Bug#235772: xfree86-common, xlibs-data, libx11-6, libxt6, xbase-clients, xutils, xserver-common, xserver-xfree86 (all 4.3.0-3) pre-installation and post-removal scripts fail (Syntax error: end of file unexpected (expecting ")")) if dash is the default shell

["Kurt, Caspar" <kurt.caspar@cdc-engineering.ch>]

Package: xfree86-common
Version: 4.3.0-3

Package: xserver-common
Version: 4.3.0-3

Package: xserver-xfree86
Version: 4.3.0-3

Package: xlibs-data
Version: 4.3.0-3

Package: libx11-6
Version: 4.3.0-3

Package: libxt6
Version: 4.3.0-3

Package: xbase-clients
Version: 4.3.0-3

Package: xutils
Version: 4.3.0-3

moinmoin

i did a dist-upgrade this morning and saw that the above packages failed to 
install on one single machine. that machine uses/used dash as the default 
shell. setting the default shell to bash solved the problem.

i had to set the default shell back to dash to provoke the error, hence the 
--reinstall option. here is what apt-get told me:

caspar:~# l /bin/sh
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root            4 Mar  2 11:35 /bin/sh -> dash

caspar:~# apt-get install --reinstall xfree86-common xlibs-data libx11-6 
libxt6 xbase-clients xutils xserver-common xserver-xfree86
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 8 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B/11.0MB of archives.
After unpacking 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
Preconfiguring packages ...
/tmp/xfree86-common.config.63891: 610: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
xfree86-common failed to preconfigure, with exit status 2
/tmp/xserver-common.config.63893: 765: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
xserver-common failed to preconfigure, with exit status 2
/tmp/xserver-xfree86.config.63895: 1703: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
xserver-xfree86 failed to preconfigure, with exit status 2
(Reading database ... 73841 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libx11-6 4.3.0-3 
(using .../libx11-6_4.3.0-3_i386.deb) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/preinst: 611: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libx11-6_4.3.0-3_i386.deb 
(--unpack):
 subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 2
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/postrm: 615: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 2
Preparing to replace libxt6 4.3.0-3 (using .../libxt6_4.3.0-3_i386.deb) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/preinst: 611: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libxt6_4.3.0-3_i386.deb 
(--unpack):
 subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 2
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/postrm: 615: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 2
Preparing to replace xbase-clients 4.3.0-3 
(using .../xbase-clients_4.3.0-3_i386.deb) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/preinst: 639: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/xbase-clients_4.3.0-3_i386.deb 
(--unpack):
 subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 2
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/postrm: 623: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 2
Preparing to replace xfree86-common 4.3.0-3 
(using .../xfree86-common_4.3.0-3_all.deb) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/preinst: 631: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/xfree86-common_4.3.0-3_all.deb 
(--unpack):
 subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 2
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/postrm: 618: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 2
Preparing to replace xlibs-data 4.3.0-3 
(using .../xlibs-data_4.3.0-3_all.deb) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/xlibs-data.prerm: 609: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: warning - old pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/prerm: 609: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/xlibs-data_4.3.0-3_all.deb 
(--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
/var/lib/dpkg/info/xlibs-data.postinst: 614: Syntax error: end of file 
unexpected (expecting ")")
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Preparing to replace xserver-common 4.3.0-3 
(using .../xserver-common_4.3.0-3_i386.deb) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/config: 765: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/xserver-common_4.3.0-3_i386.deb 
(--unpack):
 subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 2
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/postrm: 663: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 2
Preparing to replace xserver-xfree86 4.3.0-3 
(using .../xserver-xfree86_4.3.0-3_i386.deb) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/xserver-xfree86.prerm: 669: Syntax error: end of file 
unexpected (expecting ")")
dpkg: warning - old pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/prerm: 669: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error 
processing /var/cache/apt/archives/xserver-xfree86_4.3.0-3_i386.deb 
(--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
/var/lib/dpkg/info/xserver-xfree86.config: 1703: Syntax error: end of file 
unexpected (expecting ")")
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Preparing to replace xutils 4.3.0-3 (using .../xutils_4.3.0-3_i386.deb) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/preinst: 628: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/xutils_4.3.0-3_i386.deb 
(--unpack):
 subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 2
/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/postrm: 621: Syntax error: end of file unexpected 
(expecting ")")
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/libx11-6_4.3.0-3_i386.deb
 /var/cache/apt/archives/libxt6_4.3.0-3_i386.deb
 /var/cache/apt/archives/xbase-clients_4.3.0-3_i386.deb
 /var/cache/apt/archives/xfree86-common_4.3.0-3_all.deb
 /var/cache/apt/archives/xlibs-data_4.3.0-3_all.deb
 /var/cache/apt/archives/xserver-common_4.3.0-3_i386.deb
 /var/cache/apt/archives/xserver-xfree86_4.3.0-3_i386.deb
 /var/cache/apt/archives/xutils_4.3.0-3_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)


