[Bug 551637] Re: debconf seems to require a controlling TTY even when no interaction is required

[dino99]

note: #5 comment is about Bionic archive.

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Title:
  debconf seems to require a controlling TTY even when no interaction is
  required

Status in debconf package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: debconf

  
  Having installed NTP on a very similar workstation I expected no interaction, so I typed: 

  %  ssh root at falbala apt-get install ntp
  Reading package lists...
  Building dependency tree...
  Reading state information...
  The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
    linux-headers-2.6.32-16-generic linux-headers-2.6.32-16
  Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
  Suggested packages:
    ntp-doc
  The following NEW packages will be installed:
    ntp
  0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 10 not upgraded.
  Need to get 559kB of archives.
  After this operation, 1,450kB of additional disk space will be used.
  Get:1 http://nl.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main ntp 1:4.2.4p8+dfsg-1ubuntu
  1 [559kB]
  debconf: unable to initialize frontend: Dialog
  debconf: (TERM is not set, so the dialog frontend is not usable.)
  debconf: falling back to frontend: Readline
  debconf: unable to initialize frontend: Readline
  debconf: (This frontend requires a controlling tty.)
  debconf: falling back to frontend: Teletype
  dpkg-preconfigure: unable to re-open stdin: 
  Fetched 559kB in 1s (412kB/s)
  Selecting previously deselected package ntp.
  (Reading database ... E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg received a segmentation fault
  .
  Of course adding "-t" on the ssh commandline works: 

  assurancetourix:~> ssh -t root at falbala apt-get install ntp
  Reading package lists... Done
  Building dependency tree       
  Reading state information... Done
  The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
    linux-headers-2.6.32-16-generic linux-headers-2.6.32-16
  Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
  Suggested packages:
    ntp-doc
  The following NEW packages will be installed:
    ntp
  0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 10 not upgraded.
  Need to get 0B/559kB of archives.
  After this operation, 1,450kB of additional disk space will be used.
  Selecting previously deselected package ntp.
  (Reading database ... 143304 files and directories currently installed.)
  Unpacking ntp (from .../ntp_1%3a4.2.4p8+dfsg-1ubuntu1_amd64.deb) ...
  Processing triggers for man-db ...
  Processing triggers for ureadahead ...
  Setting up ntp (1:4.2.4p8+dfsg-1ubuntu1) ...
   * Starting NTP server ntpd                                              [ OK ] 

  Connection to falbala closed.
  --- 

  but I don't think that debconf should complain/fail and cause dpkg to
  crash if it doesn't need to ask me anything.

  Ubuntu Lucid.

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