Error updating mailman Ubuntu 14.04.3
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5b365fefcb883eae2bd2ec1f9645640a.jpg?s=120&d=mm&r=g)
Tried running an update today and received this message:
Setting up mailman (1:2.1.16-2ubuntu0.1) ... Looking for enabled languages (this may take some time) ... done. Removing unmodified files from /etc/mailman/eu done. Directory /etc/mailman/eu not empty, not removed. *... {repeat above message for each language} ...* Removing unmodified files from /etc/mailman/sv done. Directory /etc/mailman/sv not empty, not removed. Removing unmodified files from /etc/mailman/ast done. Directory /etc/mailman/ast not empty, not removed. Installing site language en ............................................ done. Downgrade detected, from version 0x20112f1 to version 0x20110f0 This is probably not safe. Exiting. dpkg: error processing package mailman (--configure): subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1 Errors were encountered while processing: mailman E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
Any ideas what I can do to remedy this?
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/334b870d5b26878a79b2dc4cfcc500bc.jpg?s=120&d=mm&r=g)
billy noah writes:
Downgrade detected, from version 0x20112f1 to version 0x20110f0 This is probably not safe.
The basic answer is "You're going to need help from Ubuntu experts anyway because the package database is out of sync with reality, so go ask them."
That said, there are three possibilities.
Ubuntu screwed up. Ubuntu will fix it. If you're in a big hurry, ask in Ubuntu forums how to work around until they do.
You installed a more recent version of Mailman yourself
a. From a PPA. Talk to Ubuntu about how to manage these.
b. From source. Tell us what you did. We can help you get Mailman running, but your package DB is still broken, you need to talk to Ubuntu about how to fix that.
Something else. Tell us about it. (The package DB is still broken, Ubuntu forums are probably the right place to learn how to fix that.)
Exiting. dpkg: error processing package mailman (--configure):
You should be able to roll back the update at this point. Check the docs for apt or whatever front-end you're using.
Then, until you get things figured out, you could pin Mailman to the current version (that Ubuntu thinks is installed) and run the rest of any pending updates.
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/56f108518d7ee2544412cc80978e3182.jpg?s=120&d=mm&r=g)
On 08/25/2015 04:28 PM, billy noah wrote:
I'm with Steve on this. This is very wierd. The first message says you are setting up 2.1.16-2 and the later message says you are downgrading from 2.1.12-1 to 2.1.10.
Any ideas what I can do to remedy this?
You can run Mailman's 'bin/update --force' manually, but I wouldn't recommend it, because something unknown is messed up.
-- Mark Sapiro <mark@msapiro.net> The highway is for gamblers, San Francisco Bay Area, California better use your sense - B. Dylan
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/7e2c32f1b79e446e7cae277c9f5ff3b6.jpg?s=120&d=mm&r=g)
Thanks everyone. I am pretty sure no newer version was ever installed from source and it remains a mystery what went wrong. Asked on askubuntu.com and got this recommendation which did resolve the issue:
cd /var/lib/dpkg/info/ rm mailman* apt-get clean all
On Sat, Aug 29, 2015 at 10:04 PM, Mark Sapiro <mark@msapiro.net> wrote:
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/334b870d5b26878a79b2dc4cfcc500bc.jpg?s=120&d=mm&r=g)
billy noah writes:
Downgrade detected, from version 0x20112f1 to version 0x20110f0 This is probably not safe.
The basic answer is "You're going to need help from Ubuntu experts anyway because the package database is out of sync with reality, so go ask them."
That said, there are three possibilities.
Ubuntu screwed up. Ubuntu will fix it. If you're in a big hurry, ask in Ubuntu forums how to work around until they do.
You installed a more recent version of Mailman yourself
a. From a PPA. Talk to Ubuntu about how to manage these.
b. From source. Tell us what you did. We can help you get Mailman running, but your package DB is still broken, you need to talk to Ubuntu about how to fix that.
Something else. Tell us about it. (The package DB is still broken, Ubuntu forums are probably the right place to learn how to fix that.)
Exiting. dpkg: error processing package mailman (--configure):
You should be able to roll back the update at this point. Check the docs for apt or whatever front-end you're using.
Then, until you get things figured out, you could pin Mailman to the current version (that Ubuntu thinks is installed) and run the rest of any pending updates.
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/56f108518d7ee2544412cc80978e3182.jpg?s=120&d=mm&r=g)
On 08/25/2015 04:28 PM, billy noah wrote:
I'm with Steve on this. This is very wierd. The first message says you are setting up 2.1.16-2 and the later message says you are downgrading from 2.1.12-1 to 2.1.10.
Any ideas what I can do to remedy this?
You can run Mailman's 'bin/update --force' manually, but I wouldn't recommend it, because something unknown is messed up.
-- Mark Sapiro <mark@msapiro.net> The highway is for gamblers, San Francisco Bay Area, California better use your sense - B. Dylan
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/7e2c32f1b79e446e7cae277c9f5ff3b6.jpg?s=120&d=mm&r=g)
Thanks everyone. I am pretty sure no newer version was ever installed from source and it remains a mystery what went wrong. Asked on askubuntu.com and got this recommendation which did resolve the issue:
cd /var/lib/dpkg/info/ rm mailman* apt-get clean all
On Sat, Aug 29, 2015 at 10:04 PM, Mark Sapiro <mark@msapiro.net> wrote:
participants (5)
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Andrew Hodgson
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billy noah
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billy noah
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Mark Sapiro
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Stephen J. Turnbull