package postfix 3.1.0-3 failed to install/upgrade: package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should reinstall it before attempting a removal

[Gregory Smitherman]

install of postfix

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: postfix 3.1.0-3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-62.83-generic 4.4.40
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-62-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.5
AptOrdering:
 postfix: Purge
 sensible-mda: Purge
 NULL: ConfigurePending
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sat Feb 4 04:39:12 2017
Dependencies:

DpkgTerminalLog:
 dpkg: error processing package postfix (--purge):
  package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should
  reinstall it before attempting a removal
ErrorMessage: package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should reinstall it before attempting a removal
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-01-07 (28 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Beta amd64 (20150805)
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1.1
 apt 1.2.19
SourcePackage: postfix
Title: package postfix 3.1.0-3 failed to install/upgrade: package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should reinstall it before attempting a removal
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2017-01-07 (27 days ago)

[Scott Kitterman (kitterman)]

Unfortunately there isn't enough information here to make the bug actionable. We need to know how it got in an inconsistent state. Please check /var/log/apt/term.log (or possibly older term.log.* files) for postfix installation or upgrade errors and add that information to the bug.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for postfix (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]