debconf bricked -- undefined variable $ARGV[0] and similar issues
I tried an "apt-get dist-upgrade" of my jessie system yesterday, with bad
results. It seems that debconf is bricked. Currently, there are three packages
that are unpacked but not configured: tzdata, locales, and debconf. (There were
originally two: tzdata and locales. I tried reinstalling debconf in an attempt
to fix the problem, but that only bricked debconf too. So now there are three.
Here's what I get when I attempt to configure debconf. I get similar errors if
I attempt to configure either of the other two packages.
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root@smp6:~# dpkg --configure debconf
Setting up debconf (1.5.53) ...
Use of uninitialized value $ARGV[0] in string eq at /usr/share/debconf/frontend line 17.
Use of uninitialized value $ARGV[0] in pattern match (m//) at /usr/share/debconf/frontend line 24.
Use of uninitialized value $ARGV[0] in concatenation (.) or string at /usr/share/debconf/frontend line 60.
Use of uninitialized value $ARGV[0] in pattern match (m//) at /usr/share/debconf/frontend line 61.
Use of uninitialized value $ARGV[0] in pattern match (m//) at /usr/share/debconf/frontend line 62.
Use of uninitialized value $ARGV[0] in pattern match (m//) at /usr/share/debconf/frontend line 72.
Use of uninitialized value $r in <HANDLE> at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/ConfModule.pm line 72.
readline() on unopened filehandle at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/ConfModule.pm line 72.
dpkg: error processing package debconf (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script was killed by signal (Segmentation fault)
Errors were encountered while processing:
debconf
root@smp6:~#
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How did this happen, what can I do to fix it, and how do I make sure that it doesn't
happen again? These errors are preventing the rest of the upgrade from going through.
I can't go forward, and I can't back out. Fortunately, the system still runs (and
boots).
--
.''`. Stephen Powell
: :' :
`. `'`
`-
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