Public bug reported:
Incident Report: Ubuntu LTS Upgrade Failure (24.04 → 26.04)
Incident: Package configuration failure during Ubuntu LTS upgrade.
Affected packages: install-info, info, and ubuntu-standard.
1. Error message
/usr/sbin/update-info-dir: 27: export: "cff:no-stem-darkening: bad variable name
dpkg: error processing package install-info (--configure)
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of info
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of ubuntu-standard
2. Suspected cause
The FREETYPE_PROPERTIES environment variable in /etc/environment used
shell-style multiline backslash continuations, which are not supported
by this file format.
Example of the offending configuration:
FREETYPE_PROPERTIES=\
"cff:no-stem-darkening=0\
type1:no-stem-darkening=0\
t1cid:no-stem-darkening=0"
This syntax may result in the variable being parsed incorrectly,
contributing to the install-info post-installation failure.
3. Corrected configuration
Replace the multiline entry with a single-line assignment:
FREETYPE_PROPERTIES="cff:no-stem-darkening=0 type1:no-stem-darkening=0
t1cid:no-stem-darkening=0"
4. Recovery procedure
After correcting /etc/environment, start a fresh login session and run:
sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt --fix-broken install
5. Impact and status
The failed configuration of install-info prevented its dependent
packages, info and ubuntu-standard, from being configured. APT also
displayed notices about ignored .list.migrate files, which were separate
from the main error.
Status: The environment configuration is the suspected root cause.
Successful recovery must be confirmed by rerunning the package
configuration commands.
Preventive action: Use single-line assignments in /etc/environment;
reserve shell-specific syntax such as export and line continuations for
shell scripts.
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 26.04
Package: install-info 7.2-5ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 7.0.0-38.38-generic 7.0.14
Uname: Linux 7.0.0-38-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.34.1-0ubuntu0.1
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Fri Oct 2 10:08:08 2026
InstallationDate: Installed on 2024-09-29 (733 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS "Noble Numbat" - Release amd64
(20240827.1)
ProcEnviron:
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
PATH=(custom, no user)
SHELL=/usr/bin/bash
TERM=xterm-256color
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
SourcePackage: texinfo
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to resolute on 2026-10-01 (0 days ago)
** Affects: texinfo (Ubuntu)
Importance: Undecided
Status: New
** Tags: amd64 apport-bug resolute wayland-session
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2169259
Title:
install-info /etc/environment var parse error upgrade 24 -> 26 lts
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