package openoffice.org-emailmerge 1:3.2.0~rc4-1ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Matt]

Binary package hint: openoffice.org

Upgrade fails in lucid.

ProblemType: Package
Architecture: i386
Date: Tue Mar 23 16:09:53 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
Package: openoffice.org-emailmerge 1:3.2.0~rc4-1ubuntu1
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-16.25-generic
SourcePackage: openoffice.org
Title: package openoffice.org-emailmerge 1:3.2.0~rc4-1ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-16-generic i686

[Matt Zimmerman (mdz)]

This is caused by:

check_for_running_ooo() {
        if [ -e /usr/lib/openoffice/program/bootstraprc ]; then
                LOCKFILE="`grep UserInstallation /usr/lib/openoffice/program/bootstraprc | cut -d= -f2 | sed -e 's,SYSUSERCONFIG,HOME,'`/.lock"
                PID=`pgrep soffice.bin | head -n 1`
                if [ -n "$PID" ] || [ -e "$LOCKFILE" ]; then
                        if [ "$DEBIAN_FRONTEND" = "noninteractive" ]; then
                                echo "OpenOffice.org running!" >&2
                                echo "" >&2
                                echo -n "OpenOffice.org is running right now with pid " >&2
                                echo -n "$PID." >&2
                                echo " This can cause problems" >&2
                                echo "with (de-)registration of components and e
xtensions" >&2
                                echo "Thus this package will fail to install" >&2
                                echo "You should close all running instances of OpenOffice.org (including" >&2
                                echo "any currently running Quickstarter) before proceeding with the package" >&2
                                echo "upgrade." >&2
                                exit 1
                        else
                                db_input high shared/openofficeorg-running || true
                                db_go || true
                                # try again in case OOo got closed before hitting OK
                                PID=`pgrep soffice.bin | head -n 1`
                                if [ -n "$PID" ] || [ -e "$LOCKFILE" ]; then
                                        exit 1
                                fi
                        fi
                fi
        fi
}

If OOo can't be safely upgraded while running, aborting the upgrade doesn't seem like the ideal way to handle this. Alternatives:

- Just go ahead, and warn the user that they need to take action (as Firefox does)
- Keep checking until the user has closed the application
- Work around whatever breakage happens if it's upgraded in place

[Chris Cheney (ccheney)]

After talking with the Debian maintainer today and doing more tests it appears to be safe now to do the upgrade while OOo is running. In the past this would cause problems with unopkg registration of extensions but it seems to be ok now. If we run into problems after removing this code then we may have to go to the option 2 you noted above, keep checking until the applications are closed.

Chris