[Bug 1066500] [NEW] Update manager breaks update of packages with certain debconf requirements

[Robert Arkenin]

Public bug reported:

In a package which uses Debconf within its postinst, for a license
agreement, the debconf will assume default values during installation,
causing upgrade failures for packages such as in oracle-java6-installer
in the ppa:estewei/java PPA
(https://launchpad.net/~estewei/+archive/java). The problem appears to
be localized to the debconf portion, which the update manager doesn't
like in this case.

Proposed solutions:

1. If a package fails to install due to a failure of a preinst or
postinst with debconf prompts, re-run the installation of that package
with debconf prompts shown.

2. Forde debconf prompting in attended upgrades', deferring unattended
updates of packages that fail a preinst or postinst due to debconf until
the next attended upgrade

Optimally, there should be an option to select between these options.

Note: I am filing this bug on behalf of an Ask Ubuntu user.

** Affects: update-manager (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: apt

** Summary changed:

- Update manager breaks updation ofpackages with certain debconf requirements
+ Update manager breaks update of packages with certain debconf requirements

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1066500

Title:
  Update manager breaks update of packages with certain debconf
  requirements

Status in “update-manager” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  In a package which uses Debconf within its postinst, for a license
  agreement, the debconf will assume default values during installation,
  causing upgrade failures for packages such as in oracle-
  java6-installer in the ppa:estewei/java PPA
  (https://launchpad.net/~estewei/+archive/java). The problem appears to
  be localized to the debconf portion, which the update manager doesn't
  like in this case.

  Proposed solutions:

  1. If a package fails to install due to a failure of a preinst or
  postinst with debconf prompts, re-run the installation of that package
  with debconf prompts shown.

  2. Forde debconf prompting in attended upgrades', deferring unattended
  updates of packages that fail a preinst or postinst due to debconf
  until the next attended upgrade

  Optimally, there should be an option to select between these options.

  Note: I am filing this bug on behalf of an Ask Ubuntu user.

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