Resolved Debian 9 + Plesk 17.8.11 - Remove Postfix and install QMail

[HigH_HawK]

Hi community,

I got my new server today and put Debian 9 and Plesk 17.8.11 on it. Now I went into the Update/Upgrade menu and started removing/installing software.

In Mail hosting I ticked QMail, which should remove Postfix but this is my issue, since it is getting stuck at that point with apparent missing dependencies. Now I am stuck, since I cannot get this resolved, no matter what I try.

[2018-10-31 18:53:11.542763] Installation started in background
[2018-10-31 18:53:11.542927]
Getting bootstrapper packages to installation list:
[2018-10-31 18:53:11.543117] skip package 'pp17.8.11-bootstrapper-17.8.11-debian9.0.build1708180920.15.amd64' from component qmail - same or newer version of this package is already installed (in system pp17.8.11-bootstrapper-17.8.11-debian9.0.build1708180920.15.amd64)
[2018-10-31 18:53:11.543340] skip package 'sw-engine-cli-2.24-2.24.9-debian.9.180409.1642.amd64' from component qmail - same or newer version of this package is already installed (in system sw-engine-cli-2.24-2.24.9-debian.9.180409.1642.amd64)
[2018-10-31 18:53:11.543589] skip package 'pp17.8.11-bootstrapper-17.8.11-debian9.0.build1708180920.15.amd64' from component panel - same or newer version of this package is already installed (in system pp17.8.11-bootstrapper-17.8.11-debian9.0.build1708180920.15.amd64)
[2018-10-31 18:53:11.543737] skip package 'sw-engine-cli-2.24-2.24.9-debian.9.180409.1642.amd64' from component panel - same or newer version of this package is already installed (in system sw-engine-cli-2.24-2.24.9-debian.9.180409.1642.amd64)
[2018-10-31 18:53:11.543853] Following bootstrapper packages will be installed: (empty)
[2018-10-31 18:53:11.543900] ----------------
[2018-10-31 18:53:11.543940] Getting packages to installation list:
[2018-10-31 18:53:11.544063] skip package 'psa-mail-driver-common-17.8.11-debian9.0.build1708180424.19.amd64' from component qmail - same or newer version of this package is already installed (in system psa-mail-driver-common-17.8.11-debian9.0.build1708180424.19.amd64)
[2018-10-31 18:53:11.544250] Following packages will be installed: plesk-mail-qc-driver-17.8.11-debian9.0.build1708180301.19.amd64 psa-qmail-3:1.03-debian9.0.build1708180220.17.amd64 psa-qmail-rblsmtpd-0.88-debian9.0.build1708171004.18.amd64
[2018-10-31 18:53:11.544311] ----------------
[2018-10-31 18:53:11.544416] Checking whether the package dependencies are resolved.
[2018-10-31 18:53:11.544495] autoinstaller: read output of DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive LANG=C apt-get --assume-yes --show-upgraded --purge --no-reinstall -o APT::Get::List-Cleanup=true -o Dpkg::options::=--force-confdef -o Dpkg::options::=--force-confold -o APT::Get::AllowUnauthenticated=false -o Acquire::Retries=3 -t 'stretch*' --just-print install plesk-mail-qc-driver=17.8.11-debian9.0.build1708180301.19 psa-qmail=3:1.03-debian9.0.build1708180220.17 psa-qmail-rblsmtpd=0.88-debian9.0.build1708171004.18
[2018-10-31 18:53:12.670403] add to remove list dummy_obsoleter_postfix-0.0
[2018-10-31 18:53:12.747304] add to remove list dummy_obsoleter_plesk-mail-pc-driver-0.0
[2018-10-31 18:53:12.747438] add to install list psa-qmail-3:1.03-debian9.0.build1708180220.17
[2018-10-31 18:53:12.747586] add to install list plesk-mail-qc-driver-17.8.11-debian9.0.build1708180301.19
[2018-10-31 18:53:12.747678] add to remove list dummy_obsoleter_postfix-pcre-0.0
[2018-10-31 18:53:12.747773] add to install list psa-qmail-rblsmtpd-0.88-debian9.0.build1708171004.18
[2018-10-31 18:53:12.748115] Check package set before installation
[2018-10-31 18:53:12.748650] The following packages from not selected components will be installed because they are required by other components' packages you selected for installation:
[2018-10-31 18:53:12.748996] Installing packages
[2018-10-31 18:53:12.758170] Bootstrapper has finished action (exec time: 0 sec.): parent_name='PLESK_17_8_11', sequence='prep', stage='execute', sequence_order='-1', operation='install', exec_cmd='touch /tmp/pp-bootstrapper-mode.flag; touch /var/lock/parallels-panel-maintenance-mode.flag; rm -f /var/lock/parallels-panel-upgrade-failure.flag; :'', m_arch='', output: ~empty
[2018-10-31 18:53:12.838305] Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
 postfix-sqlite
Use 'apt autoremove' to remove it.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
 plesk-mail-pc-driver* postfix* postfix-pcre*
The following NEW packages will be installed:
 plesk-mail-qc-driver psa-qmail psa-qmail-rblsmtpd
0 upgraded, 3 newly installed, 3 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
Need to get 933 kB of archives.
After this operation, 6480 kB disk space will be freed.
Get:1 http://autoinstall.plesk.com/debian/PSA_17.8.11 stretch/all amd64 psa-qmail amd64 3:1.03-debian9.0.build1708180220.17 [338 kB]
Get:2 http://autoinstall.plesk.com/debian/PSA_17.8.11 stretch/all amd64 plesk-mail-qc-driver amd64 17.8.11-debian9.0.build1708180301.19 [574 kB]
Get:3 http://autoinstall.plesk.com/debian/PSA_17.8.11 stretch/all amd64 psa-qmail-rblsmtpd amd64 0.88-debian9.0.build1708171004.18 [20.4 kB]
N: Ignoring file 'plesk.list.ai_back' in directory '/etc/apt/sources.list.d/' as it has an invalid filename extension
Fetched 933 kB in 0s (3043 kB/s)
dpkg: plesk-mail-pc-driver: dependency problems, but removing anyway as you requested:
 psa-drweb-configurator depends on mail-pc-driver | psa-mail-driver; however:
 Package mail-pc-driver is not installed.
 Package psa-mail-driver is not installed.
 Package plesk-mail-pc-driver which provides psa-mail-driver is to be removed.
 psa-spamassassin depends on psa-mail-driver; however:
 Package psa-mail-driver is not installed.
 Package plesk-mail-pc-driver which provides psa-mail-driver is to be removed.

(Reading database ... (Reading database ... 5%(Reading database ... 10%(Reading database ... 15%(Reading database ... 20%(Reading database ... 25%(Reading database ... 30%(Reading database ... 35%(Reading database ... 40%(Reading database ... 45%(Reading database ... 50%(Reading database ... 55%(Reading database ... 60%(Reading database ... 65%(Reading database ... 70%(Reading database ... 75%(Reading database ... 80%(Reading database ... 85%(Reading database ... 90%(Reading database ... 95%(Reading database ... 100%(Reading database ... 121823 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing plesk-mail-pc-driver (17.8.11-debian9.0.build1708180927.11) ...
dpkg: postfix: dependency problems, but removing anyway as you requested:
 postfix-pcre depends on postfix (= 3.1.8-0+deb9u1).
 mailutils depends on default-mta | mail-transport-agent; however:
 Package default-mta is not installed.
 Package mail-transport-agent is not installed.
 Package postfix which provides mail-transport-agent is to be removed.

Removing postfix (3.1.8-0+deb9u1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package psa-qmail.
(Reading database ... (Reading database ... 5%(Reading database ... 10%(Reading database ... 15%(Reading database ... 20%(Reading database ... 25%(Reading database ... 30%(Reading database ... 35%(Reading database ... 40%(Reading database ... 45%(Reading database ... 50%(Reading database ... 55%(Reading database ... 60%(Reading database ... 65%(Reading database ... 70%(Reading database ... 75%(Reading database ... 80%(Reading database ... 85%(Reading database ... 90%(Reading database ... 95%(Reading database ... 100%(Reading database ... 121609 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../psa-qmail_3%3a1.03-debian9.0.build1708180220.17_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking psa-qmail (3:1.03-debian9.0.build1708180220.17) ...
Selecting previously unselected package plesk-mail-qc-driver.
Preparing to unpack .../plesk-mail-qc-driver_17.8.11-debian9.0.build1708180301.19_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking plesk-mail-qc-driver (17.8.11-debian9.0.build1708180301.19) ...
(Reading database ... (Reading database ... 5%(Reading database ... 10%(Reading database ... 15%(Reading database ... 20%(Reading database ... 25%(Reading database ... 30%(Reading database ... 35%(Reading database ... 40%(Reading database ... 45%(Reading database ... 50%(Reading database ... 55%(Reading database ... 60%(Reading database ... 65%(Reading database ... 70%(Reading database ... 75%(Reading database ... 80%(Reading database ... 85%(Reading database ... 90%(Reading database ... 95%(Reading database ... 100%(Reading database ... 121999 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing postfix-pcre (3.1.8-0+deb9u1) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/postfix-pcre.prerm: 18: .: Can't open /usr/share/postfix/postinst.functions
dpkg: error processing package postfix-pcre (--remove):
 subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
/var/lib/dpkg/info/postfix-pcre.postinst: 25: .: Can't open /usr/share/postfix/postinst.functions
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
 postfix-pcre
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
Bootstrapper has finished action (exec time: 0 sec.): parent_name='PLESK_17_8_11', sequence='pkgs', stage='rollback', sequence_order='1', operation='install', exec_cmd='rm -f /tmp/pp-bootstrapper-mode.flag; rm -f /var/lock/parallels-panel-maintenance-mode.flag; touch /var/lock/parallels-panel-upgrade-failure.flag; /etc/init.d/psa restart; :'', m_arch='', output: ~empty
[2018-10-31 18:53:55.979327] Error: An error occurred on attempt to install packages.
Attention! Your software might be inoperable.
Please contact product technical support.

Now I tried the solution from this link but without success, it seems that the Plesk updater/setup is messing things up and I cannot repair it

I need some serious help with this as I am near frustration with it.

Thanks in advance

 

[HigH_HawK]

Ok got it sorted after analysing a few more logs and getting a little more down the bottom of it.

Solution which helped me with it:

mkdir -p /root/backup-dpkg

mv /var/lib/dpkg/info/postfix* /root/backup-dpkg/

apt-get -f install

Please note that I removed the . after postfix from the other solution, now the -f install worked perfectly. In the Plesk update screen I had to do a Spam Assassin update, which I did, after that I could install QMail without any issues?! This gives me more of a hint, that Plesk is somehow messing up the setup, while changing the mail server in the first place.