package ruby1.8 1.8.7.352-2 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2

[Torsten Spindler]

Happened during a release upgrade from 10.04 to 12.04.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: ruby1.8 1.8.7.352-2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-10.17-generic-pae 3.2.1
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-10-generic-pae i686
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 1.91-0ubuntu1
Architecture: i386
Date: Sat Jan 21 20:30:17 2012
ErrorMessage: ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
SourcePackage: ruby1.8
Title: package ruby1.8 1.8.7.352-2 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-01-21 (0 days ago)

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

From the log file:

Setting up ruby1.8 (1.8.7.352-2) ...^M
update-alternatives: error: alternative ri can't be slave of ruby: it is a master alternative.^M
dpkg: error processing ruby1.8 (--configure):^M
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2^M

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Looking further it appears that you had non-standard versions of ruby installed on your system:

Preparing to replace rubygems1.8 1.3.7-1~uorppa0 (using .../rubygems1.8_1.8.15-0ubuntu1_all.deb) ...^M
Unpacking replacement rubygems1.8 ...^M
dpkg: warning: unable to delete old directory '/var/lib/gems/1.8': Directory not empty^M
dpkg: warning: unable to delete old directory '/var/lib/gems': Directory not empty^M
Preparing to replace rubygems 1.3.7-1~uorppa0 (using .../rubygems_1.8.15-0ubuntu1_all.deb) ...^M
Unpacking replacement rubygems ...^M
Preparing to replace ri1.8 1.8.7.249-2 (using .../ri1.8_1.8.7.352-2_all.deb) ...^M
Unpacking replacement ri1.8 ...^M
Preparing to replace ri 4.2-2~uorppa0 (using .../apt/archives/ri_4.8_all.deb) ...^M
Unpacking replacement ri ...^M

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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