[Bug 904410] [NEW] Mailman configuration script causes syntax error in "/var/lib/mailman/Mailman/mm_cfg.py", line 76

[Ben Johnson]

Public bug reported:

# lsb_release -rd
Description:    Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS
Release:        10.04

# apt-cache policy mailman
mailman:
  Installed: 1:2.1.13-1ubuntu0.2
  Candidate: 1:2.1.13-1ubuntu0.2
  Version table:
 *** 1:2.1.13-1ubuntu0.2 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main Packages
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-security/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1:2.1.13-1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages

The problem is that the Mailman configuration script that is included
with the package fails to insert the default Mailman language string
into "/var/lib/mailman/Mailman/mm_cfg.py", line 76, which causes a
syntax error. This syntax error makes it impossible to work with the
package (reinstall, remove, etc.), because every attempted operation
chokes.

Here is the full log of the terminal output:

-------------------------------------
# apt-get install mailman
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  wwwconfig-common javascript-common libjs-mootools
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
Suggested packages:
  listadmin
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  mailman
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 14 not upgraded.
Need to get 9677kB of archives.
After this operation, 44.9MB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main mailman 1:2.1.13-1ubuntu0.2 [9677kB]
Fetched 9677kB in 1s (5759kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously deselected package mailman.
(Reading database ... 59028 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking mailman (from .../mailman_1%3a2.1.13-1ubuntu0.2_amd64.deb) ...
Setting up mailman (1:2.1.13-1ubuntu0.2) ...
Looking for enabled languages (this may take some time) ... done.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/var/lib/mailman/bin/list_lists", line 46, in <module>
    from Mailman import mm_cfg
  File "/var/lib/mailman/Mailman/mm_cfg.py", line 76
    DEFAULT_SERVER_LANGUAGE =
                             ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
Installing site language en ............................................ done.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/mailman/bin/update", line 49, in <module>
    from Mailman import mm_cfg
  File "/var/lib/mailman/Mailman/mm_cfg.py", line 76
    DEFAULT_SERVER_LANGUAGE =
                             ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
dpkg: error processing mailman (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mailman
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

-------------------------------------

If I examine the file and line cited in the error message, there is no
value for DEFAULT_SERVER_LANGUAGE:

#-------------------------------------------------------------
# The default language for this server.
DEFAULT_SERVER_LANGUAGE = 

This is despite the fact that I chose a valid language (English) from
the list that is presented during installation by highlighting said
language and pressing the spacebar. (The selection is evidenced by the *
character next to the English option.)

The only means by which I was able to remove the package was to fix
problem by editing "/var/lib/mailman/Mailman/mm_cfg.py" directly and
changing the line in question to:

DEFAULT_SERVER_LANGUAGE = 'en'

** Affects: mailman (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/904410

Title:
  Mailman configuration script causes syntax error in
  "/var/lib/mailman/Mailman/mm_cfg.py", line 76

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