package linux-image-2.6.32-25-generic 2.6.32-25.45 failed to install/upgrade: run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common exited with return code 1

[technomage bruce]

Binary package hint: nvidia-common

lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS
Release: 10.04

  Fresh install on a new system. First thing I did was go to the update manager and checked for updates - I didn't add any repositories. I installed all the updates I found and the error in the generated log is what was displayed at the end of the update process.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: linux-image-2.6.32-25-generic 2.6.32-25.45
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-25.45-generic 2.6.32.21+drm33.7
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-25-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Oct 21 22:41:03 2010
ErrorMessage: run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common exited with return code 1
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release amd64 (20100429)
SourcePackage: nvidia-common
Title: package linux-image-2.6.32-25-generic 2.6.32-25.45 failed to install/upgrade: run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common exited with return code 1

[technomage bruce (technomage-bruce)]

  Looks like this error has been encountered quite often in the past - I tried one of the repairs suggested in
bug #303795

sudo apt-get purge nvidia-common
sudo apt-get install nvidia-common

  but got the same error on the install.

[technomage bruce (technomage-bruce)]

  I did some more experimenting. I upgraded to 10.10 and I no longer had *this* problem, although a whole boat load of xinerama related bugs made that distro unusable at this time. I re-installed 10.04 (wiping out the previously installed 10.04 and upgraded 10.10) and encountered the same problem. If I were to guess at a contributing factor to this error, I would have to say that its probably related to the dual nvidia fermi 460 video cards I have installed. In 10.04, lspci lists them as

03:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation Device 0e22 (rev a1)
04:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation Device 0e22 (rev a1)

while in 10.10, lspci listed them more completely as (from memory) GeForce Fermi 460 gtx, or something like that.

  I didn't have this problem with my old rig running 10.04 - that had a nvidia 9500gt and a nvidia 7600gt.

[technomage bruce (technomage-bruce)]

  Yep, its was definitely related to the Nvidia 460 gtx cards. I added the following repository and the error has stopped:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates

  ...and then I was finally able to add the nvidia 256 drivers through system->administration->hardware drivers instead of manually installing them.