This issue occurred for me installing nis after an upgrade from 10.10 to 11.04:
$ sudo aptitude install nis The following NEW packages will be installed: libslp1{a} make{a} nis portmap{a} 0 packages upgraded, 4 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded. Need to get 273 kB/382 kB of archives. After unpacking 1,466 kB will be used. Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main libslp1 i386 1.2.1-7.8ubuntu1 [47.1 kB] Get:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main portmap i386 6.0.0-2ubuntu5 [29.7 kB] Get:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/universe nis i386 3.17-31 [197 kB] Fetched 273 kB in 1s (204 kB/s) Preconfiguring packages ... Selecting previously deselected package libslp1. (Reading database ... 30078 files and directories currently installed.) Unpacking libslp1 (from .../libslp1_1.2.1-7.8ubuntu1_i386.deb) ... Selecting previously deselected package make. Unpacking make (from .../make_3.81-8ubuntu1_i386.deb) ... Selecting previously deselected package portmap. Unpacking portmap (from .../portmap_6.0.0-2ubuntu5_i386.deb) ... Selecting previously deselected package nis. Unpacking nis (from .../archives/nis_3.17-31_i386.deb) ... Processing triggers for man-db ... Processing triggers for ureadahead ... ureadahead will be reprofiled on next reboot Setting up libslp1 (1.2.1-7.8ubuntu1) ... Setting up make (3.81-8ubuntu1) ... Setting up portmap (6.0.0-2ubuntu5) ... portmap start/running, process 1633 Setting up nis (3.17-31) ... * Stopping NIS services [ OK ] * Setting NIS domainname to: mydomain.nis * Starting NIS services [ OK ] dpkg: error: version 'nis_3.17-18' has bad syntax: version number does not start with digit Processing triggers for libc-bin ... ldconfig deferred processing now taking place ** Attachment added: "dpkg.log" https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nis/+bug/779968/+attachment/2142640/+files/dpkg.log -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/779968 Title: dpkg: error: version 'nis_3.17-18' has bad syntax: version number does not start with digit -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs