package libpam-runtime 1.3.1-5ubuntu4.3 failed to install/upgrade: installed libpam-runtime package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 255

[Amit Kumar]

I found this bug when I upgrade my ubuntu 20.04 LTS using command "apt-get upgrade"

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: libpam-runtime 1.3.1-5ubuntu4.3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.13.0-35.40~20.04.1-generic 5.13.19
Uname: Linux 5.13.0-35-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: crc32_pclmul
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.16
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
Date: Fri Mar 11 10:43:38 2022
ErrorMessage: installed libpam-runtime package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 255
InstallationDate: Installed on 2022-03-10 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04.2.0 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20210209.1)
PackageArchitecture: all
Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.8, Python 3.8.5, unpackaged
PythonDetails: N/A
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.19.7ubuntu3
 apt 2.0.4
SourcePackage: pam
Title: package libpam-runtime 1.3.1-5ubuntu4.3 failed to install/upgrade: installed libpam-runtime package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 255
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Seth Arnold (seth-arnold)]

These lines from the logs look most relevant:

Unpacking libpam-runtime (1.3.1-5ubuntu4.3) over (1.3.1-5ubuntu4.1) ...
Setting up libpam-runtime (1.3.1-5ubuntu4.3) ...
Can't locate object method "new" via package "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::Multiselect" (perhaps you forgot to load "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::Multiselect"?) at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd.pm line 68, <GEN1> line 8.
Use of uninitialized value $ret in scalar chomp at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Client/ConfModule.pm line 132, <STDIN> line 7.
Use of uninitialized value $ret in split at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Client/ConfModule.pm line 133, <STDIN> line 7.
Use of uninitialized value $ret[0] in string eq at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Client/ConfModule.pm line 134, <STDIN> line 7.
dpkg: error processing package libpam-runtime (--configure):
 installed libpam-runtime package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 255

Is pam missing a versioned pre-depends? or is something not prepared to handle a non-interactive update?

Amit you can probably make progress by running this in a terminal: sudo apt install -f

Thanks

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

On Fri, Mar 11, 2022 at 05:53:33PM -0000, Seth Arnold wrote:
> These lines from the logs look most relevant:
>
> Unpacking libpam-runtime (1.3.1-5ubuntu4.3) over (1.3.1-5ubuntu4.1) ...
> Setting up libpam-runtime (1.3.1-5ubuntu4.3) ...
> Can't locate object method "new" via package "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::Multiselect" (perhaps you forgot to load "Debconf::Element::Noninteractive::Multiselect"?) at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd.pm line 68, <GEN1> line 8.
> Use of uninitialized value $ret in scalar chomp at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Client/ConfModule.pm line 132, <STDIN> line 7.
> Use of uninitialized value $ret in split at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Client/ConfModule.pm line 133, <STDIN> line 7.
> Use of uninitialized value $ret[0] in string eq at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Client/ConfModule.pm line 134, <STDIN> line 7.
> dpkg: error processing package libpam-runtime (--configure):
> installed libpam-runtime package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 255

> Is pam missing a versioned pre-depends?

No. a) this is happening at package setup time (so: in the postinst, not in
the preinst, and pre-depends are not relevant), b) libpam-runtime has had
the correct dep on debconf for years (decades?).

> or is something not prepared to handle a non-interactive update?

Also no. This seems to be some strange breakage of the debconf package on
the system; possibly filesystem corruption, because the packaging system
should not allow such a situation.

[Seth Arnold (seth-arnold)]

Corruption was my first idea, too, but the Dependencies.txt didn't report debsums mismatches. Thanks for the explanations.