Package rsyslog is not configured yet

Question

Since upgrading to 12.04 from 8.04->10.04 I can no longer upgrade or install new packages.

I do get a large number of errors, but the first is the resyslog:

 root@sub:~# apt-get -f install
 Reading package lists... Done
 Building dependency tree
 Reading state information... Done
 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 2 not upgraded.
 9 not fully installed or removed.
 After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
 Setting up rsyslog (5.8.6-1ubuntu8.6) ...
 dpkg: error processing rsyslog (--configure):
  subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 10
 dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of ubuntu-minimal:
  ubuntu-minimal depends on rsyslog; however:
 Package rsyslog is not configured yet.

So I try to reinstalling everything:

apt-get install --reinstall dpkg

This throws up:

Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up dpkg (1.16.1.2ubuntu7.5) ...
Setting up rsyslog (5.8.6-1ubuntu8.6) ...
dpkg: error processing rsyslog (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 10
No apport report written because MaxReports is reached
dpkg: dependency     problems prevent configuration of ubuntu-minimal:
 ubuntu-minimal depends on rsyslog; however:
Package rsyslog is not configured yet.

So I believe if I can fix the rsyslog we'll be getting somewhere :/

Solution

Run:

sudo dpkg -r rsyslog

if it is successful or not, run:

gksudo gedit /var/lib/dpkg/status

In the resulting gedit, delete the whole section starts with

Package : rsyslog

close and run an update.

Comments

[CameronNemo]

What happens when you run sudo dpkg --configure rsyslog.

[Jamie Hutber]

O Billy boy you've done it again!!!

[msb]

I didn't want to remove the package because it was "linux-image*" in my case, too dangerous. But the system is working fine, so I just edited /var/lib/dpkg/status changing "half-configured" to "installed", all is good now. :)