Comment 2 for bug 308537

I am confirming the issue. My output:

$ apt-get install nfs-common

...

Setting up nfs-common (1:1.1.4-1ubuntu1) ...

Creating config file /etc/idmapd.conf with new version

Creating config file /etc/default/nfs-common with new version
Adding system user `statd' (UID 111) ...
Adding new user `statd' (UID 111) with group `nogroup' ...
Not creating home directory `/var/lib/nfs'.
 * Starting NFS common utilities [fail]
invoke-rc.d: initscript nfs-common, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing nfs-common (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Processing triggers for libc6 ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
Errors were encountered while processing:
 nfs-common
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

$ sudo apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 36 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up nfs-common (1:1.1.4-1ubuntu1) ...
 * Starting NFS common utilities [fail]
invoke-rc.d: initscript nfs-common, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing nfs-common (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 nfs-common
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
Setting up nfs-common (1:1.1.4-1ubuntu1) ...
 * Starting NFS common utilities [fail]
invoke-rc.d: initscript nfs-common, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing nfs-common (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 nfs-common

$ apt-cache policy nfs-common
nfs-common:
  Installed: 1:1.1.4-1ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1:1.1.4-1ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 1:1.1.4-1ubuntu1 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu jaunty (development branch)
Release: 9.04

In case anyone finds it interesting:

$ sudo rpc.statd -F
Cannot register service: RPC: Unable to receive; errno = Connection refused
: unable to register (statd, 1, udp).

And, not surprisingly:

$ sudo mount -t nfs myserver.local:/ /tmp/MYSERVER/
mount.nfs: rpc.statd is not running but is required for remote locking.
mount.nfs: Either use '-o nolock' to keep locks local, or start statd.

Mind you, again not surprisingly:

$ sudo mount -t nfs -o nolock myserver.local:/ /tmp/MYSERVER/
noel@jaunty:~/shared$ ls -l /tmp/MYSERVER/
total 236
... a correct directory listing ...

So the code is installed and does "work" within limits.