package tomcat7 7.0.68-1ubuntu0.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Gregory Smitherman]

Trying to install tomcat7 for use with nutch and solr.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: tomcat7 7.0.68-1ubuntu0.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-59.80-generic 4.4.35
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-59-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.4
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Jan 25 18:08:34 2017
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-01-07 (18 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Beta amd64 (20150805)
PackageArchitecture: all
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.18.4ubuntu1.1
 apt 1.2.18
SourcePackage: tomcat7
Title: package tomcat7 7.0.68-1ubuntu0.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2017-01-07 (18 days ago)

[Christian Ehrhardt  (paelzer)]

Hi,
thanks for your report and your help to make Ubuntu better!

The automatically attached logs only state that:
Creating config file /etc/logrotate.d/tomcat7 with new version
Job for tomcat7.service failed because the control process exited with error code. See "systemctl status tomcat7.service" and "journalctl -xe" for details.
invoke-rc.d: initscript tomcat7, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing package tomcat7 (--configure):

Not having any more data it is hard to guess what failed.
Could you run:
$ systemctl status tomcat7.service

Since this seems to be an initial install (no tomact7 on there before the install) the first one might fail. It should be in state iF for failed install and still be available.

You can check the status with "dpkg -l tomcat7"

The file /var/log/tomcat7/catalina.out should hold the best debug data.
The most likely case that I've seen is tomcat8 and tomcat7 being installed at the same time and the second one fails to initialize as the port is already bound.
In that case fix the config of either /etc/tomcat7/server.xml (or 8) one and re-start/install.

[Christian Ehrhardt  (paelzer)]

Subscribing Server team as:
1. I wonder if we should have a postinst check for concurrent tomcat start issues based on that.
2. catalina.out should be collected by apport

[Christian Ehrhardt  (paelzer)]

Once your issue hopefully is resolved we can rename this into "improve concurrent tomcat installationa and apport reports" and go on with these efforts. Well we could also split that in another bug if needed.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Christian Ehrhardt  (paelzer)]

There was no further feedback, setting incomplete for the time being.

[Christian Ehrhardt  (paelzer)]

The potential packaging improvements were all about better bug reporting, but not really a bug.
I spawned bug 1778890 for the potential changes, this bug here was for the reported config issue and is resolved IMHO.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for tomcat7 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]