Ubuntu
initramfs-tools package

package linux-image-extra-4.4.0-116-generic 4.4.0-116.140 failed to install/upgrade: run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1

Bug #1753352 reported by Christopher M BRADLEY on 2018-03-05

This bug report is a duplicate of: Bug #798414: update-initramfs should produce a more helpful error message when there isn't enough free space--or provide an automatic tool for removal of old files. Edit Remove

This bug affects 1 person

Affects		Status	Importance	Assigned to	Milestone
	initramfs-tools (Ubuntu)	New	Undecided	Unassigned

Bug Description

dpkg -l | grep linux-image
ii linux-image-4.4.0-112-generic 4.4.0-112.135 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 4.4.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-4.4.0-116-generic 4.4.0-116.140 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 4.4.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-4.4.0-112-generic 4.4.0-112.135 amd64 Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.4.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
iF linux-image-extra-4.4.0-116-generic 4.4.0-116.140 amd64 Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.4.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
iU linux-image-generic

uname -r
4.4.0-116-generic

The above after rebooting to *-116.
System seems to be working; I will try to repair the failed installation soon.

There has been a constant issue where the installer tries to recover long-uninstalled initram elements such as initrd.img-4.2.0-16-generic (and later) filling /boot, etc. I have manually removed these files from /boot to an "obsolete" folder to allow df -h to report enough space.

The system seems to be reading outdated info from an 'initram.conf' or similar file and I believe this may be the fault, or part of it. I can manually edit out references to earlier kernels when I find the file.

Do you have any suggestions?

Advanced user

CM BRADLEY
05/03/2018
AU CDST 13:25:00

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: linux-image-extra-4.4.0-116-generic 4.4.0-116.140
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-116.140-generic 4.4.98
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-116-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC1: administrator 2025 F.... pulseaudio
/dev/snd/controlC0: administrator 2025 F.... pulseaudio
/dev/snd/seq: timidity 1329 F.... timidity
Date: Mon Mar 5 13:03:41 2018
ErrorMessage: run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=abf7583a-8eda-4113-a8cd-1f301a7d7f06
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-04-26 (677 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf" - Release amd64 (20151021)
IwConfig:
lo no wireless extensions.

enp4s0 no wireless extensions.
MachineType: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. EP45-UD3
ProcFB:

ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-4.4.0-116-generic root=/dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-root ro quiet splash
PulseList: Error: command ['pacmd', 'list'] failed with exit code 1: No PulseAudio daemon running, or not running as session daemon.
RelatedPackageVersions: grub-pc 2.02~beta2-36ubuntu3.17
RfKill:

SourcePackage: initramfs-tools
Title: package linux-image-extra-4.4.0-116-generic 4.4.0-116.140 failed to install/upgrade: run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 01/27/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: Award Software International, Inc.
dmi.bios.version: F9
dmi.board.name: EP45-UD3
dmi.board.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAwardSoftwareInternational,Inc.:bvrF9:bd01/27/2010:svnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:pnEP45-UD3:pvr:rvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:rnEP45-UD3:rvr:cvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: EP45-UD3
dmi.sys.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.

Tags:

Revision history for this message

Christopher M BRADLEY (unterseeboot) wrote on 2018-03-05:

AlsaInfo.txt Edit (52.0 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
AptOrdering.txt Edit (5.8 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
CRDA.txt Edit (422 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
CurrentDmesg.txt Edit (67.4 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Dependencies.txt Edit (3.0 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Df.txt Edit (962 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Dmesg.txt Edit (136.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
DpkgHistoryLog.txt Edit (7.7 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
DpkgTerminalLog.txt Edit (18.7 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
DuplicateSignature.txt Edit (893 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
JournalErrors.txt Edit (11.8 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Lspci.txt Edit (34.5 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Lsusb.txt Edit (862 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcCpuinfo.txt Edit (3.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcCpuinfoMinimal.txt Edit (853 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcInterrupts.txt Edit (2.7 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcModules.txt Edit (3.4 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
UdevDb.txt Edit (180.2 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
WifiSyslog.txt Edit (91.5 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")

Apport retracing service (apport) on 2018-03-05

tags:

removed: need-duplicate-check

Revision history for this message

Christopher M BRADLEY (unterseeboot) wrote on 2018-03-06:

Further to the above:

1. I found persisting references to earlier, now long-gone kernels in /var/lib/initramfs-tools, but not a complete list (there were 17, but there might have been many more if all the old kernel listings had been retained).
2. I manually deleted all but the newest and immediately prior references.
3. After confirming the system data via dpkg enquiries, I ran 'sudo dpkg --configure -a' which did not work.
4. I then ran 'sudo apt-get -f install' which allowed the new kernel extras installation to complete properly.

The cause of the installation failure was the attempt by the installer to generate multiple initrd.img- files (as instructed from /var/lib/initramfs-tools) which rapidly filled /boot leading to the software break; these redundant initrd.img- files must be deleted from /boot for the above steps to work (ie. to make space for the installer to proceed within /boot).

These steps have solved this episode; it seems likely that with further time, a new set of outdated kernel data will accumulate in /var/lib/initramfs-tools, requiring manual deletion.

Automating this clean-up at the time of kernel updates may be entirely inappropriate on many systems.

The above may assist others.

I look forward to more expert assessment.

CMB 06/03/2018

Revision history for this message

Benjamin Drung (bdrung) wrote on 2023-07-17:

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This particular bug has already been reported and is a duplicate of bug 798414, so it is being marked as such. Please look at the other bug report to see if there is any missing information that you can provide, or to see if there is a workaround for the bug. Additionally, any further discussion regarding the bug should occur in the other report. Please continue to report any other bugs you may find.