package psad 2.1.5-1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Hrvoje Matijakovic]

Binary package hint: psad

Setting up psad (2.1.5-1) ...

Description: Ubuntu karmic (development branch)
Release: 9.10

when i try to install psad i get:

Starting Port Scan Attack Detector: psad [*] Could not find mail, edit /etc/psad/psad.conf at /usr/sbin/psad line 9566.
 * Unable to start the daemon.
invoke-rc.d: initscript psad, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing psad (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
Setting up psad (2.1.5-1) ...
Starting Port Scan Attack Detector: psad [*] Could not find mail, edit /etc/psad/psad.conf at /usr/sbin/psad line 9566.
 * Unable to start the daemon.
invoke-rc.d: initscript psad, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing psad (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 psad

ProblemType: Package
Architecture: i386
Date: Tue Sep 22 17:25:51 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Package: psad 2.1.5-1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-10.34-generic
SourcePackage: psad
Title: package psad 2.1.5-1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-10-generic i686

DESCRIPTION:
psad failed to install on Karmic with error

Setting up psad (2.1.5-1) ...
Starting Port Scan Attack Detector: psad [*] Could not find mail, edit /etc/psad/psad.conf at /usr/sbin/psad line 9566.

when the 'mail' command is missing.

TEST CASE:
remove any of the bsd-mailx | mailx | mailutils package on the system then run
# apt-get install psad
[...]
Setting up psad (2.1.5-1) ...

Starting Port Scan Attack Detector: psad [*] Could not find mail, edit /etc/psad/psad.conf at /usr/sbin/psad line 9566.

 * Unable to start the daemon.

invoke-rc.d: initscript psad, action "start" failed.

dpkg: error processing psad (--configure):

 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

WORKAROUND :
Install any of the package bsd-mailx | mailx | mailutils

FIX :
Fixed in Debian and Lucid.

[Dave Walker (davewalker)]

The package requires both mail and sendmail binaries to be installed, as per the configuration. Marking as confirmed.

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

This is fixed in Debian. new versions of packages will be automatically imported to Lucid.

If you need a fix for the bug in previous versions of Ubuntu, please follow the instructions for "How to request new packages" at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuBackports#request-new-packages

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

This bug is fixed in current development release Lucid Lynx.

psad (2.1.5-2) unstable; urgency=low

  * Added a dependency on bsd-mailx | mailx | mailutils package to provide the
    mail command. (Closes: #521683)

If the bug also needs to be fixed in a stable release, use the "Target to release" link to nominate it for that release.

Thanks.

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

SRU : Patch for Karmic backported from Lucid

  * Added a dependency on bsd-mailx | mailx | mailutils package to provide the
    mail command. (LP: #434709)
  * Added a dependency on exim4 | mail-transport-agent to provide the sendmail
    command.