Unable to install update-notifier-common

[adam]

The following error occurred after I used the software update! (Ubuntu20.04)

After this operation, 1,024 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database ... 318672 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../update-notifier-common_3.192.30.11_all.deb ...
Unpacking update-notifier-common (3.192.30.11) over (3.192.30.10) ...
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/update-notifier-common_3.192.30.11_all.deb (-
-unpack):
 cannot copy extracted data for './etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic' to '/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic
.dpkg-new': failed to write (Bad file descriptor)
dpkg-deb: error: paste subprocess was killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/update-notifier-common_3.192.30.11_all.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

another:
The package system is broken

Check if you are using third party repositories. If so disable them, since they are a common source of problems.
Furthermore run the following command in a Terminal: apt-get install -f

Details:
       The following packages have unmet dependencies:

update-notifier: Depends: libgudev-1.0-0 (>= 146) but 1:233-1 is installed
                 Depends: update-notifier-common (= 3.192.30.11) but 3.192.30.10 is installed
                 Depends: update-manager (>= 1:17.04.3) but 1:20.04.10.10 is installed

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

I'm afraid this error shows filesystem corruption, not a bug in Ubuntu. You can check the kernel logs for more information. A reboot with fsck might help, or might render your system unbootable. You should back up any important data you have on the system before continuing.

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this issue and helping to make Ubuntu better.

Bug reporting is about finding & fixing problems thus preventing future users from hitting the same bug.

I suspect a Support site would be more appropriate, eg. https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu. You can also find help with your problem in the support forum of your local Ubuntu community http://loco.ubuntu.com/ or asking at https://askubuntu.com or https://ubuntuforums.org, or for more support options please look at https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/community-support/709

[Luo Lei (luolei)]

Probably a bug.

I am using Ubuntu 18.04, and got the same error when runing "sudo apt dist-upgrade".
A friend met the same error for months, also Ubuntu 18.04.
Three times, with the same error

 cannot copy extracted data for './etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic' to '/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic
.dpkg-new': failed to write (Bad file descriptor)

It is odd.

The problem is that APT is broken, and cannot be fixed by "sudo apt install -f".

[Luo Lei (luolei)]

The issue seems to occur when copying the "/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic" file using the "cp" command, for reasons unknown. There are no issues found with the filesystem when checked with "fsck", and the "rsync" command works fine.

Temporary solution:
(1) Locate the problematic deb package: "/var/cache/apt/archives/update-notifier-common_3.192.1.21_all.deb"
(2) After extracting, delete the "10periodic" file and the line corresponding to "10periodic" in "conffiles".
(3) Organize the files according to the deb package format, then repackage:
    sudo dpkg -b update-notifier-common_3.192.1.21_all update-notifier-common_3.192.1.21_all.deb
(4) Install the new package with "--force-overwrite", and fix the broken apt.
    sudo cp update-notifier-common_3.192.1.21_all.deb /var/cache/apt/archives
    cd /var/cache/apt/archives
    sudo dpkg -i --force-overwrite update-notifier-common_3.192.1.21_all.deb
    sudo apt install -f

The attached deb package is created using the above method, for Ubuntu 18.04.