package mwavem 2.0-3 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[elias]

Binary package hint: mwavem

This report was launched automatically when installing several packages with synaptic package manager, in a Toshiba Satellite U205 with Intel Core 2 Duo(T7200)/945GM Express.
I could never make the winmodem work as linmodem, this time I just clicked either directly or transitively mwavem in Synaptic Package Manager under Ubuntu 8.10 x386, it seems very similar to reports:

#377149 mwave intall crashed
#152724 mwavem crashes on Thinkpad 600E when trying to dial

Because this report was launched automatically, I do not know what is going on, I added it as a new report just to add more information about the hardware, although it is probably already included in the information collected by the error reporting program.

This is a cut/paste of the synaptics installation window:

Selecting previously deselected package dtmfdial.
(Reading database ... 221533 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking dtmfdial (from .../dtmfdial_0.2-4_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libhd14.
Unpacking libhd14 (from .../libhd14_14.19-2ubuntu1_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package hwinfo.
Unpacking hwinfo (from .../hwinfo_14.19-2ubuntu1_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package mwavem.
Unpacking mwavem (from .../archives/mwavem_2.0-3_i386.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up dtmfdial (0.2-4) ...
Setting up libhd14 (14.19-2ubuntu1) ...

Setting up hwinfo (14.19-2ubuntu1) ...
Setting up mwavem (2.0-3) ...
MAKEDEV created device node /dev/active, .

************************************************************************
*
* The update-modules command is deprecated and should not be used!
*
************************************************************************

 * Starting Mwave modem support
   ...fail!
invoke-rc.d: initscript mwavem, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing mwavem (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Processing triggers for libc6 ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mwavem
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
Setting up mwavem (2.0-3) ...
MAKEDEV created device node /dev/active, .

************************************************************************
*
* The update-modules command is deprecated and should not be used!
*
************************************************************************

 * Starting Mwave modem support
   ...fail!
invoke-rc.d: initscript mwavem, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing mwavem (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1

ProblemType: Package
Architecture: i386
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 8.10
ErrorMessage: subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Package: mwavem 2.0-3
SourcePackage: mwavem
Title: package mwavem 2.0-3 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Uname: Linux 2.6.27-17-generic i686