package initramfs-tools 0.98.8ubuntu3 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Nick]

Binary package hint: initramfs-tools

1. Release: Ubuntu 11.04 beta 1 i386
2. package version: see bug summary
3. What I expected: I was actually trying to install nvidia-current binary drivers on a 2gb USB key to test out Unity and got this error. (next time I'll try installing to HDD as a second distro)
4. results: (code)
"Fetched 29.4 MB in 5min 37s (87.1 kB/s)
Selecting previously deselected package dkms.
(Reading database ... 130489 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking dkms (from .../dkms_2.1.1.2-5ubuntu1_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package nvidia-current.
Unpacking nvidia-current (from .../nvidia-current_270.30-0ubuntu3_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package screen-resolution-extra.
Unpacking screen-resolution-extra (from .../screen-resolution-extra_0.14build1_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package nvidia-settings.
Unpacking nvidia-settings (from .../nvidia-settings_270.29-0ubuntu1_i386.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up dkms (2.1.1.2-5ubuntu1) ...
Setting up nvidia-current (270.30-0ubuntu3) ...
update-alternatives: using /usr/lib/nvidia-current/ld.so.conf to provide /etc/ld.so.conf.d/GL.conf (gl_conf) in auto mode.
update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/lib32/vdpau/libvdpau_nvidia.so.1 because associated file /usr/lib32/nvidia-current/vdpau/libvdpau_nvidia.so.1 (of link group gl_conf) doesn't exist.
update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/lib32/libvdpau_nvidia.so because associated file /usr/lib32/nvidia-current/vdpau/libvdpau_nvidia.so (of link group gl_conf) doesn't exist.
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
Loading new nvidia-current-270.30 DKMS files...
First Installation: checking all kernels...
Building only for 2.6.38-7-generic
Building for architecture i686
Building initial module for 2.6.38-7-generic
Done.

nvidia-current.ko:
Running module version sanity check.
 - Original module
   - No original module exists within this kernel
 - Installation
   - Installing to /lib/modules/2.6.38-7-generic/updates/dkms/

depmod..........

DKMS: install Completed.
Setting up screen-resolution-extra (0.14build1) ...
Processing triggers for python-central ...
Setting up nvidia-settings (270.29-0ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for python-gmenu ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/desktop.en_US.utf8.cache...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf.index...
Processing triggers for initramfs-tools ...
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-7-generic
cryptsetup: WARNING: failed to detect canonical device of aufs
cryptsetup: WARNING: could not determine root device from /etc/fstab
lzma: Encoder error: -2147467259
dpkg: error processing initramfs-tools (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Processing triggers for python-support ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 initramfs-tools
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)"

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: initramfs-tools 0.98.8ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-7.39-generic 2.6.38
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-7-generic i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Sat Apr 2 23:11:11 2011
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Beta i386 (20110330)
SourcePackage: initramfs-tools
Title: package initramfs-tools 0.98.8ubuntu3 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Unfortunately, the package installation error message that you have received is actually a failure with lzma and a generic one at that. The following steps may help resolve the issue. Please execute the following command, as it will clear your package cache, in a terminal:

sudo apt-get clean

Then try performing the update again as this may resolve your issue. We plan to make lzma errors more informative and that work is being tracked in bug 691985 which I will mark this a duplicate of.