Bug#409988: xserver-xorg: upgrade from xfree86 sarge failed with 'Can't call method "choices" on an undefined value'
Package: xserver-xorg
Version: 1:7.1.0-11
Severity: normal
Upgrading from sarge (where I guess we were using xfree86) to etch failed with:
Setting up xserver-xorg (7.1.0-11) ...
xserver-xorg postinst warning: Migrating xserver-xfree86 debconf values
to xserver-xorg.
Can't call method "choices" on an undefined value at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Question.pm line 106, <GEN1> line 115.
dpkg: error processing xserver-xorg (--configure):
subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 9
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of xserver-xfree86:
xserver-xfree86 depends on xserver-xorg; however:
Package xserver-xorg is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing xserver-xfree86 (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
http://www.mrl.nott.ac.uk/~str/pages/misctech.html suggested a scary-looking work-around, which was probably originally due to:
http://www.zoxx.net/notes/index.php/2006/01/21/11-probleme-cache-debconf-sous-debian-gnu-linux
$ debconf-show xserver-xfree86
debconf: DbDriver "passwords" warning: could not open /var/cache/debconf/passwords.dat: Permission denied
xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/screen-size:
* xserver-xfree86/config/device/use_fbdev: false
* xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/selection-method: Advanced
xserver-xfree86/config/doublequote_in_string_error:
xserver-xfree86/config/device/bus_id:
xserver-xfree86/config/device/video_ram:
* xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/lcd: false
xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/keyboard/internal:
* xserver-xfree86/config/device/driver: ati
* xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/vert-refresh: 43-72
* xserver-xfree86/config/display/default_depth: 24
* xserver-xfree86/config/display/modes: 800x600, 640x480
xserver-xfree86/config/modules: GLcore, bitmap, dbe, ddc, dri, extmod, freetype, glx, int10, record, speedo, type1, vbe, xtt
xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/range_input_error:
xserver-xfree86/autodetect_video_card:
xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/keyboard/variant:
* xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/mouse/port: /dev/psaux
xserver-xfree86/config/write_files_section: true
xserver-xfree86/autodetect_monitor:
xserver-xfree86/config/device/identifier: Generic Video Card
xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/mouse/emulate3buttons: true
* xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/keyboard/layout: us
* xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/horiz-sync: 28-48
xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/identifier: Generic Monitor
shared/no_known_x-server:
xserver-xfree86/autodetect_mouse:
xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/mode-list:
xserver-xfree86/clobber_XF86Config-4:
* xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/keyboard/rules: xfree86
xserver-xfree86/multiple_possible_x-drivers:
* xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/keyboard/model: pc104
xserver-xfree86/config/write_dri_section: true
xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/mouse/zaxismapping: true
xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/mouse/retry_detection:
xserver-xfree86/config/device/bus_id_error:
xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/keyboard/options:
xserver-xfree86/config/nonnumeric_string_error:
* xserver-xfree86/config/inputdevice/mouse/protocol: PS/2
shared/multiple_possible_x-servers:
xserver-xfree86/config/null_string_error:
$
Adding a -x to the hash bang line of the xserver-xorg's postinst script might indicate where the problem is:
+ printf '%s\n' 'FSET xserver-xorg/config/null_string_error seen true'
+ IFS='
'
+ read -r _db_internal_line
+ RET=true
+ case ${_db_internal_line%%[ ]*} in
+ return 0
+ db_metaget xserver-xfree86/config/display/modes choices
+ _db_cmd 'METAGET xserver-xfree86/config/display/modes' choices
+ IFS=' '
+ printf '%s\n' 'METAGET xserver-xfree86/config/display/modes choices'
+ IFS='
'
+ read -r _db_internal_line
Can't call method "choices" on an undefined value at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Question.pm line 106, <GEN1> line 115.
+ RET=
+ case ${_db_internal_line%%[ ]*} in
+ return
+ '[' '' '!=' '10 xserver-xfree86/config/display/modes doesn'\''t exist' ']'
+ db_subst xserver-xorg/config/display/modes choices ''
+ _db_cmd 'SUBST xserver-xorg/config/display/modes' choices ''
+ IFS=' '
+ printf '%s\n' 'SUBST xserver-xorg/config/display/modes choices '
/usr/share/debconf/confmodule: line 42: printf: write error: Broken pipe
Ah, SIGPIPE, we meet again.
