package systemd 248.3-1ubuntu8 failed to install/upgrade: installed systemd package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 127

[Daniel Jürgen]

Crash on do-release-upgrade 21.04->21.10

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 21.10
Package: systemd 248.3-1ubuntu8
ProcVersionSignature:

Uname: Linux 5.13.19-1-pve x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu65.4
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
Date: Thu Nov 25 08:28:24 2021
DuplicateSignature:
 package:systemd:248.3-1ubuntu8
 Installing new version of config file /etc/systemd/user.conf ...
 systemd-machine-id-setup: error while loading shared libraries: libsystemd-shared-247.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
 dpkg: error processing package systemd (--configure):
  installed systemd package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 127
ErrorMessage: installed systemd package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 127
MachineType: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. MS-7B79
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.13.19-1-pve root=/dev/mapper/pve-root ro quiet
Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.9, Python 3.9.7, python3-minimal, 3.9.4-1build1
PythonDetails: N/A
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.20.9ubuntu2
 apt 2.3.9
SourcePackage: systemd
Title: package systemd 248.3-1ubuntu8 failed to install/upgrade: installed systemd package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 127
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to impish on 2021-11-25 (0 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 12/01/2020
dmi.bios.release: 5.17
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: H.90
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: X470 GAMING PLUS MAX (MS-7B79)
dmi.board.vendor: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.
dmi.board.version: 3.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.
dmi.chassis.version: 3.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrH.90:bd12/01/2020:br5.17:svnMicro-StarInternationalCo.,Ltd.:pnMS-7B79:pvr3.0:rvnMicro-StarInternationalCo.,Ltd.:rnX470GAMINGPLUSMAX(MS-7B79):rvr3.0:cvnMicro-StarInternationalCo.,Ltd.:ct3:cvr3.0:skuTobefilledbyO.E.M.:
dmi.product.family: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.product.name: MS-7B79
dmi.product.sku: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.product.version: 3.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Neven Luetic (8-neven)]

I just experienced this error during a normal update while using 21.10.

The update failed and using
apt install --fix-broken systemd-sysv
or
apt install --fix-broken systemd
triggered the error as shown above.

I found that the binary systemd-machine-id-setup, which causes the error was installed two times on my system, in /usr/bin and in /bin. The version in /usr/bin included the dependency on libsystemd-shared-247.so, which is not available. The version in /bin has the correct dependency on libsystemd-shared-248.so. In my PATH /usr/bin is before /bin.

After removing /usr/bin/systemd-machine-id-setup I was able to do
apt install systemd systemd-sysv

When doing this I got additional warnings concerning the binaries:
/usr/bin/journalctl
/usr/bin/systemd-tmpfiles
related to libsystemd-shared-247.so.

Again both are available in /usr/ as well and are correct there. So I removed them too.