Sorry, no, not a debconf bug. Looks like kstash is the culprit: (sid)root@aquitard:/home/brian# /usr/share/debconf/frontend sh -x /var/lib/dpkg/info/heimdal-kdc.postinst install 1.6~git20131117+dfsg-3 + . /usr/share/debconf/confmodule + [ ! 1 ] + [ -z ] + exec + [ ] + exec + DEBCONF_REDIR=1 + export DEBCONF_REDIR + [ ! -f /var/log/heimdal-kdc.log ] + [ ! -f /etc/heimdal-kdc/.configured ] + [ -f /var/lib/heimdal-kdc/.configured ] + [ -n 1.6~git20131117+dfsg-3 ] + dpkg --compare-versions 1.6~git20131117+dfsg-3 lt 1.2.dfsg.1-3 + [ ! -f /etc/heimdal-kdc/.configured ] + db_get heimdal/realm + _db_cmd GET heimdal/realm + _db_internal_IFS=
+ IFS= + printf %s\n GET heimdal/realm + IFS= + IFS= read -r _db_internal_line + RET=IN.VPAC.ORG + return 0 + REALM=IN.VPAC.ORG + db_get heimdal-kdc/password + _db_cmd GET heimdal-kdc/password + _db_internal_IFS= + IFS= + printf %s\n GET heimdal-kdc/password + IFS= + IFS= read -r _db_internal_line + RET= + return 0 + PASSWORD= + db_set heimdal-kdc/password + _db_cmd SET heimdal-kdc/password + _db_internal_IFS= + IFS= + printf %s\n SET heimdal-kdc/password + IFS= + IFS= read -r _db_internal_line + RET=value set + return 0 + DST=/etc/heimdal-kdc/kdc.conf + cat /usr/share/heimdal-kdc/kdc.conf + [ ! -e /var/lib/heimdal-kdc/kdc.conf ] + DST=/etc/heimdal-kdc/kadmind.acl + cp -a /usr/share/heimdal-kdc/kadmind.acl /etc/heimdal-kdc/kadmind.acl + kstash --master-key-fd=0 Floating point exception + kadmin -l init --realm-max-ticket-life=unlimited --realm-max-renewable-life=unlimited IN.VPAC.ORG + touch /etc/heimdal-kdc/.configured + printf /var/lib/dpkg/info/heimdal-kdc.postinst: incorrect arguments: install 1.6~git20131117+dfsg-3\n /var/lib/dpkg/info/heimdal-kdc.postinst: incorrect arguments: install 1.6~git20131117+dfs(sid)root@aquitard:/home/brian# kstash --master-key-fd=0 Floating point exception g-3 + exit 1 I can reproduce this: (sid)root@aquitard:/home/brian# echo | kstash --master-key-fd=0 Floating point exception (or push enter once instead of piping from echo)