package udev 225-1ubuntu9.1 failed to install/upgrade: dpkg-maintscript-helper: error: command symlink_to_dir is unknown

[Chelmite]

Died during upgrade from 15.10 x86-64.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: udev 225-1ubuntu9.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-37.43-generic 4.2.8-ckt10
Uname: Linux 4.2.0-37-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu5
Architecture: amd64
CustomUdevRuleFiles: 60-vboxdrv.rules 51-android.rules 99-lexscan.rules
Date: Tue May 24 16:29:40 2016
DuplicateSignature: package:udev:225-1ubuntu9.1:subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-05-02 (1118 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
MachineType: System76, Inc. Serval WS
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-37-generic root=UUID=1fc67f3a-3070-4bdf-b16d-81d1e5d68535 ro
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1.1
 apt 1.2.12~ubuntu16.04.1
SourcePackage: systemd
Title: package udev 225-1ubuntu9.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2016-05-24 (0 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 10/26/2015
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1.05.04RS76
dmi.board.asset.tag: Tag 12345
dmi.board.name: Serval WS
dmi.board.vendor: System76, Inc.
dmi.board.version: serw9
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: System76, Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr1.05.04RS76:bd10/26/2015:svnSystem76,Inc.:pnServalWS:pvrserw9:rvnSystem76,Inc.:rnServalWS:rvrserw9:cvnSystem76,Inc.:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: Serval WS
dmi.product.version: serw9
dmi.sys.vendor: System76, Inc.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

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.

Seems we need a versioned dpkg pre-dependency here.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

This affects trusty → xenial upgrades only, not yakkety, closing floating task.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Fix: http://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-systemd/systemd.git/commit/?h=ubuntu-xenial&id=89d0fb2a6a

[Chris J Arges (arges)]

Hello Chelmite, or anyone else affected,

Accepted systemd into xenial-proposed. The package will build now and be available at https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/systemd/229-4ubuntu7 in a few hours, and then in the -proposed repository.

Please help us by testing this new package. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Your feedback will aid us getting this update out to other Ubuntu users.

If this package fixes the bug for you, please add a comment to this bug, mentioning the version of the package you tested, and change the tag from verification-needed to verification-done. If it does not fix the bug for you, please add a comment stating that, and change the tag to verification-failed. In either case, details of your testing will help us make a better decision.

Further information regarding the verification process can be found at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/PerformingSRUVerification . Thank you in advance!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package systemd - 229-4ubuntu7

---------------
systemd (229-4ubuntu7) xenial-proposed; urgency=medium

  * Add pre-dependency to dpkg >= 1.17.14 on udev, to ensure that
    dpkg-maintscript-helper symlink_to_dir is available. (LP: #1585406)
  * Add activation rate limiting for socket units. (LP: #1568094)
  * Split out udev rule to name USB network interfaces by MAC address into
    73-usb-net-by-mac.rules, so that it's easier to disable. (Closes: #824025)
  * 73-usb-net-by-mac.rules: Disable when net.ifnames=0 is specified on the
    kernel command line or if /etc/udev/rules.d/80-net-setup-link.rules is a
    symlink to /dev/null, to be consistent with disabling the *.link files and
    the documented way to disable ifnames. (Closes: #824491, LP: #1593379)
  * coredump: Fix "Coredump file descriptor missing". (LP: #1602256)

 -- Martin Pitt <email address hidden> Tue, 12 Jul 2016 17:37:25 +0200