package texlive-base (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Steve McConnel]

The postinstallation script failed trying to run fmtutil. A log file left in /tmp recorded the problem as follows:

fmtutil: unknown option --no-error-if-no-engine=luajittex

This is for Ubuntu 15.04 aka vivid. A similar (maybe the same?) error affected Ubuntu 14.10 aka utopic. The problem may well be in the original texlive files, not in the packaging files.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.04
Package: texlive-base (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.19.0-15.15-generic 3.19.3
Uname: Linux 3.19.0-15-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.17.2-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Apr 30 12:21:40 2015
DuplicateSignature: package:texlive-base:(not installed):subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2011-07-04 (1396 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release amd64 (20101007)
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.17.25ubuntu1
 apt 1.0.9.7ubuntu4
SourcePackage: texlive-base
Title: package texlive-base (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to vivid on 2015-04-28 (1 days ago)