dpkg or something related is corrupted?

Question

Ubuntu version 10.04 LTS

I am having issues with package management system. I experienced a failed upgrade due to faulty RAM. I have replaced the faulty RAM but now having problems trying to install some packages. Here is what I get with trying to install / reinstall samba, as an example:

mleschishin@borealis-ubuntu1:~$ sudo apt-get --reinstall install samba
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Suggested packages:
  smbldap-tools ldb-tools
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  samba
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 6,266kB of archives.
After this operation, 17.1MB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main samba 2:3.4.7~dfsg-1ubuntu3.13 [6,266kB]
Fetched 6,266kB in 19s (316kB/s)                                               
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <> line 1.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <> line 1.
Preconfiguring packages ...
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <GEN1> line 2.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN1> line 2.
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <GEN1> line 3.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN1> line 3.
Can't call method "i18n" on an undefined value at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Element/Noninteractive/Select.pm line 13, <GEN1> line 3.
Selecting previously deselected package samba.
(Reading database ... 266813 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking samba (from .../samba_2%3a3.4.7~dfsg-1ubuntu3.13_i386.deb) ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead ...
ureadahead will be reprofiled on next reboot
Processing triggers for ufw ...
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39.
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <GEN1> line 4.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN1> line 4.
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39.
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <GEN1> line 2.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN1> line 2.
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <GEN6> line 2.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN6> line 2.
Setting up samba (2:3.4.7~dfsg-1ubuntu3.13) ...
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39.
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <GEN1> line 2.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN1> line 2.
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <GEN1> line 3.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN1> line 3.
Can't call method "i18n" on an undefined value at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Element/Noninteractive/Select.pm line 13, <GEN1> line 3.
dpkg: error processing samba (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 9
Errors were encountered while processing:
 samba
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

This is what is reported when issuing sudo dpkg –audit

mleschishin@borealis-ubuntu1:~$ sudo dpkg --audit
The following packages are only half configured, probably due to problems
configuring them the first time.  The configuration should be retried using
dpkg --configure <package> or the configure menu option in dselect:
 samba                SMB/CIFS file, print, and login server for Unix

And this is what's reported when attempting to configure samba per the instructions:

mleschishin@borealis-ubuntu1:~$ sudo dpkg --configure samba
Setting up samba (2:3.4.7~dfsg-1ubuntu3.13) ...
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39.
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <GEN1> line 2.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN1> line 2.
Use of uninitialized value $template in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Template.pm line 81, <GEN1> line 3.
Use of uninitialized value $item in exists at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/DbDriver/Cache.pm line 39, <GEN1> line 3.
Can't call method "i18n" on an undefined value at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Element/Noninteractive/Select.pm line 13, <GEN1> line 3.
dpkg: error processing samba (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 9
Errors were encountered while processing:
 samba

I've tried several commands to try to clean everything up (clean/autoclean/remove/autoremove, etc.) and fix any broken packages. Synaptic does not report anything broken. This issue also appears to be preventing me from reconfiguring other packages (like trying to reconfigure xserver-xorg).

Something else to note: I am encountering the same errors when installing acrobat reader. Funny thing is that even though dpkg –audit reports configuration problems, the acrobat reader application seems to work just fine.

I've looked around the forum and can't find a definitive solution to this problem. I'd like to get this resolved before I attempt a full upgrade to 12.04 LTS. Can someone help?

Answer 1

As proposed in the comments section above, running

/usr/share/debconf/fix_db.pl 

as root did indeed solve this problem. I rebooted my system and then installed another software package. During the install, the partly-configured packages were fully configured. Issuing

sudo dpkg –audit 

returned no errors.