#617360 aptitude: a race causes "package failed to install" message on some hosts

Package:
aptitude
Source:
aptitude
Description:
terminal-based package manager
Submitter:
"Nikita V. Youshchenko"
Date:
2021-09-22 03:21:06 UTC
Severity:
normal
#617360#5
Date:
2011-03-08 12:57:09 UTC
From:
To:
On several amd64 squeeze hosts, I'm getting this:

vedi:~# LANG=C /usr/bin/aptitude dist-upgrade -d -y
No packages will be installed, upgraded, or removed.
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 0 B will be used.
A package failed to install.  Trying to recover:
dpkg: status database area is locked by another process

... and aptitude exist with non-zero exit status, causing cron-apt to
mail errors.

I'm not getting this on other hosts.

I've also found that error disappears when running in ru_RU.UTF-8
locale, and also if adding '--log-file=/dev/null --log-level=debug' to
command line (in LANG=C locale).

So it is a clear indication of a race somewhere.

I realize that the above information is likely not enough to explore
this bug, however I may provide more information on request. I just
don't know what to check. Tried to look through strace -f logs of runs
with bug reproduced, but could not find any hints.
#617360#10
Date:
2011-03-29 11:20:14 UTC
From:
To:
Hello,

The same issue occur here. We have a few Xen DomUs created from our
Debian squeeze template, but only two of them are "affected" by this
bug. Of course, we have installed the same versions of aptitude, dpkg
and cron-apt.

I should add too that the issue is not always repeatable. Sometimes I
can run `LANG=C /usr/bin/aptitude dist-upgrade -d -y` and the bug
doesn't occur at all. But sometimes I can see it for all command calls.

Probably the bug is visible only for LANG=C. I couldn't see it for my
default LANG=pl_PL.UTF-8.

I'm not sure why aptitude displays me information about failed
installation of a package ("A package failed to install.  Trying to
recover:"). I don't want to upgrade/install any package when I use -d
option of aptitude. I want only to *download* the package.

Do you have any idea how to debug it? I was trying to find a reason of
the bug using `strace -f` as well, but no success.
#617360#21
Date:
2016-05-04 15:08:39 UTC
From:
To:
#617360#26
Date:
2021-09-22 03:15:36 UTC
From:
To:
-- 

Hello,

How are you doing today? I sent you an email yesterday, did you receive it?
It is a very important message, anyway reply back to confirm that you
already got my message to enable me to give you more details..

Best Regards.
Mrs. Ameena Essa