sa-compile package fails to complete installation due to permission error creating file CompiledRegexps, cannot write to /var/lib/spamassassin/compiled/5.018/3.004000/

[Julian Edwards]

ed@jeeves:~$ sudo apt-get install sa-compile
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  sa-compile
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 13.8 kB of archives.
After this operation, 145 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main sa-compile all 3.4.0-1ubuntu1 [13.8 kB]
27% [1 sa-compile 3,653 B/13.8 kB 27%]
Fetched 13.8 kB in 0s (26.7 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package sa-compile.
(Reading database ... 290981 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../sa-compile_3.4.0-1ubuntu1_all.deb ...
Unpacking sa-compile (3.4.0-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.6.7.1-1) ...
Setting up sa-compile (3.4.0-1ubuntu1) ...
Running sa-compile (may take a long time)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ERROR: Can't create '/var/lib/spamassassin/compiled/5.018/3.004000/Mail/SpamAssassin/CompiledRegexps'
mkdir /var/lib/spamassassin/compiled/5.018: Permission denied at /usr/share/perl/5.18/ExtUtils/Install.pm line 469.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 at -e line 1.
make: *** [pure_site_install] Error 13
command 'make install >>/tmp/.spamassassin17032cVimjBtmp/log' failed: exit 2
dpkg: error processing package sa-compile (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 25
Errors were encountered while processing:
 sa-compile
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: sa-compile 3.4.0-1ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-29.53-generic 3.13.11.2
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-29-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.2
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Jun 6 10:38:13 2014
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: spamassassin
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-04-28 (38 days ago)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

From the description it's not clear what the problem was originally, but spamassassin in general has been installing fine in the intervening years, so presumably this issue is no longer relevant. If this particular issue still persists, I'd request opening a fresh new bug for us to evaluate.