linux-version list can be NULL

[Robert Nelson]

I've just started looking at adding Ubuntu Raring to my 'netinstall'
script: https://github.com/RobertCNelson/netinstall and just run into
a fun issue with this commit:

http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-branches/ubuntu/raring/flash-kernel/raring/revision/447

Since there's no way to actually stop "flash-kernel-installer" from
running, I've been faking things, just to make it happy, which has
worked very well in the last two release's.

here's the log from what i see:

Mar 15 21:18:39 in-target: Setting up flash-kernel (3.0~rc.4ubuntu29) ...
Mar 15 21:18:54 in-target: Reading package lists...
Mar 15 21:18:54 in-target:
Mar 15 21:18:54 in-target: Building dependency tree...
Mar 15 21:18:55 in-target:
Mar 15 21:18:55 in-target: Reading state information...
Mar 15 21:18:55 in-target:
Mar 15 21:18:57 in-target: u-boot-tools is already the newest version.
Mar 15 21:18:57 in-target: 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove
and 0 not upgraded.
Mar 15 21:18:59 in-target: No arg for -k option
Mar 15 21:18:59 in-target: Usage: /usr/sbin/update-initramfs [OPTION]...
Mar 15 21:18:59 in-target:
Mar 15 21:18:59 in-target: Options:
Mar 15 21:18:59 in-target: -k [version] Specify kernel version or 'all'
Mar 15 21:18:59 in-target: -c Create a new initramfs
Mar 15 21:18:59 in-target: -u Update an existing initramfs
Mar 15 21:18:59 in-target: -d Remove an existing initramfs
Mar 15 21:18:59 in-target: -t Take over a custom initramfs with this one
Mar 15 21:18:59 in-target: -b Set alternate boot directory
Mar 15 21:18:59 in-target: -v Be verbose
Mar 15 21:18:59 in-target: -h This message
Mar 15 21:18:59 in-target:
Mar 15 21:18:59 main-menu[933]: WARNING **: Configuring
'flash-kernel-installer' failed with error code 1
Mar 15 21:18:59 main-menu[933]: WARNING **: Menu item
'flash-kernel-installer' failed.

When chrooting into /target/ to see what it is returning...

# linux-version list

#

Just a blank line..

#uname -r
3.7.10-x9

If i then manually patch

/var/lib/dpkg/info/flash-kernel-installer.postinst

and restart the "flash-kernel" option it finishes the install just fine..

So, going forward I'd really like to keep supporting "no longer supported by Ubuntu" boards such as the original Beagle, imx51/imx53, etc... Along with boards Ubuntu doesn't currently support BeagleBone/BeagleBoneBlack, or ANY mainline boards coming down the pipe from CM's/etc..

Regards,

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

The attachment "use uname -r when linux-version list is null" seems to be a patch. If it isn't, please remove the "patch" flag from the attachment, remove the "patch" tag, and if you are a member of the ~ubuntu-reviewers, unsubscribe the team.

[This is an automated message performed by a Launchpad user owned by ~brian-murray, for any issues please contact him.]

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Jarno Suni (jarnos)]

`linux-version list` is empty also, if you run it on guest session in Ubuntu 14.04 or 16.04.

[Jarno Suni (jarnos)]

One workaround to get the sorted list is:

dpkg-query -W -f='${Status} ${Package}\n' |
sed -nr "s/^(install|hold) ok installed linux-image-([0-9]+\..+)/\2/p" |
sort -V

[Balint Reczey (rbalint)]

You can export the FLASH_KERNEL_SKIP global variable to make flash-kernel succeed without any action. Since this serves the exact purpose of creating images I would avoid adding an other way of skipping actions.

[Balint Reczey (rbalint)]

Feel free to reopen the bug if that solution does not work for you.

[Robert Nelson (robertcnelson)]

@rbalint cool, almost 5 years for that answer. (a completely bogus answer)

I can tell you've never actually tried FLASH_KERNEL_SKIP, as it doesn't work in an early debian-install (di) environment.

See: March 15, 2013:

https://github.com/RobertCNelson/netinstall/commit/b52cedd2c80052977f0556a3627647ab70b70102

```
export FLASH_KERNEL_SKIP=true
```

While this bug was "posted" 2013-03-29..

Regards,