Non-PAE processors are not supported by Ubuntu 12.10

[Ronald Pfeiffer]

It is not possible to upgrade from Ubuntu 12.04 to Ubuntu 12.10 in a non-PAE processor, since the kernel used in 12.10 only supports PAE processors.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: linux-image-3.5.0-17-generic (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-23.36-generic 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-23-generic i686
ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu4
AptOrdering:
 linux-image-3.5.0-17-generic: Install
 linux-image-3.5.0-17-generic: Configure
 linux-image-extra-3.5.0-17-generic: Configure
 linux-image-generic: Configure
 linux-generic: Configure
Architecture: i386
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: w2ctx 1666 F.... xfce4-volumed
                      w2ctx 1679 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDmesg: [ 51.216026] eth1: no IPv6 routers present
Date: Fri Oct 19 15:11:45 2012
ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release i386 (20120423)
MachineType: Dell Computer Corporation Latitude D400
MarkForUpload: True
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   no product info available
 Socket 1:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   no card
 Socket 1:
   no card
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-23-generic root=UUID=3AFC3597FC354DFF loop=/hostname/disks/root.disk ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
PulseList: Error: command ['pacmd', 'list'] failed with exit code 1: No PulseAudio daemon running, or not running as session daemon.
RelatedPackageVersions: grub-pc 2.00-7ubuntu11
SourcePackage: linux
Title: package linux-image-3.5.0-17-generic (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to quantal on 2012-10-19 (0 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 06/28/2005
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Computer Corporation
dmi.bios.version: A08
dmi.board.name: 0T2433
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Computer Corporation
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Computer Corporation
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellComputerCorporation:bvrA08:bd06/28/2005:svnDellComputerCorporation:pnLatitudeD400:pvr:rvnDellComputerCorporation:rn0T2433:rvr:cvnDellComputerCorporation:ct8:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Latitude D400
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Computer Corporation

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

You may need to run the following:

sudo apt-get install -f
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get update

Then re-install the package.

If that does not resolve your issue, please mark the bug as "Confirmed"

[Ronald Pfeiffer (w2ctx)]

Tried the commands you sent in email with following results:
w2ctx@w2ctx-Latitude-D400:~$ sudo apt-get install -f
[sudo] password for w2ctx:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  librpmio2 linux-headers-3.2.0-29 linux-headers-3.2.0-29-generic
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
The following extra packages will be installed:
  linux-image-3.5.0-18-generic
Suggested packages:
  fdutils linux-doc-3.5.0 linux-source-3.5.0 linux-tools
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  linux-image-3.5.0-18-generic
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
3 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/11.5 MB of archives.
After this operation, 25.0 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
(Reading database ... 212248 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking linux-image-3.5.0-18-generic (from .../linux-image-3.5.0-18-generic_3.5.0-18.29_i386.deb) ...
This kernel does not support a non-PAE CPU.
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-3.5.0-18-generic_3.5.0-18.29_i386.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.5.0-18-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-18-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.5.0-18-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-18-generic
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-3.5.0-18-generic_3.5.0-18.29_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
w2ctx@w2ctx-Latitude-D400:~$ sudo apt-get clean
w2ctx@w2ctx-Latitude-D400:~$ sudo apt-get update
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com quantal InRelease
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com quantal-updates InRelease
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com quantal-security InRelease
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com quantal-proposed InRelease
Ign http://archive.canonical.com quantal InRelease
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com quantal Release.gpg
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com quantal-security Release.gpg
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com quantal InRelease
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com quantal-updates Release.gpg
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com quantal-proposed Release.gpg [933 B]
Hit http://archive.canonical.com quantal Release.gpg
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com quantal-security Release
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com quantal Release.gpg
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com quantal Release
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com quantal-updates Release
...

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

<https://launchpadlibrarian.net/120217770/DpkgTerminalLog.txt> says:
"This kernel does not support a non-PAE CPU"

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension#Design> says:
"The Linux kernel supports PAE as a build option and most major distributions provide a PAE kernel either as the default or as an option (Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6+ kernels expect PAE)"

It seems the system is trying to upgrade from a non-PAE kernel to a PAE one, in a non-PAE processor.

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QuantalQuetzal/ReleaseNotes/UbuntuDesktop#QuantalQuetzal.2BAC8-ReleaseNotes.2BAC8-CommonInfrastructure.Linux_kernel_3.5.5 says:

"Other notable changes with the Ubuntu 12.10 Quantal Quetzal kernel include transitioning of the i386 generic-pae flavor to become the generic flavor offering"

So the bug here was chosen deliberately by the kernel team, so it to be fixed doesn't fit the project plans.

[Alberto Salvia Novella (es20490446e)]

Please, mark this bug Status as "Won't Fix".

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

non-pae kernels are not supported after Precise.