From my colleague: “start nis” didn’t produce any errors, so I re-ran the install with a set –x added to the script. It hit problems in invoke-rc.d, so I ran that standalone with set –x. Results: # apt-get install nis Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done nis is already the newest version. 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded. 1 not fully installed or removed. After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used. Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Setting up nis (3.17-32ubuntu2~oneiric1~ppa1) ... + set -e + umask 022 + . /usr/share/debconf/confmodule + [ ! ] + PERL_DL_NONLAZY=1 + export PERL_DL_NONLAZY + [ ] + exec /usr/share/debconf/frontend /var/lib/dpkg/info/nis.postinst configure 3.17-32ubuntu1 + set -e + umask 022 + . /usr/share/debconf/confmodule + [ ! 1 ] + [ -z ] + exec + [ ] + exec + DEBCONF_REDIR=1 + export DEBCONF_REDIR + db_version 2.0 + _db_cmd VERSION 2.0 + IFS= printf %s\n VERSION 2.0 + IFS= read -r _db_internal_line + RET=2.0 + return 0 + cd /etc/init.d + [ -f nis ] + chmod 755 nis + install_defaults + [ ! -s /etc/default/nis ] + return 0 + . /etc/default/nis + NISSERVER=false + NISCLIENT=true + YPPWDDIR=/etc + YPCHANGEOK=chsh + NISMASTER= + YPSERVARGS= + YPBINDARGS=-no-dbus + YPPASSWDDARGS= + YPXFRDARGS= + db_get nis/domain + _db_cmd GET nis/domain + IFS= printf %s\n GET nis/domain + IFS= read -r _db_internal_line + RET=netapp.com + return 0 + [ ######.com != ] + echo netapp.com + update-rc.d -f nis remove Removing any system startup links for /etc/init.d/nis ... + upstart_invoke_rcd start + action=start + invoke-rc.d --query nis start dpkg: error processing nis (--configure): subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 105 Errors were encountered while processing: nis E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1) And from invoke-rc.d: # invoke-rc.d --query nis start + RUNLEVELHELPER=/sbin/runlevel + POLICYHELPER=/usr/sbin/policy-rc.d + INITDPREFIX=/etc/init.d/ + RCDPREFIX=/etc/rc + BEQUIET= + MODE= + ACTION= + FALLBACK= + NOFALLBACK= + FORCE= + RETRY= + RETURNFAILURE= + RC= + set +e + test 3 -eq 0 + state=I + test 3 -gt 0 + test I != III + MODE=query + RETURNFAILURE=yes + shift + test 2 -gt 0 + test I != III + verifyparameter nis + test 1 -eq 0 + test 1 -ne 1 + return + INITSCRIPTID=nis + state=II + shift + test 1 -gt 0 + test II != III + verifyparameter start + test 1 -eq 0 + test 1 -ne 1 + return + ACTION=start + state=III + shift + test 0 -gt 0 + test III != III + test ! -f /etc/init.d/nis + sed s/.*\ // + /sbin/runlevel + RL=2 + test ! 0 + test x2 = x0 + test x2 = x6 + test x2 = x0 + test x2 = x6 + test x2 != x + xargs + ls -d -Q /etc/rc2.d/S[0-9][0-9]nis + SLINK= + xargs + ls -d -Q /etc/rc2.d/K[0-9][0-9]nis + KLINK= + xargs + ls -d -Q /etc/rcS.d/S[0-9][0-9]nis + SSLINK= + verifyrclink + doexit= + test 0 -gt 0 + test x != x + return 0 + RC= + testexec + test 0 -gt 0 + return 1 + testexec + test 0 -gt 0 + return 1 + testexec + test 0 -gt 0 + return 1 + testexec /etc/init.d/nis + test 1 -gt 0 + test -x /etc/init.d/nis + return 0 + test x = x + test xquery = xquery + RC=105 + querypolicy + policyaction=start + test x105 = x101 + test x/usr/sbin/policy-rc.d != x + test -x /usr/sbin/policy-rc.d + test x105 = x + return + test xquery != xquery + test xquery = xquery + exit 105