package python-samba 2:4.3.9+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.2 failed to install/upgrade: le sous-processus nouveau script pre-removal a retourné une erreur de sortie d'état 1

[Gilles]

I wanted install terminator.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: python-samba 2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-38.57-generic 4.4.19
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-38-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Nov 17 11:37:41 2016
ErrorMessage: le sous-processus nouveau script pre-removal a retourné une erreur de sortie d'état 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-05-09 (192 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160420.1)
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1.1
 apt 1.2.12~ubuntu16.04.1
SambaClientRegression: Yes
SourcePackage: samba
Title: package python-samba 2:4.3.9+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.2 failed to install/upgrade: le sous-processus nouveau script pre-removal a retourné une erreur de sortie d'état 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Christian Ehrhardt  (paelzer)]

From the Log of pkg python-samba_2%3a4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.1_amd64.deb install:

prerm:
  File "/usr/bin/pyclean", line 63
    except (IOError, OSError), e:
                             ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

postinst:
  File "/usr/bin/pycompile", line 35, in <module>
    from debpython.version import SUPPORTED, debsorted, vrepr, \
  File "/usr/share/python/debpython/version.py", line 24, in <module>
    from ConfigParser import SafeConfigParser
ImportError: No module named 'ConfigParser'

The first is valid syntax - my file works and is just the same.
The second is available via "libpython2.7-minimal:amd64: /usr/lib/python2.7/ConfigParser.py" which should be installed.

To be sure of any modifications could you check:
dpkg --verify python-minimal
dpkg --verify libpython2.7-minimal:amd64

Also do you happen to know if you have anything special to your local python setup?
Any manual installations/modifications for any extra package or workaround you made in the past?
Please share anything that applies and could help.

I've found a few similar but older reports, none was able to identify the root cause triggering this. Just search for:
"ImportError: No module named 'ConfigParser'" ubuntu /usr/share/python/debpython/version.py
And check the posts if one of them applies to your case - if so please let us know which one - maybe we are able to track down the initial trigger this time.

There seems to be some success with cleaning and reinstalling those if you want to try that:
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --reinstall python-minimal python-lockfile