Installing a test kernel deb failed on a system, see error below. I'm guessing this is related to the new dependency flash-kernel has on linux-base, since linux-base from Debian switches the /etc/fstab file to use UUID= mounting, and update-initramfs is having problems identify the blockdev for /. Hacking /etc/mtab to use /dev/sda3 instead of the UUID=<foo> reference works as a volatile workaround.
ubuntu@armadaxpZ1a:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
[sudo] password for ubuntu:
Setting up initramfs-tools (0.99ubuntu13) ...
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
Setting up linux-image-3.2.0-1603-armadaxp (3.2.0-1603.6~iketest1) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: deferring update (hook will be called later)
The link /boot/initrd.img is a dangling linkto /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-1603-armadaxp
Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 3.2.0-1603-armadaxp /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-1603-armadaxp
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-1603-armadaxp
/dev/disk/by-uuid: Is a directory
mkinitramfs: for root /dev/disk/by-uuid missing disk/by-uuid /sys/block/ entry
mkinitramfs: workaround is MODULES=most
mkinitramfs: Error please report the bug
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-1603-armadaxp with 1.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-3.2.0-1603-armadaxp.postinst line 1010.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-3.2.0-1603-armadaxp (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Processing triggers for initramfs-tools ...
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-1602-armadaxp
/dev/disk/by-uuid: Is a directory
mkinitramfs: for root /dev/disk/by-uuid missing disk/by-uuid /sys/block/ entry
mkinitramfs: workaround is MODULES=most
mkinitramfs: Error please report the bug
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-1602-armadaxp with 1.
dpkg: error processing initramfs-tools (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
linux-image-3.2.0-1603-armadaxp
initramfs-tools
I looked at this some more, and the issue appears to be a symptom of /proc/mounts listing /dev/root as the root dev, but no /dev/root exists on this system. Turns out this system is running a static kernel and did not boot with an initramfs.