installed linux-firmware package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1

[Lyubomir]

I've got update from KDE Discover and it showed an error "installed linux-firmware package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1". However, i didn't took a detailed look at it. When i tried to apt install a package, this error showed up:

Selecting previously unselected package ndisc6.
(Reading database ... 409324 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../ndisc6_1.0.4-1ubuntu1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking ndisc6 (1.0.4-1ubuntu1) ...
Setting up initramfs-tools (0.136ubuntu6.4) ...
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
Setting up linux-firmware (1.187.11) ...
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-50-lowlatency
I: The initramfs will attempt to resume from /dev/dm-2
I: (/dev/mapper/vgkubuntu-swap_1)
I: Set the RESUME variable to override this.
Error 24 : Write error : cannot write compressed block
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 lz4 -9 -l 24
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-50-lowlatency with 1.
dpkg: error processing package linux-firmware (--configure):
 installed linux-firmware package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Setting up ndisc6 (1.0.4-1ubuntu1) ...
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/rltraceroute6 to provide /usr/bin/traceroute6 (traceroute6) in auto mode
Processing triggers for man-db (2.9.1-1) ...
Processing triggers for initramfs-tools (0.136ubuntu6.4) ...
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-50-lowlatency
I: The initramfs will attempt to resume from /dev/dm-2
I: (/dev/mapper/vgkubuntu-swap_1)
I: Set the RESUME variable to override this.
Error 24 : Write error : cannot write compressed block
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 lz4 -9 -l 24
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-50-lowlatency with 1.
dpkg: error processing package initramfs-tools (--configure):
 installed initramfs-tools package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-firmware
 initramfs-tools
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: linux-firmware 1.187.11
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.8.0-50.56~20.04.1-lowlatency 5.8.18
Uname: Linux 5.8.0-50-lowlatency x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.16
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: lyubo 260326 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: lyubo 260326 F...m pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/timer: lyubo 260326 f.... pulseaudio
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
Date: Fri Apr 23 14:01:02 2021
Dependencies:

InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-12-27 (116 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 20.04.1 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200731)
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 004: ID 04f2:b5f7 Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd HD WebCam
 Bus 001 Device 003: ID 8087:0aa7 Intel Corp.
 Bus 001 Device 005: ID 275d:0ba6 USB OPTICAL MOUSE
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: Acer Aspire A515-51G
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcFB: 0 i915drmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-5.8.0-50-lowlatency root=/dev/mapper/vgkubuntu-root ro quiet splash lockdown=confidentiality vt.handoff=7
PulseList: Error: command ['pacmd', 'list'] failed with exit code 1: No PulseAudio daemon running, or not running as session daemon.
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-5.8.0-50-lowlatency N/A
 linux-backports-modules-5.8.0-50-lowlatency N/A
 linux-firmware 1.187.11
SourcePackage: linux-firmware
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 01/03/2019
dmi.bios.release: 2.2
dmi.bios.vendor: Insyde Corp.
dmi.bios.version: V2.02
dmi.board.asset.tag: Type2 - Board Serial Number
dmi.board.name: Charmander_KL
dmi.board.vendor: KBL
dmi.board.version: V2.02
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Acer
dmi.chassis.version: V2.02
dmi.ec.firmware.release: 1.17
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnInsydeCorp.:bvrV2.02:bd01/03/2019:br2.2:efr1.17:svnAcer:pnAspireA515-51G:pvrV2.02:rvnKBL:rnCharmander_KL:rvrV2.02:cvnAcer:ct10:cvrV2.02:
dmi.product.family: Aspire 5
dmi.product.name: Aspire A515-51G
dmi.product.sku: 0000000000000000
dmi.product.version: V2.02
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer

[Seth Forshee (sforshee)]

Do you have a separate /boot partition? If so, check whether or not it's full. You may need to remove some old kernel packages you are no longer using.

[Lyubomir (mystiquewolf)]

Thanks Mr. Forshee, that was the problem. Before you close this bug, could i ask a clarification question.

I followed the steps here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RemoveOldKernels

apt-mark showauto 'linux-image-.*' showed:
linux-image-lowlatency-hwe-20.04

And apt-mark showmanual 'linux-image-.*' showed:
linux-image-5.8.0-43-lowlatency
linux-image-5.8.0-45-lowlatency
linux-image-5.8.0-48-lowlatency
linux-image-5.8.0-49-lowlatency
linux-image-5.8.0-50-lowlatency

What i did was i marked all but linux-image-5.8.0-50-lowlatency as autoinstalled and then sudo apt autoremove --purge.

My questions are:
1. Should i also mark linux-image-5.8.0-50-lowlatency as autoinstalled;
2. Do you think it is normal/correct to have so many linux-image-* packages marked as manually installed?

I don't remember setting all of these/installing them manually. I believe in the past i have purged old linux-image-* packages which were some 5.4-lowlatency and then installed linux-image-lowlatency-hwe-20.04, but IMO all these linux-image-* packages should've been automatically removed as part of the numerous previous kernel updates i received.

[Seth Forshee (sforshee)]

It is odd that you have so many marked manually installed. Unless you actually installed those packages manually, they should be marked as automatically installed. We do keep a few kernels installed, so that it's possible to boot back to a previous kernel if an update causes problems, but it shouldn't be that many, and to my understanding that doesn't involve marking packages as manually installed anyhow. So I'm not sure how that might have happened.

It should be safe to mark 5.8.0-50, assuming you have the linux-lowlatency package installed. With it being the current kernel in groovy-updates the linux-lowlatency meta package will depend on it and prevent it from being removed.