Errors were encountered while processing: man-db

[hubblexplore]

I run a 2 weeks old Ubuntu Server 10.04 LTS (32-bit). Today I wanted to check for eventual updates and install them with the following commands:

aptitude update
aptitude safe-upgradeHere is the error I get at the end of the update:

Errors were encountered while processing:
man-db
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
Setting up man-db (2.5.7-2) ...
Can't exec "/var/lib/dpkg/info/man-db.config": Permission denied at /usr/share/perl/5.10/IPC/Open3.pm line 168.
open2: exec of /var/lib/dpkg/info/man-db.config configure 2.5.7-2 failed at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/ConfModule.pm line 59
dpkg: error processing man-db (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 255
Errors were encountered while processing:
man-db
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information
Initializing package states... DoneCan someone please help me?

Thank you!

[windependence]

Try:


sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude safe-upgrade

without using sudo you don't have enough permission to execute the update.

-Tim

[hubblexplore]

I think there's no need for that, because I was already root with this command
sudo su

[windependence]

The problem is your /tmp directory is mounted nonexec and executables cannot be run from /tmp. Since apt extracts some packages to /tmp and runs them from there. Try this as root:


mount -o remount,exec /tmp

Then retry your updates. If you are concerned about security with /tmp, remount with noexec like this after you are done:


mount -o remount,noexec /tmp

More info here: http://www.debian-administration.org/article/Making_/tmp_non-executable

-Tim

[hubblexplore]

It seems /tmp is not mounted already, I get this error:

mount: /tmp not mounted already, or bad optionDon't know if this is the correct approach but I tried:

mount -o exec /tmpand in response got this error:

mount: unknown filesystem type 'none'Checked in webmin to see permissions of /tmp:
1777 Ownership, user:root, group:root

L.E.: I can run executables from /tmp, so it can't be mounted nonexec.

L.E.: /var/lib/dpkg/info/man-db.config had owner: root/root, permissions: 644, changed that to 755 and the update resumed ok.

[Arachan]

Greetings,

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread hubblexplore, but did you ever fix this? I now have the exact same problem.

Thanks,
Arachan.

[spofer]

I have the same problem - Did you manage to fix this?

[spofer]

Hello again,

I'm sorry for nagging - But i can't get past this. Does someone has an idea for how to solve it?

Thanks
Spofer

[termin]

me too, i need to know how to fix this so i can do my work again, please, we need some expert.

[Paanini]

Hi I had the same problem a while back. What I did was this :

1. Open a terminal, and login as root :


su
Password :#

Make sure you type only 'su' and not 'sudo su'

Incase a root password does not exist, you'll have to assign one by typing :

sudo passwd root
<Enter your normal password here>
UNIX Password :
Re-Enter UNIX Passeord:

Now login to your root account by typing su

2. run :

dpkg --configure -aIt should say something like rebuilding manual pages or something.

That did it for me !
I'd tried doing
sudo dpkg --configure -a earlier but turns out there are some things sudo can't fix.
(For everything else, there's 'su' - Accepted wherever your mischief may take you :P)

Hope that works for you as well :)

[kamilkamil]

Hi I had the same problem a while back. What I did was this :

1. Open a terminal, and login as root :


su
Password :#

Make sure you type only 'su' and not 'sudo su'

Incase a root password does not exist, you'll have to assign one by typing :

sudo passwd root
<Enter your normal password here>
UNIX Password :
Re-Enter UNIX Passeord:

Now login to your root account by typing su

2. run :

dpkg --configure -aIt should say something like rebuilding manual pages or something.

That did it for me !
I'd tried doing
sudo dpkg --configure -a earlier but turns out there are some things sudo can't fix.
(For everything else, there's 'su' - Accepted wherever your mischief may take you :P)

Hope that works for you as well :)


i have the same problem.i tried everything u said.but still it wont work.it says..

root@kk:/home/kamil# sudo dpkg --configure -a
Setting up man-db (2.5.7-4) ...
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
dpkg: error processing man-db (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
man-db

oh yeah.im newbie in ubuntu

[NewbieLearnLinux]

I solved similar issue by killing the locking Process first (dpkg), then build the man-db.

soreco@server15:/opt$ su
Password:
Added user root.

root@server15:/opt# ps -ef | grep dpkg
root 15279 1 0 Jun15 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/perl -w /usr/share/debconf/frontend /var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/preinst install
root 15292 15279 0 Jun15 ? 00:00:00 /bin/sh -e /var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/preinst install
root 23636 23613 0 09:22 pts/3 00:00:00 grep --color=auto dpkg

root@server15:/opt# kill -9 15279

root@server15:/opt# ps -ef | grep dpkg
root 23639 23613 0 09:23 pts/3 00:00:00 grep --color=auto dpkg

root@server15:/opt# exit
exit

soreco@server15:/opt$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
Setting up man-db (2.5.9-4) ...
Building database of manual pages ...
Setting up wine1.2 (1.2.2-0ubuntu6) ...
procps stop/waiting
procps stop/waiting
Setting up wine (1.2.2-0ubuntu6) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place

Hope this helps,
--NewbieLearnLinux

[tripi]

this worked for me, I have wiped out the cache and /var/log

$ sudo mkdir /var/cache/debconf

hope it helps

[jeroenvermeulen]

I had this "mount /tmp" problem on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, installed via the Re-Install wizzard of LeaseWeb.nl.
The wizzard normally wants to create a separate partition for /tmp, but I tweaked the partition schedule because I want my /tmp to be just a subdir of / (the root).

After some searching I discovered this file: /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50invoke
which was containing:

DPkg::Pre-Invoke{"mount -o remount,exec /tmp";};
DPkg::Post-Invoke {"mount -o remount /tmp";};


So I fixed the problem by doing:

mv /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50invoke /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/.disabled.50invoke

I hope this helps some people out.