What is 'cat: alsa: No such file or directory' all about?

[Simon Tod <todsr1@yahoo.co.uk>]

I'm getting an error message trying to upgrade a
number of packages that looks like

Setting up modutils (2.4.26-1) ...
cat: alsa: No such file or directory
dpkg: error processing modutils (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error
exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of
modconf:
 modconf depends on modutils (>= 2.1.85-14); however:
  Package modutils is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing modconf (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Setting up module-init-tools (3.0-pre5-1) ...
cat: alsa: No such file or directory
dpkg: error processing module-init-tools
(--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error
exit status 1
Setting up autofs (3.9.99-4.0.0pre10-16) ...
Starting automounter: /var/autofs/misc
/var/autofs/net.
cat: alsa: No such file or directory
dpkg: error processing autofs (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error
exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 modutils
 modconf
 module-init-tools
 autofs
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code
(1)

Looks like the error in modconf is just to do with the
dependency on modutils but the other two both have
this 'cat: alsa: ....' thing. Nothing in any of the
post-installation scripts gives an indication of the
cause this error ?!

Thanks in advance....

=====
-----------------------
Simon Tod
todsr1@yahoo.co.uk

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