package opensm (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1

[Eric Tittley]

I tested installing packages for Infiniband. That worked fine, but I was unable to remove the package opensm (Infiniband subnet manager) when done with the tests.

apt and synaptic now claim it is not installed. I have no interest in the package being installed. The error associated with this bug is produced by the automated updates. The bug seems to be with the upgrade manager thinking it needs to upgrade a package that is actually not installed, a situation created by a package not cleanly un-installed.

Description: Ubuntu 14.10
Release: 14.10

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.10
Package: opensm (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-26.34-generic 3.16.7-ckt1
Uname: Linux 3.16.0-26-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.14.7-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Nov 24 22:44:18 2014
DuplicateSignature: package:opensm:(not installed):subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2011-05-08 (1299 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
SourcePackage: opensm
Title: package opensm (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to utopic on 2014-11-01 (26 days ago)

[Eric Tittley (eric-r-tittley)]

I fixed the problem of not being able to completely uninstall opensm by :
sudo touch /etc/init.d/opensm
sudo dpkg --purge opensm
sudo rm -f /etc/init.d/opensm

The --purge was possibly failing because the uninstall script was failing to run /etc/init.d/opensm stop
Creating an empty file allowed that step to appear to be successful.

This is probably an issue in opensm's uninstall script.