samba-common postinst returned error exit status 128 (uninitialized value in debconf Passthrough.pm)

[solki]

Binary package hint: samba

Ubuntu 9.10
package samba-common 2:3.4.0-3

3) What you expected to happen
Expected to update the system

4) What happened instead
Update manager comes back with an errror
   package samba-common 2:3.4.0-3ubuntu5.4 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 128

ProblemType: Package
Architecture: i386
Date: Fri Feb 12 14:37:11 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 128
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
Package: samba-common 2:3.4.0-3ubuntu5.4
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-19.56-generic
SourcePackage: samba
Title: package samba-common 2:3.4.0-3ubuntu5.4 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 128
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-19-generic i686

[Thierry Carrez (ttx)]

Relevant error:

Setting up samba-common (2:3.4.0-3ubuntu5.4) ...
Use of uninitialized value $reply in scalar chomp at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd/Passthrough.pm line 66.
Use of uninitialized value $reply in concatenation (.) or string at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd/Passthrough.pm line 67.
Use of uninitialized value $reply in split at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd/Passthrough.pm line 68.
Use of uninitialized value $reply in scalar chomp at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd/Passthrough.pm line 66.
Use of uninitialized value $reply in concatenation (.) or string at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd/Passthrough.pm line 67.
Use of uninitialized value $reply in split at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd/Passthrough.pm line 68.
dpkg: error processing samba-common (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 128

[Joi Owen (jlellis)]

The samba-common.postinst maintainer script is sourcing debconf's confmodule in the middle of the script. Moving this line to the top of the .postinst script fixes the error and samba-common now installs properly.

[Chuck Short (zulcss)]

Thanks for the patch ill look at this getting it fixed for lucid.

Regards
chuck

[Thierry Carrez (ttx)]

The sourcing of confmodule is actually at the top of the postinst script right now :
http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-branches/ubuntu/lucid/samba/lucid/annotate/head%3A/debian/samba-common.postinst

Has been since 3.4.0, so it's probably not the root cause of this bug ?

[Chuck Short (zulcss)]

This should be fixed in lucid already.

[Ｖ字龍(Vdragon) (vdragon)]

I found the exactly same problem on installing Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick i386 Desktop Edition.
Here are some of my settings.

Installed on : an 5G EXT2 partition on a 8G USB disk.
etc/apt/sources.list : all changed to http://shadow.ind.ntou.edu.tw
CPU : Intel i7 670
RAM : 4G
Using application when updating : Only Firefox

Another to mention : there is always and only 1 CPU running 100% since boot, is that normal?

[Ｖ字龍(Vdragon) (vdragon)]

P.S. Not installing, is UPDATING...
Thanks