package menu 2.1.47ubuntu3 failed to install/upgrade: triggers looping, abandoned

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

this error causes termination of upgrade from 18.10 -> 19.04

Happened during upgrade from 18.10 to 19.04 but the system did update with nothing catastrophic obvious

Let's reassign to dpkg, this is not caused by menu; and happens during dpkg --configure-pending

Attached is my dpkg.log file from the incident.

Julian had asked about events in term.log surrounding unpacking openssl. Here's what I found:

Preparing to unpack .../184-libpcre3_2%3a8.39-12_amd64.deb ...^M
De-configuring libpcre3:i386 (2:8.39-11) ...^M
Unpacking libpcre3:amd64 (2:8.39-12) over (2:8.39-11) ...^M
Preparing to unpack .../185-libpcre3_2%3a8.39-12_i386.deb ...^M
Unpacking libpcre3:i386 (2:8.39-12) over (2:8.39-11) ...^M
Preparing to unpack .../186-passwd_1%3a4.5-1.1ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...^M
Unpacking passwd (1:4.5-1.1ubuntu2) over (1:4.5-1.1ubuntu1) ...^M
Setting up passwd (1:4.5-1.1ubuntu2) ...^M
(Reading database ... ^M(Reading database ... 5%^M(Reading database ... 10%^M(Reading database ... 15%^M(Reading database ... 20%^M(Reading database ... 25%^M(Reading database ... 30%^M(Reading database ... 35%^M(Reading database ... 40%^M(Reading database ... 45%^M(Reading database ... 50%^M(Reading database ... 55%^M(Reading database ... 60%^M(Reading database ... 65%^M(Reading database ... 70%^M(Reading database ... 75%^M(Reading database ... 80%^M(Reading database ... 85%^M(Reading database ... 90%^M(Reading database ... 95%^M(Reading database ... 100%^M(Reading database ... 321448 files and directories currently installed.)^M
Preparing to unpack .../000-openssl_1.1.1b-1ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...^M
Unpacking openssl (1.1.1b-1ubuntu2) over (1.1.1b-1ubuntu1) ...^M
Preparing to unpack .../001-tzdata_2019a-1_all.deb ...^M
Unpacking tzdata (2019a-1) over (2018i-2) ...^M
Preparing to unpack .../002-ubuntu-advantage-tools_19.4_amd64.deb ...^M
Unpacking ubuntu-advantage-tools (19.4) over (18) ...^M
Preparing to unpack .../003-ubuntu-minimal_1.431_amd64.deb ...^M
Unpacking ubuntu-minimal (1.431) over (1.430) ...^M

I was able to recreate this today by taking a stock cosmic lxc image, installing ubuntu-mate-desktop, and then upgrading to disco. Here's the DuplicateSignature from the crash:

== DuplicateSignature =================================
package:libvlc-bin:3.0.6-1
Setting up fontconfig (2.13.1-2ubuntu2) ...
Regenerating fonts cache... done.
dpkg: cycle found while processing triggers:
 chain of packages whose triggers are or may be responsible:
  bamfdaemon -> mime-support
 packages' pending triggers which are or may be unresolvable:
  libvlc-bin:amd64: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/vlc/plugins
  dbus: /etc/dbus-1/system.d
  ca-certificates: update-ca-certificates
  gnome-icon-theme: /usr/share/icons/gnome
  libc-bin: ldconfig
  dictionaries-common: update-default-ispell: update-default-wordlist: aspell-autobuildhash
  hicolor-icon-theme: /usr/share/icons/hicolor
  initramfs-tools: update-initramfs
  mime-support: /usr/share/applications: /usr/lib/mime/packages
  bamfdaemon: /usr/share/applications
dpkg: error processing package libvlc-bin:amd64 (--configure):
 triggers looping, abandoned

I submitted bug 1828639 with details.

The following bug report looks very similar to this one:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-release-upgrader/+bug/1823004

Hi Brian:

Can u merge 'em??? Or tack mine onto the original one?

Thanks,

John

On 5/31/19 2:08 PM, Brian Murray wrote:
> The following bug report looks very similar to this one:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-release-
> upgrader/+bug/1823004
>
> ** Also affects: dpkg (Ubuntu Disco)
> Importance: Undecided
> Status: New
>
> ** Changed in: dpkg (Ubuntu Disco)
> Status: New => Confirmed
>

Marking trigger bugs as duplicates of 1828639, to have one bug to track the fix in with a clean reproducer.