package phpmyadmin 4:3.4.4-1 failed to install/upgrade - Can't avoid database upgrade despite GUI saying otherwise

[Camille Appert]

I updated to Oneiric, and during the update of the phpmyadmin package, a GUI showed up, asking me if I wanted to upgrade some database.
Not remembering my database password after several attempts, I unchecked the case which should allow me to do it manually later.
Unfortunately, this doesn't work, and still try to connect to the database. Using "abort" in the Abort/Retry/"Retry with same" dialog also fail.
I had to xkill (!!!) the dialog, Ctrl+C didn't work.
After the end of update, update-manager run dpkg-configure -a, and this time showed me a curses interface, when showing "No" successfully bypassed the database update.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: phpmyadmin 4:3.4.4-1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-11.48-generic 2.6.38.8
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-11-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Sep 21 09:04:40 2011
ErrorMessage: ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: phpmyadmin
Title: package phpmyadmin 4:3.4.4-1 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-09-21 (0 days ago)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Kev Walke (kelvinelk)]

Thanks for the workaround, I thought this was game over for the update. Just wanted to add that I checked on the command line with mysql and I _was_ using the correct password - So this could potentially catch everyone out on upgrade, not just when the password is unknown

[Sasa Paporovic (melchiaros)]

Stephan commented on

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/phpmyadmin/+bug/873676

---------------------------------:

On updating from 11.04 to 11.10 the updater got stuck in an infinite loop trying to access MySQL as root without password.
Workaround: Unsetting MySQL's root password.

Fragment from output to terminal:

ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' (using password: NO)
dbconfig-common: phpmyadmin configure: retrying.
dbconfig-common: writing config to /etc/dbconfig-common/phpmyadmin.conf
Replacing config file /etc/phpmyadmin/config-db.php with new version
creating database backup in /var/cache/dbconfig-common/backups/phpmyadmin_4:3.3.10-1.mysql.
ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' (using password: NO).
unable to connect to mysql server.
error encountered backing up the old database:
ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' (using password: NO)
dbconfig-common: phpmyadmin configure: retrying.
dbconfig-common: writing config to /etc/dbconfig-common/phpmyadmin.conf
creating database backup in /var/cache/dbconfig-common/backups/phpmyadmin_4:3.3.10-1.mysql.
ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' (using password: NO).
unable to connect to mysql server.
error encountered backing up the old database:
ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' (using password: NO)
dbconfig-common: phpmyadmin configure: retrying.