/var/lib/dpkg/info/udev.prerm called with unknown argument 'deconfigure'

[Raymond Bakker]

Notification during upgrade:

The upgrade will continue but the '/var/cache/apt/archives/systemd_229-3ubuntu1_amd64.deb' package may not be in a working state. Please consider submitting a bug report about it.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: systemd 225-1ubuntu9.1 [modified: usr/share/dbus-1/system-services/org.freedesktop.systemd1.service]
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-34.39-generic 4.2.8-ckt4
Uname: Linux 4.2.0-34-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu5
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Mar 24 11:56:03 2016
DuplicateSignature: package:systemd:225-1ubuntu9.1 [modified: usr/share/dbus-1/system-services/org.freedesktop.systemd1.service]:subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-01-24 (424 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.10 "Utopic Unicorn" - Release amd64 (20141022.1)
MachineType: MEDION H81H3-EM2
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-34-generic root=UUID=5875860d-f233-4082-93b8-7ee2fcdbacc4 ro quiet splash
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1
 apt 1.2.7
SourcePackage: systemd
Title: package systemd 225-1ubuntu9.1 [modified: usr/share/dbus-1/system-services/org.freedesktop.systemd1.service] failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2016-03-24 (0 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 06/30/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: H81EM2W08.304
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: H81H3-EM2
dmi.board.vendor: MEDION
dmi.board.version: H81EM2W08.304
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: MEDION
dmi.chassis.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrH81EM2W08.304:bd06/30/2014:svnMEDION:pnH81H3-EM2:pvrH81EM2W08.304:rvnMEDION:rnH81H3-EM2:rvrH81EM2W08.304:cvnMEDION:ct3:cvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:
dmi.product.name: H81H3-EM2
dmi.product.version: H81EM2W08.304
dmi.sys.vendor: MEDION

[Raymond Bakker (raymond-bakker)]

Issue resolved later after (partially failed) distribution upgrade.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[wgroiss (wolfgang-groiss-gmx)]

I got bug during update from xubuntu 15.10 to 16.04 via update-manager -d.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

This got fixed in xenial's udev by making it understand the "deconfigure" argument. But this would need to be retroactively fixed in wily in the *old* version which we cannot do unfortunately.

[Nicolas_Raoul (nicolas-raoul)]

Got this at `sudo do-release-upgrade` from 2015.10 to 2016.04

[teo1978 (teo8976)]

Got this error while upgrading from 15.10 to 16.04.

Why the fuck is this marked as fixed?
I understand 15.10 has reached EOL, but bugs that prevent you from upgrading seamlessly must still be fixed.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

I disagree with Martin, this is not about deconfigure being an unknown argument if it were we'd see the following in DpkgTerminalLog:

Preparing to unpack .../systemd_229-4ubuntu6_amd64.deb ...
De-configuring udev (225-1ubuntu9.1) ...
dpkg-maintscript-helper: error: command symlink_to_dir is unknown
Hint: upgrading dpkg to a newer version might help.

Use 'dpkg-maintscript-helper help' for program usage information.
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/systemd_229-4ubuntu6_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1

However, we are getting "exit status 2" which is bug 1606767.

[Behzad Khandzad (bkhandzad)]

I have same bug during upgrade from ubuntu 15.10 to 16.4

[Christian Lehmann (christian-lehmann)]

Contentwise (although less form-wise), I concur with teo1978. The bug prevents dozens of depending packages to be installed, so the user who wants to upgrade is left with a non-functioning system. Several dpkg orgies in recovery mode were necessary to get a running system.

More generally, it is, alas, a recurrent experience that Ubuntu updates and upgrades destroy the system functionality.