Package: xdm Version: 1:1.1.11-3ubuntu1 OS: Ubuntu (xubuntu) 18.04.2
During package installation/reinstallation, the configure step consistently fails as follows (the commands were run in a sudo bash shell) ... # apt install --reinstall xdm Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done 0 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 0 not to upgrade. Need to get 145 kB of archives. After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used. Get:1 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 xdm amd64 1:1.1.11-3ubuntu1 [145 kB] Fetched 145 kB in 0s (489 kB/s) Preconfiguring packages ... (Reading database ... 265903 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../xdm_1%3a1.1.11-3ubuntu1_amd64.deb ... Unpacking xdm (1:1.1.11-3ubuntu1) over (1:1.1.11-3ubuntu1) ... Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-20) ... Processing triggers for systemd (237-3ubuntu10.15) ... Processing triggers for man-db (2.8.3-2ubuntu0.1) ... Setting up xdm (1:1.1.11-3ubuntu1) ... start-stop-daemon: pid value must be a number greater than 0 Try 'start-stop-daemon --help' for more information. The above problem can be repeated at will by attempting to reconfigure the package... # dpkg-reconfigure xdm start-stop-daemon: pid value must be a number greater than 0 Try 'start-stop-daemon --help' for more information. Note that above manifests itself with, or without, the use of the '--force' option. FWIW, the problem is in the invocation of the start-stop-daemon script within the package postinst script - the fix is, I believe, an update to the package postinst file (/var/lib/dpkg/info/xdm.postinst) - something along the lines of thw following ... # F=xdm.postinst # sed '/start-stop-daemon/s,--pid,-p,' /var/lib/dpkg/info/$F > /tmp/$F && mv /tmp/$F /var/lib/dpkg/info/$F Best rgds, Dave P -- D.C. Pointon FIAP MBCS | Now I saw, tho' too late, the folly of 07810 645299 | beginning a work before we count the cost 01782 514815 | and before we judge rightly of our strength 01730 233886 | to go thro' with it. Robinson Crusoe
