DebuggingUpdateErrors

Introduction

Users will sometimes run into errors performing updates on their system. Apport will usually detect these failures and file a bug in Launchpad. These bugs can be identified by the bug tag 'apport-package'. Unfortunately these bugs sometimes get assigned to the "linux" kernel package in Launchpad when the issue is really a result of a non-kernel related problem. It's best to examine the DpkgTerminalLog file that is usually attached to these bug reports as it contains descriptive error message output. Documented below are a few commonly reported issues, the DpkgTerminalLog messages that point to the real issue and the bug number it should be marked a duplicate of.

Bug:105113 - No space left on device

  • Bug 105113

  • The system ran out of disk space. Bug 105113 was a request to detect this prior to performing any updates. These bugs should be marked Invalid against the kernel.
    gzip: stdout: No space left on device

Bug:252900 - Wubi Kernel Upgrade Fails

  • Bug 252900

    E: /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-2.6.24-19-generic_2.6.24-19.36_i386.deb: unable to make backup link of `./boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic' before installing new version: Operation not permitted

Bug:71979 - short read in buffer_copy

  • Bug 71979

    short read in buffer_copy . . .

Bug:292159 - Error exit status 17

  • Bug 292159

  • This was really a casper bug on USB devices which should be resolved as of casper 1.162
    update-initramfs is disabled since running on a live CD
    Failed to symbolic-link /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic to initrd.img.
    dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic (--configure):
    subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 17

Bug:193439 - exit status 2; update-grub fails when default is "saved"

  • Bug 193439

  • specifically note the expr: non-numeric argument line. Also, it's best to ask the reporter for the contents of /boot/grub/default to verify before marking it as a duplicate.

    Testing for an existing GRUB menu.lst file ... found:
    /boot/grub/menu.lst
    Searching for splash image ... none found, skipping ...
    expr: non-numeric argument
    User postinst hook script [/sbin/update-grub] exited with value 2
    dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.27-8-generic (--configure):
    subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2

Bug:326881 - corrupt .deb

  • Bug 326881

    Preparing to replace linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic 2.6.27-7.14 (using .../linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic_2.6.27-7.16_amd64.deb) ...
    Done.
    Unpacking replacement linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic ...
    dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
    dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic_2.6.27-7.16_amd64.deb (--unpack): subprocess dpkg-deb --fsys-tarfile returned error exit status 2

Bug:322064 - files list file for package ... is missing final newline

Bug:311280 - dpkg: serious warning: files list file for package

  • Bug 311280

    dpkg: serious warning: files list file for package `xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse' missing, assuming package has no files currently installed.
    dpkg: serious warning: files list file for package `libexempi3' missing, assuming package has no files currently installed.
    dpkg: serious warning: files list file for package `libgtkspell0' missing, assuming package has no files currently installed.
    dpkg: serious warning: files list file for package `python-pkg-resources' missing, assuming package has no files currently installed.
    etc...
    ...
    dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.27-9-generic (--configure):
    subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 10

Bug:269539 - exited with value 3; grub 3-way merge menu.lst

  • Bug 269539

    Merging changes into the new version
    
    Conflicts found! Please edit `/var/run/grub/menu.lst' and sort them out manually.
    The file `/var/run/grub/menu.lst.ucf-new' has a record of the failed merge of the configuration file.
    
    User postinst hook script [/sbin/update-grub] exited with value 3

Bug:271246 - /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable

  • Bug 271246

    debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable

Bug:261392 - exit status 2; grub removed or not installed

  • Bug 261392

    cp: cannot stat `/etc/udev/rules.d/65-mdadm.vol_id.rules': No such file or directory
    The provided postinst hook script [/sbin/update-grub] could not be run.
    dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.24-23-386 (--configure):
    subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2

Bug:303825 or Bug:331675 - nvidia-common exited with return code 10

  • Bug 303825 or Bug 331675

    run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common
    run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common exited with return code 10

Bug:13130 - debconf uninitialized variable

  • Bug 13130

    Use of uninitialized value in substitution (s///) at
    /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/Format/822.pm line 57, <$__ANONIO__> line 1.

Bug:386042 - /usr/share/debconf/confmodule: line 42: printf: write error: Broken pipe

  • Bug 386042

    /usr/share/debconf/confmodule: line 42: printf: write error: Broken pipe
    User postinst hook script [/sbin/update-grub] exited with value 1

Bug:78478 - Could not find postinst hook script [update-grub]

  • Bug 78478

    update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic
    Not updating initrd symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled
    (2.6.28-13.44 was configured last, according to dpkg)
    Not updating image symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled
    (2.6.28-13.44 was configured last, according to dpkg)
    Could not find postinst hook script [update-grub].
    Looked in: '/bin', '/sbin', '/usr/bin', '/usr/sbin'
    dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic (--configure):
     subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2

or

  • The provided postinst hook script [/sbin/update-grub] could not be run.
    dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.20-5-generic (--configure):
     subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2

Bug:99547 - Running depmod. Failed to run depmod.

  • It seems the root cause for this issue is Bug 99547

    Running depmod.
    Failed to run depmod
    dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic (--configure):
     subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1

Bug:417222 - /boot/grub/menu.lst: Operation not supported

  • Bug 417222

    Updating /boot/grub/menu.lst ... /usr/sbin/update-grub: line 1484: /boot/grub/menu.lst: Operation not supported
    User postinst hook script [/sbin/update-grub] exited with value 1

Bug:533728 - No path or device is specified

The user wants to activate a grub background image by setting use_bg=true in /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme . That's not the way it works and /etc/default/grub must be modified instead. Bug 533728 is a request to document it and avoid such modification.

Note to triagers: Note that the error 'No path or device is specified' appears 2 times in the error.

  • Generating grub.cfg ...
    No path or device is specified.
    Try `/usr/sbin/grub-probe --help' for more information.
    No path or device is specified.
    Try `/usr/sbin/grub-probe --help' for more information.
    User postinst hook script [/usr/sbin/update-grub] exited with value 1
    dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.32-15-generic (--configure):
     subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

Other ressources


CategoryBugSquad

Kernel/DebuggingUpdateErrors (last edited 2010-07-21 13:03:22 by 193)