package spamassassin 3.4.0-3ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

help!!

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

Note: There seem to be multiple active bug reports regarding this problem, including one previously submitted by me. These might need to all be merged together.

OS: xubuntu 14.10
Error occurred when installing the evolution packages using synaptic.

In my case the error message are as follows:

Spamassassin subprocess post-install script returned error status 102
sa-compile dependency problems -- leaving unconfigured.

Note the exit status of 102 differs from the one reported by the original reporter.

This is the second time that spamassassin has screwed up my system. The previous time was when I attempted to install sendmail. The package database got so screwed up that I had to wipe the system and do a complete reinstall. After that fresh install, I encountered a similar problem with the udev package which is currently active as bug 1406735.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/systemd/+bug/1406735

Eventually, rerunning the udev post-install script manually seemed to clear that problem. Then, as I reinstalled old software packages I ran back into this. From experience, I know that until this error is cleared, any further attempt to install packages will just lead to further corruptions. The last time this happend to me, I was unable to remove certain packages or install other new ones due to the package database errors that proliferated.

This is a serious problem that needs immediate investigation.

Follow up to my previous note:

I have been working on a similar installation problem with the udev package and received some help from Martin Pitt. Based upon his suggestions, I ran the following command:

# env DPKG_MAINTSCRIPT_PACKAGE=spamassassin DPKG_MAINTSCRIPT_NAME=postinst sh -ex /var/lib/dpkg/info/spamassassin.postinst configure ; echo $?
+ set -e
+ [ configure = triggered ]
+ [ configure = configure ]
+ getent passwd debian-spamd
+ mkdir -p /var/lib/spamassassin
+ stat -c %U /var/lib/spamassassin
+ OWNER=debian-spamd
+ stat -c %G /var/lib/spamassassin
+ GROUP=debian-spamd
+ dpkg-statoverride --list /var/lib/spamassassin/sa-update-keys
+ [ debian-spamd:debian-spamd != debian-spamd:debian-spamd ]
+ test -d /var/lib/spamassassin/sa-update-keys
+ su - debian-spamd -c sa-update --gpghomedir /var/lib/spamassassin/sa-update-keys --import /usr/share/spamassassin/GPG.KEY
+ deb-systemd-helper debian-installed spamassassin.service
+ deb-systemd-helper unmask spamassassin.service
+ deb-systemd-helper --quiet was-enabled spamassassin.service
+ deb-systemd-helper update-state spamassassin.service
+ [ -x /etc/init.d/spamassassin ]
+ update-rc.d spamassassin defaults 19 21
+ [ -x /etc/init.d/spamassassin ]
+ invoke-rc.d spamassassin start
SpamAssassin Mail Filter Daemon: disabled, see /etc/default/spamassassin
0

OK, that looks promising. Now, when I returned to synaptic and installed another unrelated package, it then proceded to configure both spamassassin and sa-compile! There must be a flag somewhere that doesn't get updated when this manual command is run, so the package manager still thinks it needs to be performed. In any event, this appears to have cleared the problems and make the packages as properly installed. Unfortunately, I'm still unclear as to the source of the original problem.

Follow-up to my two previous notes.

I discovered a self-made problem with a script on my system that was causing the invoke-rc.d step of the installation to fail. This may explain why the spamassassin postinst script did not run in this instance.

For more detains on the nature of bug for the udev package, see: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/sysvinit/+bug/1406735

Thus, my report here may be a false flag. However, the scripting error that caused the problem was not in place a few weeks ago when my attempts to install the sendmail package failed with spamassassin. I still believe that there may be an underlying problem with this particular package that seems to be causing many people difficulties.

Mine is related to bug 1385817.

The original error message from the reporter makes me think that this is some kind of init system problem, rather than a bug in spamassassin packaging. The problem could be a bug, or it could be a local misconfiguration.

I don't think there's any progress that can be made on this bug without finding steps to reproduce it. You may find it helpful to read "How to report bugs effectively" http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html to understand what I mean. So I'm marking this bug as Incomplete for now. If you can find steps to reproduce it, please post them here and change the bug status back to New.

Correction. Seeing the other bug suggests udev is probably closer to the issue here, so reassigning and reopening.