[Bug 1990308] [NEW] Upgrade to 22.04 LTS failed part-way through, broke the system

[achan]

Public bug reported:

Attempted LTS upgrade from 20.04 to 22.04 using the graphical Software
Updater.  Clicked ok to perform upgrade, made a choice about a config
file /etc/systemd/journald.conf, then walked away to do something else.

When I came back the system was still running.  But icons were missing
from the task bar, and the activities launcher showed a lot of important
built-in system applications were missing -- system settings, the file
browser, etc.  The gnome terminal was gone, but I managed to open xterm.
`uptime` says the system didn't reboot.

Looks similar to https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-release-upgrader/+bug/1969786
I was able to recover to a partially usable system via `sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop` as mentioned in that issue's comments, but trying to launch the Software Updater causes it to crash.  Other faults may be present -- I haven't experimented much or rebooted yet.

`apport-bug` was run after installing ubuntu-desktop

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: ubuntu-release-upgrader-core 1:22.04.14
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-126.142-generic 5.4.203
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-126-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu82.1
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CrashDB: ubuntu
CrashReports: 640:0:117:105464:2022-09-20 18:34:33.837518973 +0100:2022-09-20 18:34:33.833519102 +0100:/var/crash/_usr_bin_do-release-upgrade.0.crash
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Tue Sep 20 19:16:12 2022
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-09-04 (1111 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20190805)
PackageArchitecture: all
RebootRequiredPkgs: Error: path contained symlinks.
SourcePackage: ubuntu-release-upgrader
Symptom: ubuntu-release-upgrader
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to focal on 2022-09-20 (0 days ago)
VarLogDistupgradeTermlog:

** Affects: ubuntu-release-upgrader (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug dist-upgrade focal third-party-packages

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1990308

Title:
  Upgrade to 22.04 LTS failed part-way through, broke the system

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

Bug description:
  Attempted LTS upgrade from 20.04 to 22.04 using the graphical Software
  Updater.  Clicked ok to perform upgrade, made a choice about a config
  file /etc/systemd/journald.conf, then walked away to do something
  else.

  When I came back the system was still running.  But icons were missing
  from the task bar, and the activities launcher showed a lot of
  important built-in system applications were missing -- system
  settings, the file browser, etc.  The gnome terminal was gone, but I
  managed to open xterm.  `uptime` says the system didn't reboot.

  Looks similar to https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-release-upgrader/+bug/1969786
  I was able to recover to a partially usable system via `sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop` as mentioned in that issue's comments, but trying to launch the Software Updater causes it to crash.  Other faults may be present -- I haven't experimented much or rebooted yet.

  `apport-bug` was run after installing ubuntu-desktop

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
  Package: ubuntu-release-upgrader-core 1:22.04.14
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-126.142-generic 5.4.203
  Uname: Linux 5.4.0-126-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
  ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu82.1
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
  CrashDB: ubuntu
  CrashReports: 640:0:117:105464:2022-09-20 18:34:33.837518973 +0100:2022-09-20 18:34:33.833519102 +0100:/var/crash/_usr_bin_do-release-upgrade.0.crash
  CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
  Date: Tue Sep 20 19:16:12 2022
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-09-04 (1111 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20190805)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  RebootRequiredPkgs: Error: path contained symlinks.
  SourcePackage: ubuntu-release-upgrader
  Symptom: ubuntu-release-upgrader
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to focal on 2022-09-20 (0 days ago)
  VarLogDistupgradeTermlog:

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