Bug#1017798: emacs-common can't be installed: segfault in postinst

[Akkana Peck]

Package: emacs-common
Version: 1:28.1+1-1
Severity: grave
Justification: renders package unusable
X-Debbugs-Cc: d...@shallowsky.com

Dear Maintainer,

Emacs can't be updated as of the current sid version, because of a
segfault during postinst:

Preparing to unpack .../emacs-gtk_1%3a28.1+1-1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking emacs-gtk (1:28.1+1-1) ...
Setting up emacs-gtk (1:28.1+1-1) ...
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/emacs-gtk to provide /usr/bin/emacs (emacs) in auto mode
tsort: -: input contains a loop:
tsort: elpa-org
tsort: emacsen-common
tsort: -: input contains a loop:
tsort: elpa-htmlize
tsort: elpa-org
tsort: emacsen-common
Install elpa-htmlize for emacs
install/htmlize-1.56: Handling install of emacsen flavor emacs
install/htmlize-1.56: byte-compiling for emacs
Fatal error 11: Segmentation fault
Backtrace:
emacs(+0x153d71)[0x560ec9351d71]
emacs(+0x48902)[0x560ec9246902]
emacs(+0x48dcf)[0x560ec9246dcf]
emacs(+0x15209d)[0x560ec935009d]
emacs(+0x152119)[0x560ec9350119]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x3daf0)[0x7f4d7663daf0]
emacs(+0x194c30)[0x560ec9392c30]
emacs(+0x19a1ca)[0x560ec93981ca]
emacs(+0x1b87b5)[0x560ec93b67b5]
emacs(+0x1b88df)[0x560ec93b68df]
emacs(+0x1deff5)[0x560ec93dcff5]
emacs(+0x1df9d3)[0x560ec93dd9d3]
emacs(+0x1e3278)[0x560ec93e1278]
emacs(+0x1e3f3a)[0x560ec93e1f3a]
emacs(+0x1b8442)[0x560ec93b6442]
emacs(+0x1b8710)[0x560ec93b6710]
emacs(+0x1b88df)[0x560ec93b68df]
emacs(+0x1deff5)[0x560ec93dcff5]
emacs(+0x1df9d3)[0x560ec93dd9d3]
emacs(+0x1e3278)[0x560ec93e1278]
emacs(+0x1e3f3a)[0x560ec93e1f3a]
emacs(+0x1b8442)[0x560ec93b6442]
emacs(+0x1b8710)[0x560ec93b6710]
emacs(+0x1b88df)[0x560ec93b68df]
emacs(+0x1deff5)[0x560ec93dcff5]
emacs(+0x1df9d3)[0x560ec93dd9d3]
emacs(+0x1e3278)[0x560ec93e1278]
emacs(+0x1e3f3a)[0x560ec93e1f3a]
emacs(+0x1b8442)[0x560ec93b6442]
emacs(+0x1b8710)[0x560ec93b6710]
emacs(+0x1b88df)[0x560ec93b68df]
emacs(+0x1deff5)[0x560ec93dcff5]
emacs(+0x1df9d3)[0x560ec93dd9d3]
emacs(+0x1e3278)[0x560ec93e1278]
emacs(+0x1e3f3a)[0x560ec93e1f3a]
emacs(+0x1b8442)[0x560ec93b6442]
emacs(+0x1b8710)[0x560ec93b6710]
emacs(+0x1b88df)[0x560ec93b68df]
emacs(+0x1deff5)[0x560ec93dcff5]
emacs(+0x1df9d3)[0x560ec93dd9d3]
emacs(+0x1e3278)[0x560ec93e1278]
...
Segmentation fault
ERROR: install script from elpa-htmlize package failed
dpkg: error processing package emacs-gtk (--configure):
installed emacs-gtk package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of emacs:
emacs depends on emacs-gtk (>= 1:27.1) | emacs-lucid (>= 1:27.1) | emacs-nox (>= 1:27.1); however:
Package emacs-gtk is not configured yet.
Package emacs-lucid is not installed.
Package emacs-nox is not installed.

dpkg: error processing package emacs (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Processing triggers for man-db (2.10.2-2) ...
Processing triggers for mailcap (3.70+nmu1) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.26-1) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
emacs-gtk
emacs
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

This happens regardless of whether emacs-gtk, emacs-lucid or
emacs-nox is used.

This might be the same segfault as bug #1017779, but that bug has
severity normal, while this causes all emacs packages to be unusable
so it should be grave according to the definitions reportbug shows
me, and a new bug is the only way I know to do that.

I tried to downgrade to emacs-common=1:27.1+1-3.1 by pointing to
https://snapshot.debian.org/archive/debian/20210328T030002Z/
but it looks like that sort of downgrade requires manually chasing
all the dependencies' versions and dates and then finding a snapshot
that has all of them, and I gave up after a few tries.

-- System Information:
Debian Release: bookworm/sid
APT prefers unstable
APT policy: (600, 'unstable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 5.18.0-4-amd64 (SMP w/8 CPU threads; PREEMPT)
Kernel taint flags: TAINT_WARN
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8), LANGUAGE not set
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)

Versions of packages emacs-common depends on:
ii emacsen-common 3.0.4
ii init-system-helpers 1.64
ii install-info 6.8-6

Versions of packages emacs-common recommends:
pn emacs-el <none>

Versions of packages emacs-common suggests:
ii emacs-common-non-dfsg 1:27.1+1-2
ii ncurses-term 6.3+20220423-2

-- no debconf information

[Kurt Meyer]

I've upgraded emacs-common on both of my computers without issue, so the issue that the OP is experiencing may be unique to the elpa-htmlize package, which I do not have installed on either of my computers.

[Eugen Dedu]

Hi,

I had the same problem, and indeed installing emacs-el solved the issue.

Best regards,
Eugen