and the same thing with bash:

caspar:~# l /bin/sh
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root            4 Mar  2 11:35 /bin/sh -> bash

caspar:~# apt-get install --reinstall xfree86-common xlibs-data libx11-6 
libxt6 xbase-clients xutils xserver-common xserver-xfree86
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 8 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
8 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0B/11.0MB of archives.
After unpacking 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
Preconfiguring packages ...
parse error reading X server string `unknown'
parse error reading X server string `unknown'
(Reading database ... 73839 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace xfree86-common 4.3.0-3 
(using .../xfree86-common_4.3.0-3_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement xfree86-common ...
Preparing to replace xlibs-data 4.3.0-3 
(using .../xlibs-data_4.3.0-3_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement xlibs-data ...
Preparing to replace libx11-6 4.3.0-3 
(using .../libx11-6_4.3.0-3_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libx11-6 ...
Preparing to replace libxt6 4.3.0-3 (using .../libxt6_4.3.0-3_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libxt6 ...
Preparing to replace xbase-clients 4.3.0-3 
(using .../xbase-clients_4.3.0-3_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement xbase-clients ...
Preparing to replace xserver-common 4.3.0-3 
(using .../xserver-common_4.3.0-3_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement xserver-common ...
Preparing to replace xserver-xfree86 4.3.0-3 
(using .../xserver-xfree86_4.3.0-3_i386.deb) ...
parse error reading X server string `unknown'
parse error reading X server string `unknown'
Unpacking replacement xserver-xfree86 ...
Preparing to replace xutils 4.3.0-3 (using .../xutils_4.3.0-3_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement xutils ...
Setting up xfree86-common (4.3.0-3) ...
 System startup links for /etc/init.d/xfree86-common already exist.
Setting up X server socket directory /tmp/.X11-unix...done.
Setting up ICE socket directory /tmp/.ICE-unix...done.
Setting up xlibs-data (4.3.0-3) ...
Setting up libx11-6 (4.3.0-3) ...
Setting up libxt6 (4.3.0-3) ...
Setting up xbase-clients (4.3.0-3) ...
Setting up xserver-common (4.3.0-3) ...
Setting up xserver-xfree86 (4.3.0-3) ...
parse error reading X server string `unknown'
parse error reading X server string `unknown'
Setting up xutils (4.3.0-3) ...

i guess simply replacing #!/bin/sh with #!/bin/bash in the preinst/postrm 
scripts of these packages won't be enough.

anyway, one work-around would be to (temporarily) use bash as the default 
shell during installation of these packages.

i'll omit the configurations of these packages as well as the 'versions of any 
packages on which the buggy package depends' (as suggested in 
http://www.debian.org/Bugs/Reporting) because im pretty sure the error does 
not depend on those.

the machine runs a self-compiled, customised 2.6.3 kernel:
caspar:~# uname -a
Linux caspar 2.6.3_caspar_1 #1 Tue Feb 24 16:34:04 CET 2004 i686 GNU/Linux

the shared C library in use is:
caspar:~# ls -l /lib/libc.so.6
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root           13 Jan 26 12:15 /lib/libc.so.6 -> 
libc-2.3.2.so
caspar:~# dpkg -s libc6 | grep ^Version
Version: 2.3.2.ds1-11

well, i hope that's goot enough for a bug report
and to help people solve that problem. :-)

-- 
Mit freundlichen Grüssen
Caspar Kurt

cdc engineering gmbh
Längackerstrasse 32
4533 Riedholz

Tel.    ++41 / (0) 32 / 621 85 24
Fax     ++41 / (0) 32 / 621 85 25
E-Mail: kurt.caspar@cdc-engineering.ch