.1
  Candidate: 0.10.1-6.1
  Version table:
 *** 0.10.1-6.1 500
        500 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

I installed Ubuntu 20.04 beta in a VirtualBox virtual machine a few days ago. Today (after I got the message that 20.04 has been released), I updated the vm to the latest packages, then tried:

apt install lirc

and got this:

root@vb-Ubuntu-20:/home/stephen# apt install lirc
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  libftdi1-2 liblirc0 libportaudio2 libusb-0.1-4
Suggested packages:
  lirc-compat-remotes lirc-drv-irman lirc-doc lirc-x setserial ir-keytable
Recommended packages:
  gir1.2-vte
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libftdi1-2 liblirc0 libportaudio2 libusb-0.1-4 lirc
0 upgraded, 5 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 654 kB of archives.
After this operation, 3,178 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
Get:1 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 libftdi1-2 amd64 1.4-2build2 [25.6 kB]
Get:2 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 libportaudio2 amd64 19.6.0-1build1 [65.4 kB]
Get:3 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 libusb-0.1-4 amd64 2:0.1.12-32 [17.4 kB]
Get:4 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 liblirc0 amd64 0.10.1-6.1 [82.8 kB]
Get:5 http://nz.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 lirc amd64 0.10.1-6.1 [463 kB]
Fetched 654 kB in 0s (2,455 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package libftdi1-2:amd64.
(Reading database ... 261704 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libftdi1-2_1.4-2build2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libftdi1-2:amd64 (1.4-2build2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libportaudio2:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../libportaudio2_19.6.0-1build1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libportaudio2:amd64 (19.6.0-1build1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libusb-0.1-4:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../libusb-0.1-4_2%3a0.1.12-32_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libusb-0.1-4:amd64 (2:0.1.12-32) ...
Selecting previously unselected package liblirc0:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../liblirc0_0.10.1-6.1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking liblirc0:amd64 (0.10.1-6.1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package lirc.
Preparing to unpack .../lirc_0.10.1-6.1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking lirc (0.10.1-6.1) ...
Setting up libportaudio2:amd64 (19.6.0-1build1) ...
Setting up libusb-0.1-4:amd64 (2:0.1.12-32) ...
Setting up libftdi1-2:amd64 (1.4-2build2) ...
Setting up liblirc0:amd64 (0.10.1-6.1) ...
Setting up lirc (0.10.1-6.1) ...
Job for lircd.service failed because a fatal signal was delivered causing the control process to dump core.
See "systemctl status lircd.service" and "journalctl -xe" for details.
invoke-rc.d: initscript lircd, action "start" failed.
● lircd.service - Flexible IR remote input/output application support
     Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/lircd.service; disabled; vendor preset: enabled)
     Active: failed (Result: core-dump) since Fri 2020-04-24 20:52:00 NZST; 36ms ago
       Docs: man:lircd(8)
             http://lirc.org/html/configure.html
    Process: 10762 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/lircd --nodaemon (code=dumped, signal=SEGV)
   Main PID: 10762 (code=dumped, signal=SEGV)

Apr 24 20:52:00 vb-Ubuntu-20 systemd[1]: Starting Flexible IR remote input/output application support...
Apr 24 20:52:00 vb-Ubuntu-20 lircd[10762]: Warning: cannot open /etc/lirc/lirc_options.conf
Apr 24 20:52:00 vb-Ubuntu-20 lircd-0.10.1[10762]: Info: lircd: Opening log, level: Info
Apr 24 20:52:00 vb-Ubuntu-20 lircd-0.10.1[10762]: Notice: Version: lircd 0.10.1
Apr 24 20:52:00 vb-Ubuntu-20 lircd-0.10.1[10762]: Notice: System info: Linux vb-Ubuntu-20 5.4.0-26-generic #30-Ubuntu
 SMP Mon Apr 20 16:58:30 UTC 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Apr 24 20:52:00 vb-Ubuntu-20 systemd[1]: lircd.service: Main process exited, code=dumped, status=11/SEGV
Apr 24 20:52:00 vb-Ubuntu-20 systemd[1]: lircd.service: Failed with result 'core-dump'.
Apr 24 20:52:00 vb-Ubuntu-20 systemd[1]: Failed to start Flexible IR remote input/output application support.
dpkg: error processing package lirc (--configure):
 installed lirc package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Processing triggers for systemd (245.4-4ubuntu3) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.9.1-1) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.31-0ubuntu9) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 lirc
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

This appears to be caused by the /etc/lirc/lirc_options.conf file not being present. When I copy /etc/lirc/lirc_options.conf.dist to /etc/lirc/lirc_options.conf and then do:

systemctl start lircd

it does start, but now with an error message about /etc/lirc/lirc_options.conf being absent. It continues to run.

So it would seem that the lirc package does not install a valid default config. It should either do that, or it should not attempt to start lircd when the package is installed.

This problem, like others in this package that I found in the 18.04 version, seems to occur because the package creator is only testing the package on a system that is being used to develop the package, and already has a valid config in place and also has the package source code installed and compiled. The package needs to be properly tested by installing it on a bare Ubuntu 20.04 system just after the system has been installed.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: lirc 0.10.1-6.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-26.30-generic 5.4.30
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-26-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
Date: Fri Apr 24 20:52:00 2020
ErrorMessage: installed lirc package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-04-16 (8 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Beta amd64 (20200402)
Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.8, Python 3.8.2, python3-minimal, 3.8.2-0ubuntu2
PythonDetails: /usr/bin/python3.8, Python 3.8.2, python-is-python3, 3.8.2-4
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.19.7ubuntu3
 apt 2.0.2
SourcePackage: lirc
Title: package lirc 0.10.1-6.1 failed to install/upgrade: installed lirc package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.