slapd cannot get resinstalled or removed if the configuration files were lost

I found that the problem was related to the init script (/etc/init.d/slapd)

With the attached patch the problem disappears, because the script stops before the daemon tries to access the configuration.

Did you try to purge the slapd package before reinstalling it?

Yes, Purging failed because the related files hindered slapd from being
stopped.

I posted a patch for the slapd init script that removes this problem.

Christian

On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 2:36 AM, Mathias Gug <email address hidden> wrote:

> Did you try to purge the slapd package before reinstalling it?
>
> ** Changed in: openldap (Ubuntu)
> Importance: Undecided => Low
>
> ** Changed in: openldap (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> slapd cannot get resinstalled or removed if the configuration files were
> lost
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/411045
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “openldap” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: slapd
>
> The installation scripts for slapd force good system even in recovery
> modes.
>
> In a moment of complete blackout, I dropped the configuration in
> /etc/ldap/slap.d/ with 'rm -r *' .
>
> Usually it is possible to reinstall a package in order to get to a clean
> system state, but not with the slapd package.
>
> I would expect the following:
> If slapd is set for reinstallation, missing configuration files should not
> hinder the package manager to create the configuration files just as in a
> vanilla installation.
>
> However, when I want to reinstall or remove slapd I get is:
> somehow the package management identifies the package as "configuration
> pending".
> it tries to reconfigure the package and fails because the files are
> missing.
> The messages are as follows:
>
> # apt-get install slapd --reinstall -f -m
> 1 Reading package lists...
> 2 Building dependency tree...
> 3 Reading state information...
> 4 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 0 not
> upgraded.
> 5 1 not fully installed or removed.
> 6 Need to get 0B/1519kB of archives.
> 7 After this operation, 0B of additional disk space will be used.
> 8 Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Preconfiguring packages ...
> 9 (Reading database ... 272567 files and directories currently
> installed.)
> 10 Preparing to replace slapd 2.4.15-1ubuntu3 (using
> .../slapd_2.4.15-1ubuntu3_i386.deb) ...
> 11 sed: can't read /etc/ldap/slapd.d//cn=config.ldif: No such file or
> directory
> 12 invoke-rc.d: initscript slapd, action "stop" failed.
> 13 dpkg: warning - old pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
> 14 dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
> 15 sed: can't read /etc/ldap/slapd.d//cn=config.ldif: No such file or
> directory
> 16 invoke-rc.d: initscript slapd, action "stop" failed.
> 17 dpkg: error processing
> /var/cache/apt/archives/slapd_2.4.15-1ubuntu3_i386.deb (--unpack):
> 18 subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
> 19 Backing up /etc/ldap/slapd.d/ in
> /var/backups/slapd-2.4.15-1ubuntu3... done.
> 20 grep: /etc/ldap/slapd.d//cn=config/olcDatabase*: No such file or
> directory
> 21 sed: can't read /etc/ldap/slapd.d//cn=config.ldif: No such file or
> directory
> 22 invoke-rc.d: initscript slapd, action "start" failed.
> 23 dpkg: error while ...

There is a much easier way to fix this.

Just remove (or move) your slap.d directory and run the reinstall again. The /etc/init.d/slapd script exits with a 0 if that folder is missing.