Ubuntu
postfix package

during postfix installation i am getting "debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process"

Bug #300108 reported by jbaych
8
This bug affects 1 person
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
postfix (Ubuntu)
New
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: postfix

debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
Selecting previously deselected package postfix.
(Reading database ... 102471 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking postfix (from .../postfix_2.5.5-1_i386.deb) ...
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/postfix_2.5.5-1_i386.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/postfix_2.5.5-1_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Ubuntu 8.10

ProblemType: Package
Architecture: i386
Dependencies:

DistroRelease: Ubuntu 8.10
ErrorMessage: subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
Package: postfix None [modified: /var/lib/dpkg/info/postfix.list]
SourcePackage: postfix
Title: package postfix None [modified: /var/lib/dpkg/info/postfix.list] failed to install/upgrade: subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
Uname: Linux 2.6.27-7-generic i686

Revision history for this message
jbaych (jbaych) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Colin Watson (cjwatson) wrote :

Sounds like you have another upgrade or package installation running somewhere else - that's basically the only way the debconf database can be locked like this.

Revision history for this message
Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel) wrote :

Do you remember if you had some other packaging related tool running at the same time? Like upgrading other packages, or having some dpkg --reconfigure running in another window, synaptic, etc?

If it's still an issue can you please provide the output of the following command:
fuser -v /var/cache/debconf/config.dat

Changed in postfix:
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
jbaych (jbaych) wrote :

New box with Ubuntu (I used desktop version for a test purpose). Fully updated. No tools, no upgrades. Only terminal was running. First I installed MySQL using command line:
sudo aptitude install mysql-client mysql-server

And after that I started postfix installation also with the command line:
sudo aptitude install postfix postfix-mysql

and I got the window which was not responding and errors which I reported. I just quickly reinstalled the box, started postfix install and the same error occured again.
3rd quick reinstall, update. At this time I used Synaptic Package Manager. Installed all the apps without any problems. Probably, it does not like command line any more...

Revision history for this message
Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel) wrote :

Thank you for the detailed steps but I can't reproduce it on a fresh install of 8.10. Marking back to "New" until someone being able to reproduce this.

Changed in postfix:
status: Incomplete → New
Revision history for this message
Andreas Olsson (andol) wrote :

I'll be marking this as a duplicate of bug #349469, since it takes a more general approach on the "config.dat is locked" issue.

To post a comment you must log in.
This report contains Public information  
Everyone can see this information.
Subscribing...

Other bug subscribers

Remote bug watches

Bug watches keep track of this bug in other bug trackers.