package mysql-server-5.7 5.7.21-1ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: new mysql-server-5.7 package pre-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1

[Francisco Valverde]

The MySQL system is not possible install or error in installation.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: mysql-server-5.7 5.7.21-1ubuntu1
Uname: Linux 4.4.71-ELAR-Systems armv7l
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7
Architecture: armhf
Date: Fri Nov 9 06:36:35 2018
ErrorMessage: new mysql-server-5.7 package pre-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
KernLog:
 [ 0.004426] Security Framework initialized
 [ 2.109287] SGI XFS with ACLs, security attributes, realtime, no debug enabled
 [ 11.308486] systemd[1]: systemd 237 running in system mode. (+PAM +AUDIT +SELINUX +IMA +APPARMOR +SMACK +SYSVINIT +UTMP +LIBCRYPTSETUP +GCRYPT +GNUTLS +ACL +XZ +LZ4 +SECCOMP +BLKID +ELFUTILS +KMOD -IDN2 +IDN -PCRE2 default-hierarchy=hybrid)
Logs.var.log.daemon.log:

MySQLConf.etc.mysql.conf.d.mysql.cnf: [mysql]
MySQLConf.etc.mysql.conf.d.mysqldump.cnf:
 [mysqldump]
 quick
 quote-names
 max_allowed_packet = 16M
MySQLConf.etc.mysql.mysql.conf.d.mysqld_safe_syslog.cnf:
 [mysqld_safe]
 syslog
MySQLVarLibDirListing: ['ibdata1', 'debian-5.7.flag', 'ibtmp1', 'auto.cnf', 'sys', 'phpmyadmin', 'ib_logfile0', 'ib_logfile1', 'performance_schema', 'mysql', 'ib_buffer_pool']
ProcCmdline: earlyprintk console=tty1 root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rw init=/sbin/init uboot_version=2017.07-g7d17b02-dirty
Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.6, Python 3.6.5, python3-minimal, 3.6.5-3
PythonDetails: /usr/bin/python2.7, Python 2.7.15rc1, python-minimal, 2.7.15~rc1-1
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.19.0.5ubuntu2
 apt 1.6.1
SourcePackage: mysql-5.7
Title: package mysql-server-5.7 5.7.21-1ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: new mysql-server-5.7 package pre-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Christian Ehrhardt  (paelzer)]

Hi Fancisco,
I see this in your log
You are required to change your password immediately (root enforced)
chfn: PAM: Authentication token is no longer valid; new one required
adduser: `/usr/bin/chfn -f MySQL Server mysql' returned error code 1. Exiting.
dpkg: error processing archive /tmp/apt-dpkg-install-WA8Pki/5-mysql-server-5.7_5.7.21-1ubuntu1_armhf.deb (--unpack):

Which is nor "normal".
I installed it myself and it has no issue.
I wonder if anyone or anything (scripts/automation) messed with that user 'mysql' and due to that it now fails to install.

That user should not be pre-allocated by other tools, as the package needs it.
Seems like a login or UID expired.

I quickly checked the install scripts, they will call:
        adduser \
          --system \
          --disabled-login \
          --ingroup mysql \
          --no-create-home \
          --home /nonexistent \
          --gecos "MySQL Server" \
          --shell /bin/false

That will call chfn -f to set the full name as it did in your case.

I thought first the only thing that makes sense is an existing userid of the same name conflicting with the package. But it checks if it exists before:
  # creating mysql user if he isn't already there
  if ! getent passwd mysql >/dev/null; then

So what happens in your case?

I see:
chfn: PAM: Authentication token is no longer valid; new one required

Is there anything odd with your pam/login?
Do you have anything that could expire your session externally?
Is this error showing up reproducibly or was this a one off issue due to something odd in PAM?

[Christian Ehrhardt  (paelzer)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better.

There isn't really enough information here for a developer to confirm this issue is a bug, or to begin working on it, so I am marking this bug Incomplete for now.

If you can provide exact steps so that a developer can reproduce the original problem, then please add them to this bug and change the status back to New.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for mysql-5.7 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]