package mysql-server-5.1 5.1.37-1ubuntu5 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1

[jbiztino]

Errors were encountered while processing:
/var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server-5.1 5.1.37-1ubuntu5.1_i386.deb
E:sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned error code (1)
a package failed to install. Trying to recover...

 Ubuntu 9.10
                - the Karmic Koala - released in October 2009 and supported until April 2011.

ProblemType: Package
Architecture: i386
Date: Fri Feb 12 08:43:15 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
MySQLConf.etc.mysql.conf.d.mysqld.safe.syslog.cnf:
 [mysqld_safe]
 syslog
MySQLVarLibDirListing: ['ibdata1', 'debian-5.1.flag', 'R_prodserver_tables', 'mysql_upgrade_info', 'test', 'mysql', 'debian-5.0.flag', 'ib_logfile1', 'ib_logfile0']
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: mysql-server-5.1 5.1.37-1ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-19.56-generic
SourcePackage: mysql-dfsg-5.1
Title: package mysql-server-5.1 5.1.37-1ubuntu5 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-19-generic i686