package ecryptfs-utils 83-0ubuntu3 failed to install/upgrade: ErrorMessage: subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1

Ubuntu 10.10 lubuntu on eee 901. Updated from 10.04 lubuntu i got this error, dpkg sees no error but the eee is in unusable state now. The en- and dycryption is broken, no write access to old and new created homes. I'm very happy that i create a root account so i can maintain some things without login.
Tested: Reinstall ecryptfs-utils don't help, full removed is forbidden cause first alphabetical user in the list should be in use.

Further information: When ssh'ing from outside or using a local tty with user account the ecryptfs unlocks well. But login at gui did not do this, nothing can be clicked and the menu is empty. The "record your passphrase" sign appears but the button is useless.

Here is the issue:

Investigating (0) ecryptfs-utils [ i386 ] < 83-0ubuntu3 > ( misc )
Broken ecryptfs-utils:i386 Depends on keyutils [ i386 ] < 1.4-1 > ( misc )
  Considering keyutils:i386 10001 as a solution to ecryptfs-utils:i386 0
  Removing ecryptfs-utils:i386 rather than change keyutils:i386
Done

This is probably related to #635698 and specifically to the issue I noticed while trying to verify a fix for that issue, that several packages including keyutils and ecryptfs-utils were set so autoremove tries to remove them when it should not do so.

Workaround for now is likely to be to log in as a user who does not use an encrypted home directory but is in the admin group, do

  sudo apt-get install ecryptfs-utils

and then reboot.

The real fix is (I suspect) to cause something (lxde? maybe?) to depend on ecryptfs-utils.

I've created bug #710049 for the autoremove issue.

Michael and I researched and discussed this in IRC recently.

First of all, the code in the ecryptfs-utils pre-removal script is doing exactly what it is supposed to do -- it detects that you are in fact using ecryptfs for your encrypted home or encrypted private and the pre-removal script *refuses* to allow ecryptfs to be removed. Otherwise, if ecryptfs-utils was successfully removed, you would be completely locked out of your home or private, until you forcibly reinstalled ecryptfs-utils.

That said, there is a bug here, in why apt thinks that ecryptfs-utils can be removed.

Michael suggested that perhaps the best solution to this problem would be to have adduser recommend (rather than suggest) ecryptfs-utils. I agree with his assessment. I'm moving this bug over to adduser, and will fix it there in Natty.

This is, perhaps, a candidate for an SRU, IMHO, as there have been many, many duplicates.

This bug was fixed in the package adduser - 3.112+nmu1ubuntu5

---------------
adduser (3.112+nmu1ubuntu5) natty; urgency=low

  * debian/control: fix an often-duplicated bug, which causes apt to try
    and remove ecryptfs-utils, even though it is in use; have adduser
    recommend, rather than suggest ecryptfs-utils, LP: #653628
 -- Dustin Kirkland <email address hidden> Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:16:13 +0000