[Bug 2130471] Re: package tzdata 2025b-3ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade due to invalid date parsing in postinst

[Simon Poirier]

Here's a clean-room reproducer for the tzdata issue:

lxc launch ubuntu-daily:r rr --vm ; sleep 20
lxc exec rr bash
dpkg-reconfigure tzdata

select Americas
select Toronto

gnudate -s 'Mar 31 22:01:01 UTC 2026'
apt install --reinstall tzdata

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2130471

Title:
  package tzdata 2025b-3ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade due to invalid
  date parsing in postinst

Status in rust-coreutils:
  New
Status in rust-coreutils package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged
Status in tzdata package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in rust-coreutils source package in Questing:
  New
Status in tzdata source package in Questing:
  New

Bug description:
  Rust coreutils date doesn't support some specific dates/TZ
  combinations

  This one doesn't work:
  TZ=America/Toronto date -d "$(LC_ALL=C TZ=UTC0 gnudate -d 'Fri Oct 31 22:52:02 UTC 2025')"
  While the same datetime works for paris:
  TZ=Europe/Paris date -d "$(LC_ALL=C TZ=UTC0 gnudate -d 'Fri Oct 31 22:52:02 UTC 2025')"
  While the first TZ works with some different date:
  TZ=America/Toronto date -d "$(LC_ALL=C TZ=UTC0 gnudate -d 'Wed Oct 21 22:52:02 UTC 2025')"
  Wed Oct 22 00:52:02 CEST 2025

  [Original description]

  ProblemType: Package
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 25.10
  Package: tzdata 2025b-3ubuntu1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.14.0-35.35-generic 6.14.11
  Uname: Linux 6.14.0-35-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia
  ApportVersion: 2.33.1-0ubuntu3
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
  Date: Fri Oct 31 20:52:02 2025
  ErrorMessage: el subproceso instalado paquete tzdata script post-installation devolvió el código de salida de error 1
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2025-07-05 (118 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 25.04 "Plucky Puffin" - Release amd64 (20250415.3)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.13, Python 3.13.7, python3-minimal, 3.13.7-1
  PythonDetails: N/A
  RebootRequiredPkgs: Error: path contained symlinks.
  RelatedPackageVersions:
   dpkg 1.22.21ubuntu3.1
   apt  3.1.6ubuntu2
  SourcePackage: tzdata
  Title: package tzdata 2025b-3ubuntu1 failed to install/upgrade: el subproceso instalado paquete tzdata script post-installation devolvió el código de salida de error 1
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to questing on 2025-11-01 (0 days ago)

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