[Bug 2131303] Re: package base-files 13ubuntu10.2 failed to install/upgrade: new base-files package pre-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1: /lib32 is a dangling symbolic link

Sat Apr 18 19:35:05 UTC 2026

I was upgrading a machine that I had on 22.04, upgraded to noble (do-
release-upgrade failed due to a network error during snap install, so I
dist-upgraded and auto-removed installed files and went all fine),
rebooted a couple of times.

Upgrading to 26.04:

Preconfiguring packages ...
setting xserver-xorg-legacy/xwrapper/allowed_users from configuration file
(Reading database ... 329129 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../grub-efi-amd64-bin_2.14-2ubuntu1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking grub-efi-amd64-bin (2.14-2ubuntu1) over (2.12-1ubuntu7.3) ...
Selecting previously unselected package grub-efi-amd64-unsigned.
Preparing to unpack .../grub-efi-amd64-unsigned_2.14-2ubuntu1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking grub-efi-amd64-unsigned (2.14-2ubuntu1) ...
Preparing to unpack .../grub-efi-amd64-signed_1.215+2.14-2ubuntu1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking grub-efi-amd64-signed (1.215+2.14-2ubuntu1) over (1.202.5+2.12-1ubuntu7.3) ...
Preparing to unpack .../shim-signed_1.59+15.8-0ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking shim-signed (1.59+15.8-0ubuntu2) over (1.58+15.8-0ubuntu1) ...
Preparing to unpack .../base-files_14ubuntu5_amd64.deb ...

******************************************************************************
*
* The base-files package cannot be installed because
* /lib32 is a dangling symbolic link.
*
* This is an unexpected situation. Cannot proceed with the upgrade.
*
* For more information please read https://wiki.debian.org/UsrMerge.
*
******************************************************************************

dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/base-files_14ubuntu5_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 new base-files package pre-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
ERROR: Cannot create report: [Errno 17] File exists: '/var/crash/base-files.0.crash'
                                                                                    motd-news.service is a disabled or a static unit not running, not starting it.
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/base-files_14ubuntu5_amd64.deb
Exception during pm.DoInstall():  W:Ignoring file 'proposed.list.migrate' in directory '/etc/apt/sources.list.d/' as it has an invalid filename extension, W:Ignoring file 'proposed.list.migrate' in directory '/etc/apt/sources.list.d/' as it has an invalid filename extension, W:Ignoring file 'proposed.list.migrate' in directory '/etc/apt/sources.list.d/' as it has an invalid filename extension, W:Ignoring file 'proposed.list.migrate' in directory '/etc/apt/sources.list.d/' as it has an invalid filename extension, W:Ignoring file 'proposed.list.migrate' in directory '/etc/apt/sources.list.d/' as it has an invalid filename extension, E:Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Could not install the upgrades

The upgrade has aborted. Your system could be in an unusable state. A 
recovery will run now (dpkg --configure -a). 

This was the state

This was the state

marco at marco-HP-Pavilion-Notebook-15-bc5xxx:~:✗ $ ls -l /
total 96
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root     7 jun 20  2020 bin -> usr/bin
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root  4096 abr  8  2024 bin.usr-is-merged
drwxr-xr-x   4 root root  4096 abr 18 20:42 boot
drwxrwxr-x   2 root root  4096 jun 22  2020 cdrom
drwxr-xr-x  21 root root  4740 abr 18 20:46 dev
drwxr-xr-x 162 root root 12288 abr 18 20:46 etc
drwxr-xr-x   3 root root  4096 jun 20  2020 home
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root     7 jun 20  2020 lib -> usr/lib
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root     9 abr 17 20:47 lib32 -> usr/lib32
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root     9 jun 20  2020 lib64 -> usr/lib64
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root  4096 abr  7  2024 lib.usr-is-merged
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root    10 jun 20  2020 libx32 -> usr/libx32
drwx------   2 root root 16384 jun 20  2020 lost+found
drwxr-xr-x   3 root root  4096 jun 22  2020 media
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root  4096 jun 19  2020 mnt
drwxr-xr-x   3 root root  4096 jun 22  2020 opt
dr-xr-xr-x 370 root root     0 abr 18 20:46 proc
drwx------   8 root root  4096 abr 18 21:37 root
drwxr-xr-x  35 root root   960 abr 18 20:51 run
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root     8 jun 20  2020 sbin -> usr/sbin
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root  4096 abr  8  2024 sbin.usr-is-merged
drwxr-xr-x  20 root root  4096 abr 18 18:40 snap
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root  4096 jun 19  2020 srv
dr-xr-xr-x  13 root root     0 abr 18 20:46 sys
drwxrwxrwt  21 root root 12288 abr 18 20:52 tmp
drwxr-xr-x  13 root root  4096 abr 18 20:44 usr
drwxr-xr-x  14 root root  4096 abr 18 20:46 var
marco at marco-HP-Pavilion-Notebook-15-bc5xxx:~:✗ $ ls /usr/lib
lib/     lib64/   libexec/ libx32/

still pointing to usr/lib32 that does not exist (libx32 is empty
anyways)

sources.list are also now pointing to resolute rather than being restored to noble

** Changed in: base-files (Ubuntu)
       Status: Expired => Confirmed

** Changed in: base-files (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided => High

** Tags added: rls-rr-incoming

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

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2131303

Title:
  package base-files 13ubuntu10.2 failed to install/upgrade: new base-
  files package pre-installation script subprocess returned error exit
  status 1: /lib32 is a dangling symbolic link

Status in base-files package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in ubuntu-release-upgrader package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Check on the report

  ProblemType: Package
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
  Package: base-files 13ubuntu10.2
  Uname: Linux 6.16.0-061600rc6-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu3.8
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
  Date: Fri Nov 14 12:51:22 2025
  ErrorMessage: new base-files package pre-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2023-08-09 (828 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS "Jammy Jellyfish" - Release amd64 (20220809.1)
  Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.12, Python 3.12.3, python3-minimal, 3.12.3-0ubuntu2
  PythonDetails: N/A
  RelatedPackageVersions:
   dpkg 1.22.6ubuntu6.1
   apt  2.8.3
  SourcePackage: base-files
  Title: package base-files 13ubuntu10.2 failed to install/upgrade: new base-files package pre-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to noble on 2025-01-15 (303 days ago)

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