lzma: Encoder error: -2147467259 is too vague and causes unhelpful apport-package reports

[Graeme]

Binary package hint: udev

upgrading a memory stick of lubuntu 10.10

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
Package: udev 162-2.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-22.33-generic 2.6.35.4
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-22-generic i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Sun Dec 19 07:23:35 2010
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
LiveMediaBuild: Lubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - i386 (20101010)
MachineType: Dell Inc. MM061
ProcCmdLine: noprompt cdrom-detect/try-usb=true persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/hostname.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash -- BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz
SourcePackage: udev
Title: package udev 162-2.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dmi.bios.date: 06/13/2007
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A17
dmi.board.name: 0XD720
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA17:bd06/13/2007:svnDellInc.:pnMM061:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0XD720:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr:
dmi.product.name: MM061
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

After a bit of digging into the lzma source, it turns out that this error is:
  (unsigned int)E_FAIL) == -2147467259

The LZMAEncoder.cpp code contains:
"""
  try
  {
  #endif
    return CodeReal(inStream, outStream, inSize, outSize, progress);
  #ifndef _NO_EXCEPTIONS
  }
  catch(const COutBufferException &e) { return e.ErrorCode; }
  catch(...) { return E_FAIL; }
  #endif
""""
So E_FAIL is any unhandled exception. I think we need to make this code more descriptive so that
we can figure out what is really failing. It might be that there are actually multiple different exceptions,
but because its a catch-all handler it will report them all with the same error code.

[Fazl (alphamale18)]

Just wanted to add some information that I thought might be helpful. I have found that by using a different method of creating the boot disk (USB Boot disk created by a program executable on Microsoft XP platform named "Universal-USB-Installer-1.7.9.5), the fault does not occur. Perhaps this executable program does something which the Ubuntu based USB boot drive creator does not. It was the recommended program to use on the Ubuntu 10.04 site. I downloaded it and used it to create a Ubuntu 10.04 LTS i386 USB boot drive. I mention this because I would get the lzma errors and the "failed to upgrade" errors regardless of if I was creating an Ubuntu 10.04, or a 10.10 Netbook, or desktop. I hope this information helps

[Martin G Miller (mgmiller)]

I created an 11.04 32 bit live USB using the creator tool in 10.10 and am experiencing the same error.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

@mgmiller - could you provide the output of the command 'df' when running the live USB stick created from 10.10? I think this may be related to bug 562313 and there may not be enough free space available to install new package versions. It'd be great if you could do this before and after trying to install the package.

[Martin G Miller (mgmiller)]

I am able to install other packages without problems. Only at the end of all installs, when it tries to run the initramfs part, does it throw an error message. The other packages do install and run fine. The USB stick is 4 GB and I am using the whole drive for persistence. Here is the output of df as requested:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ df
Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
aufs 3139612 996732 1983392 34% /
none 970896 708 970188 1% /dev
/dev/sdb1 3905512 3905512 0 100% /cdrom
/dev/loop0 686080 686080 0 100% /rofs
none 977784 280 977504 1% /dev/shm
tmpfs 977784 28 977756 1% /tmp
none 977784 128 977656 1% /var/run
none 977784 4 977780 1% /var/lock
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

I really meant related to bug 562312.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

@mgmiller - thanks for your help. You'll notice that /cdrom is full and this is where update-initramfs is trying to write. In bug 562312 padding space of 30MB was added to allow room for updating-initramfs. I've created a Maverick task for that bug so we can get that fix added in. In your case you might want to try removing older kernels to free up space.

[TheBeest (thebeest)]

I have the same problem as martin and only have errors with the initramfs part. I also have a 4GB stick with full persistence (3.2GB if I remember correctly). Ill try and free up old kernels and see if it makes a difference!

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ df
Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
aufs 3145656 1540184 1445680 52% /
none 1849488 716 1848772 1% /dev
/dev/sdb1 3901676 3901676 0 100% /cdrom
/dev/loop0 670976 670976 0 100% /rofs
none 1857564 1380 1856184 1% /dev/shm
tmpfs 1857564 12 1857552 1% /tmp
none 1857564 96 1857468 1% /var/run
none 1857564 4 1857560 1% /var/lock

[TheBeest (thebeest)]

Ok im running the latest kernel [linux-image-2.6.38-8-generic] and there are no old kernels to delete. I had a similar problem with the Live USB on 10.10 https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/casper/+bug/689049 Could these be related?