So is this a debconf problem? These two bugs have similar but not identical symptoms:
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=224400
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=303284
-- Package-specific info:
/var/lib/x11/X.roster does not exist.
/var/lib/x11/X.md5sum does not exist.
X server symlink status:
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 2007-02-06 11:54 /etc/X11/X -> /bin/true
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 11680 2006-08-31 04:57 /bin/true
/var/lib/x11/xorg.conf.roster does not exist.
VGA-compatible devices on PCI bus:
04:04.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Rage XL (rev 27)
/etc/X11/xorg.conf unchanged from checksum in /var/lib/x11/xorg.conf.md5sum.
Xorg X server configuration file status:
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 2007-02-06 11:54 /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Contents of /etc/X11/xorg.conf:
No Xorg X server log files found.
-- System Information:
Debian Release: 4.0
APT prefers testing
APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.13.4-d865-satasata-uk
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8) (ignored: LC_ALL set to en_US.UTF-8)
Versions of packages xserver-xorg depends on:
ii debconf [debconf-2.0] 1.5.11 Debian configuration management sy
ii x11-common 1:7.1.0-11 X Window System (X.Org) infrastruc
ii xbase-clients 1:7.1.ds1-2 miscellaneous X clients
ii xkb-data 0.9-4 X Keyboard Extension (XKB) configu
ii xserver-xorg-core 2:1.1.1-15 X.Org X server -- core server
ii xserver-xorg-input-all 1:7.1.0-11 the X.Org X server -- input driver
ii xserver-xorg-input-evde 1:1.1.2-6 X.Org X server -- evdev input driv
ii xserver-xorg-input-kbd 1:1.1.0-4 X.Org X server -- keyboard input d
ii xserver-xorg-input-mous 1:1.1.1-3 X.Org X server -- mouse input driv
ii xserver-xorg-video-all 1:7.1.0-11 the X.Org X server -- output drive
ii xserver-xorg-video-apm 1:1.1.1-3 X.Org X server -- APM display driv
ii xserver-xorg-video-ark 1:0.6.0-3 X.Org X server -- ark display driv
ii xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.6.3-2 X.Org X server -- ATI display driv
ii xserver-xorg-video-chip 1:1.1.1-4 X.Org X server -- Chips display dr
ii xserver-xorg-video-cirr 1:1.1.0-3 X.Org X server -- Cirrus display d
ii xserver-xorg-video-cyri 1:1.1.0-4 X.Org X server -- Cyrix display dr
ii xserver-xorg-video-dumm 1:0.2.0-3 X.Org X server -- dummy display dr
ii xserver-xorg-video-fbde 1:0.3.1-1 X.Org X server -- fbdev display dr
ii xserver-xorg-video-glin 1:1.1.1-3 X.Org X server -- Glint display dr
ii xserver-xorg-video-i128 1:1.2.0-3 X.Org X server -- i128 display dri
ii xserver-xorg-video-i740 1:1.1.0-3 X.Org X server -- i740 display dri
ii xserver-xorg-video-i810 2:1.7.2-4 X.Org X server -- Intel i8xx, i9xx
ii xserver-xorg-video-imst 1:1.1.0-3 X.Org X server -- IMSTT display dr
ii xserver-xorg-video-mga 1:1.4.4.dfsg.1-2 X.Org X server -- MGA display driv
ii xserver-xorg-video-neom 1:1.1.1-4 X.Org X server -- Neomagic display
ii xserver-xorg-video-newp 1:0.2.0-3 X.Org X server -- Newport display
ii xserver-xorg-video-nsc 1:2.8.1-3 X.Org X server -- NSC display driv
ii xserver-xorg-video-nv [ 1:1.2.0-3 X.Org X server -- NV display drive
ii xserver-xorg-video-rend 1:4.1.0.dfsg.1-4 X.Org X server -- Rendition displa
ii xserver-xorg-video-s3 [ 1:0.4.1-5 X.Org X server -- legacy S3 displa
