package linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04 5.11.0.37.41~20.04.16 failed to install/upgrade: package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should reinstall it before attempting configuration

[Matt Phillips]

Trying to install a package using Ubuntu Software catalogue, and the installation was interrupted by a message saying that "E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem." I tried to run this command in Terminal, but it wouldn't work, so I searched online for a solution and found that some people had a similar message appear (the same as above but with 'sudo' appearing before 'dpkg' at the start of the command line - see https://askubuntu.com/questions/163200/e-dpkg-was-interrupted-run-sudo-dpkg-configure-a). I tried this, and some error messages came up.

Full details shown on Terminal after trying command 'sudo dpkg --configure -a':
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-generic-hwe-20.04:
 linux-generic-hwe-20.04 depends on linux-headers-generic-hwe-20.04 (= 5.11.0.37.41~20.04.16); however:
  Version of linux-headers-generic-hwe-20.04 on system is 5.11.0.36.40~20.04.15.

dpkg: error processing package linux-generic-hwe-20.04 (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Setting up linux-image-5.11.0-37-generic (5.11.0-37.41~20.04.2) ...
I: /boot/vmlinuz.old is now a symlink to vmlinuz-5.11.0-36-generic
I: /boot/initrd.img.old is now a symlink to initrd.img-5.11.0-36-generic
I: /boot/vmlinuz is now a symlink to vmlinuz-5.11.0-37-generic
I: /boot/initrd.img is now a symlink to initrd.img-5.11.0-37-generic
Setting up linux-modules-extra-5.11.0-37-generic (5.11.0-37.41~20.04.2) ...
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04 (--configure):
 package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should
 reinstall it before attempting configuration
Setting up linux-modules-5.11.0-37-generic (5.11.0-37.41~20.04.2) ...
Processing triggers for linux-image-5.11.0-37-generic (5.11.0-37.41~20.04.2) ...
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms:
 * dkms: running auto installation service for kernel 5.11.0-37-generic
Error! Your kernel headers for kernel 5.11.0-37-generic cannot be found.
Please install the linux-headers-5.11.0-37-generic package,
or use the --kernelsourcedir option to tell DKMS where it's located
   ...done.
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools:
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-5.11.0-37-generic
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-update-grub:
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub'
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub.d/init-select.cfg'
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.11.0-37-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.11.0-37-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.11.0-36-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.11.0-36-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.11.0-34-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.11.0-34-generic
Adding boot menu entry for UEFI Firmware Settings
done
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-generic-hwe-20.04
 linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04

Due to the error messages that are shown above, I followed some other instructions given on the forum page (linked above), i.e. I used the command 'sudo apt-get install -f'. This came up with the following:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  libfprint-2-tod1 libllvm10 linux-headers-5.11.0-34-generic
  linux-hwe-5.11-headers-5.11.0-34 linux-image-5.11.0-34-generic
  linux-modules-5.11.0-34-generic linux-modules-extra-5.11.0-34-generic
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following additional packages will be installed:
  linux-headers-5.11.0-37-generic linux-headers-generic-hwe-20.04
  linux-hwe-5.11-headers-5.11.0-37
The following NEW packages will be installed
  linux-headers-5.11.0-37-generic linux-hwe-5.11-headers-5.11.0-37
The following packages will be upgraded:
  linux-headers-generic-hwe-20.04
1 to upgrade, 2 to newly install, 0 to remove and 81 not to upgrade.
2 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/13.2 MB of archives.
After this operation, 90.5 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Selecting previously unselected package linux-hwe-5.11-headers-5.11.0-37.
(Reading database ... 209271 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../linux-hwe-5.11-headers-5.11.0-37_5.11.0-37.41~20.04.2_all.deb ...
Unpacking linux-hwe-5.11-headers-5.11.0-37 (5.11.0-37.41~20.04.2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package linux-headers-5.11.0-37-generic.
Preparing to unpack .../linux-headers-5.11.0-37-generic_5.11.0-37.41~20.04.2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking linux-headers-5.11.0-37-generic (5.11.0-37.41~20.04.2) ...
Preparing to unpack .../linux-headers-generic-hwe-20.04_5.11.0.37.41~20.04.16_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking linux-headers-generic-hwe-20.04 (5.11.0.37.41~20.04.16) over (5.11.0.36.40~20.04.15) ...
Setting up linux-hwe-5.11-headers-5.11.0-37 (5.11.0-37.41~20.04.2) ...
Setting up linux-headers-5.11.0-37-generic (5.11.0-37.41~20.04.2) ...
/etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms:
 * dkms: running auto installation service for kernel 5.11.0-37-generic

Kernel preparation unnecessary for this kernel. Skipping...

Building module:
cleaning build area...
make -j2 KERNELRELEASE=5.11.0-37-generic -C /lib/modules/5.11.0-37-generic/build M=/var/lib/dkms/virtualbox/6.1.26/build....................
Signing module:
 - /var/lib/dkms/virtualbox/6.1.26/5.11.0-37-generic/x86_64/module/vboxnetflt.ko
 - /var/lib/dkms/virtualbox/6.1.26/5.11.0-37-generic/x86_64/module/vboxnetadp.ko
 - /var/lib/dkms/virtualbox/6.1.26/5.11.0-37-generic/x86_64/module/vboxdrv.ko
Secure Boot not enabled on this system.
cleaning build area...

DKMS: build completed.

vboxdrv.ko:
Running module version sanity check.
 - Original module
   - No original module exists within this kernel
 - Installation
   - Installing to /lib/modules/5.11.0-37-generic/updates/dkms/

vboxnetadp.ko:
Running module version sanity check.
 - Original module
   - No original module exists within this kernel
 - Installation
   - Installing to /lib/modules/5.11.0-37-generic/updates/dkms/

vboxnetflt.ko:
Running module version sanity check.
 - Original module
   - No original module exists within this kernel
 - Installation
   - Installing to /lib/modules/5.11.0-37-generic/updates/dkms/

depmod.....

DKMS: install completed.
   ...done.
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04 (--configure):
 package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should
 reinstall it before attempting configuration
Setting up linux-headers-generic-hwe-20.04 (5.11.0.37.41~20.04.16) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-generic-hwe-20.04:
 linux-generic-hwe-20.04 depends on linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04 (= 5.11.0.37.41~20.04.16); however:
  Package linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04 is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-generic-hwe-20.04 (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
No apport report written because the error message indicates it's a follow-up error from a previous failure.
                            Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04
 linux-generic-hwe-20.04
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

I was asked to submit a bug report, hence this message.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04 5.11.0.37.41~20.04.16
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.11.0-36.40~20.04.1-generic 5.11.22
Uname: Linux 5.11.0-36-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.20
AptOrdering:
 linux-hwe-5.11-headers-5.11.0-37:amd64: Install
 linux-headers-5.11.0-37-generic:amd64: Install
 linux-headers-generic-hwe-20.04:amd64: Install
 NULL: ConfigurePending
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
Date: Thu Oct 7 12:00:57 2021
ErrorMessage: package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should reinstall it before attempting configuration
InstallationDate: Installed on 2021-08-07 (60 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200731)
Python3Details: /usr/bin/python3.8, Python 3.8.10, python3-minimal, 3.8.2-0ubuntu2
PythonDetails: N/A
RelatedPackageVersions:
 dpkg 1.19.7ubuntu3
 apt 2.0.6
SourcePackage: linux-meta-hwe-5.11
Title: package linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04 5.11.0.37.41~20.04.16 failed to install/upgrade: package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should reinstall it before attempting configuration
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)