[Bug 1838897] Re: LTS dist upgrade from 14.04 to 16.04 ok, then directly to 18.04 failure with dependency problems

[Enrico Rosina]

As I suspected it became impossible to boot on Ubuntu after this
installation bug. I tried all versions but I am unable to boot even with
recovery mode, 18.04 and 16.04 as well.

I write this comment using an old "Windows 7" (first login on this dual-
boot in years)! If you ask me to attach a log, you will have to teach me
how to make this miracle happen, because I'm unable to connect an usb-
key from the command line...

Should I submit a question instead of a bug, so I have a better chance
to get help? Thank you for any answer.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1838897

Title:
  LTS dist upgrade from 14.04 to 16.04 ok, then directly to 18.04
  failure with dependency problems

Status in ubuntu-release-upgrader package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Hello,

  lsb_release -rd
  Description:	Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS
  Release:	18.04

  I am not sure what the package name is for the update manager, so I
  check the "I don't know" option, sorry for that. I try this one, just
  in case:

  apt-cache policy update-manager
  update-manager:
    Installé : 1:18.04.11.10
    Candidat : 1:18.04.11.10
   Table de version :
   *** 1:18.04.11.10 500
          500 http://ch.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main amd64 Packages
          500 http://ch.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main i386 Packages
          100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
       1:18.04.11 500
          500 http://ch.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages
          500 http://ch.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main i386 Packages

  I upgraded with the update manager (with the GUI) from Ubuntu 14.04
  LTS to Ubuntu 16.04 LTS,

  This was perfectly done, I rebooted with the new 16.04 version, and
  tried several programs: mail, network, firefox, gedit, libreoffice...
  everything was fine, so 10 minutes after, I launched the update
  manager with the GUI again to Upgrade to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. I did this
  Without having done any other update using the 16.04 LTS.

  The packages were downloaded ok, but the installation failed with
  multiple messages like this one (may not be accurate, I translate "on
  the fly" from french). Sorry, I did not find any log to copy those
  messages, and the files cannot be browsed from the gui anymore. I had
  to search the files and edit them with "vi" (gedit was no more
  usable), and found nothing useful. So here is(are) the message(s):

     "Impossible to install «systemd»
     The upgrade will continue, but the package «systemd» may not run.
     Please do report this as a bug."

  Then:
     "installed systemd package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1".

  Then I had more than 20 packages ending to similar error messages:
  "dependency problems - leaving unconfigured"

  Among those broken packages:
     systemd-sysv, init,dbus-user-session, policykit-1, aptdaemon, synaptic, gnome-settings-daemon,
     mutter, gnome-shell, policykit-1-gnome, update-manager, update-notifier, ubuntu-system-service,
     network-manager, netwirk-manager-pptp, network-manager-gnome... etc.
  With libpam-systemd package there was an error number displayed with the message:
     66.8035: dependency problems - leaving unconfigured.

  I am filing this bug before I reboot, I don't even know if I will be
  able to restart a previous Ubuntu version.

  Please tell me if I can help adding commands outputs or attaching log files, and where I am supposed to find those logs... I saw other similar bugs or this question: https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/670525
  ... but nothing was close enough to my problem, so here I am.

  Thank you for your understanding and hints...
  Enrico.

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