ii xserver-xorg-video-s3vi 1:1.9.1-3 X.Org X server -- S3 ViRGE display
ii xserver-xorg-video-sava 1:2.1.2-3 X.Org X server -- Savage display d
ii xserver-xorg-video-sili 1:1.4.1-4 X.Org X server -- SiliconMotion di
ii xserver-xorg-video-sis 1:0.9.1-4 X.Org X server -- SiS display driv
ii xserver-xorg-video-sisu 1:0.8.1-3 X.Org X server -- SiS USB display
ii xserver-xorg-video-tdfx 1:1.3.0-1 X.Org X server -- tdfx display dri
ii xserver-xorg-video-tga 1:1.1.0-3 X.Org X server -- TGA display driv
ii xserver-xorg-video-trid 1:1.2.3-1 X.Org X server -- Trident display
ii xserver-xorg-video-tsen 1:1.1.0-3 X.Org X server -- Tseng display dr
ii xserver-xorg-video-v4l 0.1.1-3 X.Org X server -- Video 4 Linux di
ii xserver-xorg-video-vesa 1:1.3.0-1 X.Org X server -- VESA display dri
ii xserver-xorg-video-vga 1:4.1.0-3 X.Org X server -- VGA display driv
ii xserver-xorg-video-via 1:0.2.1-6 X.Org X server -- VIA display driv
ii xserver-xorg-video-vmwa 1:10.13.0-3 X.Org X server -- VMware display d
ii xserver-xorg-video-vood 1:1.1.0-4 X.Org X server -- Voodoo display d
Versions of packages xserver-xorg recommends:
ii discover1 1.7.19 hardware identification system
ii laptop-detect 0.12.1 attempt to detect a laptop
ii mdetect 0.5.2.1 mouse device autodetection tool
ii xresprobe 0.4.23debian1 X Resolution Probe
ii xserver-xorg-input-all 1:7.1.0-11 the X.Org X server -- input driver
ii xserver-xorg-video-all 1:7.1.0-11 the X.Org X server -- output drive
-- debconf information:
xserver-xorg/multiple_possible_x-drivers:
xserver-xorg/config/monitor/use_sync_ranges:
xserver-xorg/config/inputdevice/mouse/port: /dev/input/mice
xserver-xorg/config/device/default-identifier:
xserver-xorg/autodetect_monitor: true
xserver-xorg/config/display/default_depth: 24
xserver-xorg/config/display/modes: 1024x768, 800x600, 640x480
xserver-xorg/config/inputdevice/keyboard/options:
xserver-xorg/config/device/use_fbdev:
xserver-xorg/config/inputdevice/keyboard/variant:
xserver-xorg/config/nonnumeric_string_error:
xserver-xorg/config/inputdevice/keyboard/layout:
xserver-xorg/config/monitor/identifier:
xserver-xorg/config/inputdevice/mouse/emulate3buttons: true
xserver-xorg/autodetect_mouse: true
xserver-xorg/config/monitor/horiz-sync:
xserver-xorg/config/monitor/range_input_error:
xserver-xorg/config/inputdevice/keyboard/model:
xserver-xorg/config/device/driver:
xserver-xorg/config/monitor/selection-method:
xserver-xorg/config/write_files_section: true
xserver-xorg/config/monitor/mode-list: 1024x768 @ 60Hz
shared/fontpath/fontserver:
xserver-xorg/config/doublequote_in_string_error:
xserver-xorg/config/monitor/screen-size: 17 inches (430 mm)
* shared/default-x-server: xserver-xorg
xserver-xorg/config/inputdevice/mouse/protocol:
shared/no_known_x-server:
xserver-xorg/config/device/bus_id_error:
xserver-xorg/config/monitor/vert-refresh:
xserver-xorg/autodetect_keyboard: false
xserver-xorg/config/modules: bitmap, dbe, ddc, dri, extmod, freetype, glx, int10, record, vbe
xserver-xorg/config/device/video_ram:
xserver-xorg/config/device/identifier:
xserver-xorg/config/null_string_error:
shared/multiple_possible_x-servers:
xserver-xorg/config/device/bus_id:
xserver-xorg/autodetect_video_card: true
xserver-xorg/config/inputdevice/keyboard/rules:
xserver-xorg/config/monitor/default-identifier:
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