[Debconf-devel] Bug#636621: debconf does not recover properly after puring /var/cache/debconf

[Ben Howard]

Package: debconf
Version: 1.5.36ubuntu4
Severity: serious
Tags: sid
Justification: Policy 9.1.1

If user deletes /var/cache/*, while leaving /var/cache, then debconf is broken.
Specifically, debconf looks for /var/cache/debconf and does not create the
missing directory, and after the directory is creating, software fails to
install.

Repo Steps:
1. rm /var/cache/*
2. Attempt to install any package

Why this is a bug? Per the LSB, (
http://www.pathname.com/fhs/pub/fhs-2.3.html#VARCACHE), applications should
recover from missing files. A user who removes /var/cache/* will experience
problems with the installation of software.

---
Attempt to install the Sun JDK:

sun-dlj-v1-1 license could not be presented
try 'dpkg-reconfigure debconf' to select a frontend other than noninteractive

dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/sun-
java6-jre_6.26-1oneiric1_all.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 2
Unpacking sun-java6-bin (from .../sun-java6-bin_6.26-1oneiric1_i386.deb) ...

sun-dlj-v1-1 license could not be presented
try 'dpkg-reconfigure debconf' to select a frontend other than noninteractive

dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/sun-
java6-bin_6.26-1oneiric1_i386.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 2
Unpacking sun-java6-jdk (from .../sun-java6-jdk_6.26-1oneiric1_i386.deb) ...

sun-dlj-v1-1 license could not be presented
try 'dpkg-reconfigure debconf' to select a frontend other than noninteractive



-- System Information:
Debian Release: squeeze/sid
  APT prefers natty-updates
  APT policy: (500, 'natty-updates'), (500, 'natty-security'), (500, 'natty'), (100, 'natty-backports')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic (SMP w/8 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_CA.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_CA.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages debconf depends on:
ii  debconf-i18n          1.5.36ubuntu4      full internationalization support 
ii  perl-base             5.10.1-17ubuntu4.1 minimal Perl system

Versions of packages debconf recommends:
ii  apt-utils              0.8.13.2ubuntu4.1 APT utility programs

Versions of packages debconf suggests:
pn  debconf-doc           <none>             (no description available)
pn  debconf-utils         <none>             (no description available)
ii  libgtk2-perl          2:1.223-1          Perl interface to the 2.x series o
pn  libnet-ldap-perl      <none>             (no description available)
pn  libqtcore4-perl       <none>             (no description available)
pn  libqtgui4-perl        <none>             (no description available)
pn  libterm-readline-gnu- <none>             (no description available)
ii  perl                  5.10.1-17ubuntu4.1 Larry Wall's Practical Extraction 
ii  whiptail              0.52.11-2ubuntu7   Displays user-friendly dialog boxe

-- debconf information:
  debconf-apt-progress/preparing:
* debconf/frontend: Dialog
  debconf-apt-progress/title:
  debconf/priority: high
  debconf-apt-progress/info:
  debconf-apt-progress/media-change: