LinuxQuestions.org - [SOLVED] [Ubuntu] apt libxml-sax-perl "unable to execute installed post-installation script"

I had a problem on ubuntu when running "sudo apt-get dist-upgrade" and wanted to report how I solved it. Hopefully this helps anybody with similar problems.

I always got the error message:

Code:

Setting up libxml-sax-perl (0.96+dfsg-2) ...

dpkg (subprocess): unable to execute installed post-installation script: Exec format error

dpkg: error processing libxml-sax-perl (--configure):

 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2

Errors were encountered while processing:

 libxml-sax-perl

E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

The problem is in libxml-sax-perl.postinst which does not seem to be executable.

I did not install any perl packages manually by cpan and found the solution in http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/inde...t-1342009.html where it was only one part of a bigger problem.

I created a backup file (always a good idea) of my libxml-sax-perl.postinst:

Code:

sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/info/libxml-sax-perl.postinst /var/lib/dpkg/info/libxml-sax-perl.postinst.bak0

I deleted the old file:

Code:

sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/info/libxml-sax-perl.postinst

Created a new file:

Code:

sudo vi /var/lib/dpkg/info/libxml-sax-perl.postinst

With the following content (copied from the link mentioned above):

Code:

#!/bin/sh 

## ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

## debian/postinst : postinstallation script for libxml-sax-perl 

## ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 



## ----------------------------------------------------------------------

set -e 



## ----------------------------------------------------------------------

if [ "$1" = configure ] 

then 

[ -d /etc/perl/XML/SAX ] || mkdir --parents /etc/perl/XML/SAX 

if which ucfr >/dev/null 2>&1 

then 

ucfr libxml-sax-perl /etc/perl/XML/SAX/ParserDetails.ini 

fi 



if [ -n "$2" ] && dpkg --compare-versions "$2" le 0.16-0.1

then 

echo "Migrating the Perl SAX parser information directory."

# first, move /etc/perl/XML/SAX/ParserDetails.d/ under 

# /var/lib/libxml-sax-perl 

for i in /etc/perl/XML/SAX/ParserDetails.d/* 

do 

# the directory should never be missing or empty, but the [ ! -e ]

# construct handles an unexpanded glob just in case

[ ! -e "$i" ] || \

mv "$i" "/var/lib/libxml-sax-perl/ParserDetails.d/50-$(basename $i)"

done

[ ! -d /etc/perl/XML/SAX/ParserDetails.d ] || \

rmdir --ignore-fail-on-non-empty /etc/perl/XML/SAX/ParserDetails.d



# now downgrade XML::SAX::PurePerl priority by removing it first

update-perl-sax-parsers --remove XML::SAX::PurePerl

fi



update-perl-sax-parsers --add XML::SAX::PurePerl --priority 10

update-perl-sax-parsers --update

fi



## ----------------------------------------------------------------------

## automatically generated debhelper commands





exit 0



## ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Made the file executable:

Code:

sudo chmod +x /var/lib/dpkg/info/libxml-sax-perl.postinst

And upgraded again:

Code:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade -fReading package lists... Done

Building dependency tree      

Reading state information... Done

Calculating upgrade... Done

0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

1 not fully installed or removed.

After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.

Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Y

Setting up libxml-sax-perl (0.96+dfsg-2) ...

update-perl-sax-parsers: Registering Perl SAX parser XML::SAX::PurePerl with priority 10...

update-perl-sax-parsers: Updating overall Perl SAX parser modules info file...



Creating config file /etc/perl/XML/SAX/ParserDetails.ini with new version