Fails to install linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic

[Ed Johns]

When attempting to install linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic, I get the following errors:

dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic_6.5.0-28.29_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 error creating symbolic link './lib/modules/6.5.0-28-generic/build': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to remove newly-extracted version of '/lib/modules/6.5.0-28-generic/build': Read-only file system
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic_6.5.0-28.29_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

When I went looking for the build directory referenced in the message, I found the following misspelling in the symlink. I am not sure if this is what is causing the problem or a happy accident, because the target directory /usr/src/linux-headers-6.5.0-28 exists, but /usr/src/linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic doesn't:

❯ ls -al /usr/lib/modules/6.5.0-28-generic/build
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Apr 8 04:03 /usr/lib/modules/6.5.0-28-generic/build -> /usr/src/linux-heders-6.5.0-28-generic

System config:

❯ cat /proc/version_signature
Ubuntu 6.5.0-28.29-generic 6.5.13
❯ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 23.10
Release: 23.10
Codename: mantic
❯ uname -a
Linux test-ws0 6.5.0-28-generic #29-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Thu Mar 28 23:46:48 UTC 2024 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 23.10
Package: linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.5.0-28.29-generic 6.5.13
Uname: Linux 6.5.0-28-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.27.0-0ubuntu5
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse: Error: command ['fuser', '-v', '/dev/snd/controlC0', '/dev/snd/hwC0D2', '/dev/snd/pcmC0D9p', '/dev/snd/pcmC0D8p', '/dev/snd/pcmC0D7p', '/dev/snd/pcmC0D3p', '/dev/snd/by-path', '/dev/snd/by-id', '/dev/snd/controlC1', '/dev/snd/pcmC1D0c', '/dev/snd/pcmC1D0p', '/dev/snd/seq', '/dev/snd/timer'] failed with exit code 1:
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Mon May 6 16:36:43 2024
InstallationDate: Installed on 2024-02-04 (93 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 23.10.1 "Mantic Minotaur" - Release amd64 (20231016.1)
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0bda:b85b Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Bluetooth Radio
 Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0573:1573 Zoran Co. Personal Media Division (Nogatech) USB Audio and HID
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0b05:190e ASUSTek Computer, Inc. ASUS USB-BT500
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: {report['dmi.sys.vendor']} {report['dmi.product.name']}
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 TERM=xterm-256color
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
ProcFB: 0 i915drmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: snapd_recovery_mode=run console=ttyS0,115200n8 console=tty1 panic=-1 quiet splash
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-6.5.0-28-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-6.5.0-28-generic N/A
 linux-firmware N/A
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 10/21/2023
dmi.bios.release: 5.27
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends International, LLC.
dmi.bios.version: GMK_G3
dmi.board.asset.tag: Default string
dmi.board.name: GMKtec
dmi.board.vendor: GMKtec
dmi.board.version: Default string
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Default string
dmi.chassis.type: 0
dmi.chassis.vendor: Default string
dmi.chassis.version: Default string
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInternational,LLC.:bvrGMK_G3:bd10/21/2023:br5.27:svnGMKtec:pnNucBoxG3:pvrDefaultstring:rvnGMKtec:rnGMKtec:rvrDefaultstring:cvnDefaultstring:ct0:cvrDefaultstring:skuG3-001:
dmi.product.family: MINI
dmi.product.name: NucBox G3
dmi.product.sku: G3-001
dmi.product.version: Default string
dmi.sys.vendor: GMKtec

[Juerg Haefliger (juergh)]

Do you have anti-virus software installed? That misnamed link looks indeed funny but I have the smae packages installed here and all looks fine so don't believe it's a package problem. How did you install the header packages? Can you remove all header packages and try again?

$ apt purge linux-headers-6.5.0-28 linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic linux-headers-generic
$ apt install linux-headers-generic

[Ed Johns (ejohns)]

No antivirus. Installed using "apt install linux-headers-generic". Here's what happened when I tried to purge and reinstall:

❯ apt purge linux-headers-6.5.0-28 linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic linux-headers-generic
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  linux-headers-6.5.0-28* linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic* linux-headers-generic*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 3 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 84.1 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
(Reading database ... 297231 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-headers-generic (6.5.0.28.28) ...
dpkg: error processing package linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic (--remove):
 package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should
 reinstall it before attempting a removal
dpkg: too many errors, stopping
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic
Processing was halted because there were too many errors.
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

❯ apt install linux-headers-generic
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  linux-headers-generic
The following packages will be upgraded:
  linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic
1 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 9,124 B/3,831 kB of archives.
After this operation, 29.0 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu mantic-updates/main amd64 linux-headers-generic amd64 6.5.0.28.28 [9,124 B]
Fetched 9,124 B in 0s (113 kB/s)
(Reading database ... 297228 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic_6.5.0-28.29_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic (6.5.0-28.29) over (6.5.0-28.29) ...
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic_6.5.0-28.29_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 error creating symbolic link './lib/modules/6.5.0-28-generic/build': Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 unable to remove newly-extracted version of '/lib/modules/6.5.0-28-generic/build': Read-only file system
Selecting previously unselected package linux-headers-generic.
Preparing to unpack .../linux-headers-generic_6.5.0.28.28_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking linux-headers-generic (6.5.0.28.28) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-headers-6.5.0-28-generic_6.5.0-28.29_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)