package systemd 237-3ubuntu10.9 failed to install/upgrade: installed systemd package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1

[Kevin Gunnels]

during upgrade from 16.04 to 18.04

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: systemd 237-3ubuntu10.9
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-140.166-generic 4.4.162
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-140-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.18
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sun Dec 9 17:11:50 2018
ErrorMessage: installed systemd package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-09-01 (829 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 16.04.1 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160719)
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP Compaq 8200 Elite SFF PC
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-140-generic root=UUID=aa4fc23f-9987-40c4-8278-a702ff0b99a3 ro
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.19.0.5ubuntu2.1
 apt 1.2.29
SourcePackage: systemd
Title: package systemd 237-3ubuntu10.9 failed to install/upgrade: installed systemd package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2018-12-10 (0 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 06/20/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: J01 v02.21
dmi.board.asset.tag: 2UA142177C
dmi.board.name: 1495
dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 2UA142177C
dmi.chassis.type: 6
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvrJ01v02.21:bd06/20/2012:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPCompaq8200EliteSFFPC:pvr:rvnHewlett-Packard:rn1495:rvr:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct6:cvr:
dmi.product.name: HP Compaq 8200 Elite SFF PC
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[h1repp (heinz-repp)]

it is the post-installation script that always returns 1, after throwing errors about unsafe symlinks encountered in /var/log/journal/. but there are no symlinks at all. Seems it is the systemd-tmpfiles --create call that throws this errors.

Unfortunately this leavea you with an inconsistent system in the middle of an release upgrade and no way out of this mess. So please set the importance to severe!

Btw, my system was a fully updated 16.04 with hwe/i386 that is now broken an the half way to 18.04.

[Nick Groenen (zonii)]

This affected me too, breaking a system in the middle of a release upgrade.

I got out of that situation by:

1. Temporarily commenting out entries in /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/journal-nocow.conf

2. Running: dpkg --configure -a

3. Running: apt-get -f install

4. Running: apt full-upgrade

5. Restoring entries in /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/journal-nocow.conf

6. Reboot

[Dan Streetman (ddstreet)]

please reopen if this is still an issue