package initscripts 2.88dsf-59.3ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Phil Sutter]

failure during auto update from 14.04 to 16.04.2

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: initscripts 2.88dsf-59.3ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-64.85-generic 4.4.44
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-64-generic i686
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.5
Architecture: i386
Date: Mon Mar 6 07:30:28 2017
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-08-04 (580 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release i386 (20140722.2)
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1.1
 apt 1.2.19
SourcePackage: sysvinit
Title: package initscripts 2.88dsf-59.3ubuntu2 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2017-03-06 (0 days ago)
modified.conffile..etc.init.d.rc.local: [deleted]