package procps 1:3.2.8-11ubuntu6.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Curtis Schroeder]

Problem occurred during btsync PPA upgrade I believe.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: procps 1:3.2.8-11ubuntu6.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-54.82-generic 3.2.50
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-54-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.5
Architecture: amd64
Date: Tue Oct 15 20:07:24 2013
DuplicateSignature: package:procps:1:3.2.8-11ubuntu6.1:subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
MarkForUpload: True
SourcePackage: procps
Title: package procps 1:3.2.8-11ubuntu6.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-05-03 (530 days ago)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[jno (jnoster)]

+ reported "changed /etc/sysctl.conf"

[edubkendo (esw9999)]

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1505356

Running `cat /etc/sysctl.d/*.conf /etc/sysctl.conf | sudo sysctl -p -` as this post suggests revealed the error to me, an invalid line in /etc/sysctl.d/30-nepomuk-inotify-limit.conf :

fs.inotify.max_user_watches = 524288

Commenting this out appears to have resolved the issue. Procps/dpkg or whatever is actually returning the error should return a more useful error, imo.

[jno (jnoster)]

/etc/sysctl.d/30-nepomuk-inotify-limit.conf -- I do not have such a file.

but `cat /etc/sysctl.d/*.conf /etc/sysctl.conf | sudo sysctl -p -` gives

error: "Invalid argument" setting key "fs.inotify.max_user_watches"

as well as

error: "kernel.maps_protect" is an unknown key
error: "sys.kernel.maps_protect" is an unknown key
error: "net.ipv4.ip_always_defrag" is an unknown key

well, `grep fs.inotify.max_user_watches /etc/sysctl.d/*.conf /etc/sysctl.conf ` gives

/etc/sysctl.d/30-spideroak.conf:fs.inotify.max_user_watches = 65536
/etc/sysctl.conf:fs.inotify.max_user_watches = 524288

The last one looks odd.

Well, no values in range 8K..512K meet the need :(

After commenting out *all* the erratic lines, it was made to work finally.

[jno (jnoster)]

BTW, inspecting settings with `sudo sysctl -a` gives
fs.inotify.max_user_watches = 8192

Linux XXX 3.2.0-54-generic-pae #82-Ubuntu SMP Tue Sep 10 20:29:22 UTC 2013 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS
Release: 12.04
Codename: precise

[jno (jnoster)]

wow!

jno@jno:~$ ls /proc/sys/fs/inotify/max_user_watches
/proc/sys/fs/inotify/max_user_watches

jno@jno:~$ cat /proc/sys/fs/inotify/max_user_watches
524288

[Monish Kumar Desai (atqueensu)]

Guys the culprit is the SpiderOak cloud sync software, It is creating the file "/etc/sysctrl.d/30-spideroak.conf" with data
fs.inotify.max_user_watches = 65536

As soon as u commment it out, error is gone.

FYI, my "cat /proc/sys/fs/inotify/max_user_watches" returns
8192
and "cat /etc/sysctl.d/*.conf /etc/sysctl.conf | sudo sysctl -p -" stops throwing any error.

Now I am able to successfully upgrade package procps

Hope it helps.