package linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic 2.6.28-13.44 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Andy Southwell]

system said "failed to install properly" during regular sys update via synaptic. on reboot, crash-detected icon appeared in toolbar - clicking it brought up this report-a-bug form. this system is jaunty on quad-core hp dc7900p with 6G of RAM

ProblemType: Package
Architecture: i386
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.04
ErrorMessage: subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=1e8797b0-d664-46db-b40b-40faee20eabd
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP Compaq dc7800p Convertible Minitower
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic 2.6.28-13.44
ProcCmdLine: root=UUID=7734e259-0f8b-4109-8daa-606d0c45d581 ro quiet splash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.28-13.44-generic
SourcePackage: linux
Title: package linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic 2.6.28-13.44 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1

[Matt Zimmerman (mdz)]

Setting up linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic (2.6.28-13.44) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic
Running postinst hook script /sbin/update-grub.
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
Searching for default file ... found: /boot/grub/default
Testing for an existing GRUB menu.lst file ... found: /boot/grub/menu.lst
Searching for splash image ... none found, skipping ...
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-14-generic
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic
Found kernel: /boot/memtest86+.bin
/usr/share/debconf/confmodule: line 42: printf: write error: Broken pipe
User postinst hook script [/sbin/update-grub] exited with value 1
dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1