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Users will sometimes run into errors performing updates on their system. Apport will usually detect these failures and file a bug in Launchpad. Unfortunately these bugs sometimes get assigned to the "linux" kernel package in Launchpad when really the issue is 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. For the most part, these bugs should be marked Invalid.

  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 ready 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 322064

• Usually indicates a corrupted .deb - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-users/2007-January/104520.html

  Selecting previously deselected package linux-source-2.6.27.
  (Reading database ... dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-source-2.6.27_2.6.27-9.19_all.deb (--unpack):
   files list file for package `libpoppler-glib3' 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.