package mysql-server-5.1 (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1

[James John McGinnis]

Installing mythtv and mysql-dfsg 5.1 failed to install. Using ultimate edition 2.7 (Ubuntu 10.04 64 bit)

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: mysql-server-5.1 (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-29.58-generic 2.6.32.28+drm33.13
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-29-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sat Mar 12 14:23:15 2011
ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release amd64 (20100429)
SourcePackage: mysql-dfsg-5.1
Title: package mysql-server-5.1 (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1

[James Page (james-page)]

Error from log:

Unpacking mysql-server-5.1 (from .../mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.10_amd64.deb) ...
Use of uninitialized value $_[1] in join or string at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Stack.pm line 104, <GEN0> line 7.
useradd: cannot lock /etc/passwd; try again later.
adduser: `/usr/sbin/useradd -d /var/lib/mysql -g mysql -s /bin/false -u 121 mysql' returned error code 1. Exiting.
Use of uninitialized value $val in substitution (s///) at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Format/822.pm line 83.
Use of uninitialized value $val in concatenation (.) or string at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Format/822.pm line 84.
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.10_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1

[James Page (james-page)]

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

It looks like another process had a lock (or had left one around) on the /etc/passwd file.

Please can you look for a file called /etc/passwd.lock - if this is present please remove and re-attempt the installation of mysql-sever-5.1:

  sudo apt-get install mysql-server-5.1

You can also see if another process has the file locked by using the fuser command:

  fuser /etc/passwd

I think that its unlikely that this will return anything, but if it does please can you append the information about the process locking the file to this bug report; you could try killing the process and re-installing as described above.

Please update this bug report if this resolves your issue.

[James John McGinnis (james-jamesmcginnis)]

Second attempt to install mysql:

It would not install via Ubuntu Software Center (Installing Mythtv which mysql is a dependency). Attempted to install broken package via apt-get. Now I get the following error.

$ sudo apt-get install -f
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  mysql-server-5.1
Suggested packages:
  tinyca
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  mysql-server-5.1
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 12 not upgraded.
19 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B/7,105kB of archives.
After this operation, 15.7MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Y
Preconfiguring packages ...
(Reading database ... 632817 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking mysql-server-5.1 (from .../mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.10_amd64.deb) ...
useradd: cannot lock /etc/shadow; try again later.
adduser: `/usr/sbin/useradd -d /var/lib/mysql -g mysql -s /bin/false -u 121 mysql' returned error code 1. Exiting.
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.10_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/mysql-server-5.1_5.1.41-3ubuntu12.10_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[James Page (james-page)]

OK well that moved us forward; but it looks like something had also left a .lock file on /etc/shadow.

Please can you repeat the process but for /etc/shadow.lock - might also be worth looking to see if there are any other .lock files present in the /etc/ directory.

Thanks

[Joshua Lückers (joshualuckers)]

We'd like to figure out what's causing this bug for you, but we haven't heard back from you in a while. Could you please provide the requested information? Thanks!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for mysql-dfsg-5.1 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]