Comment 3 for bug 350413

Same problem here. My system is Karmic Koala (9.10)
Original install was Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) which I upgraded to Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) and finally to Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala - development branch).

these are the kernels, that I have installed on my PC (aptitude search linux-image):
ipA linux-image-2.6.27-11-generic - Linux kernel image for version 2.6.27 on x86/x86_64
id linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic - Linux kernel image for version 2.6.27 on x86/x86_64
ipA linux-image-2.6.27-9-generic - Linux kernel image for version 2.6.27 on x86/x86_64
ipA linux-image-2.6.28-11-generic - Linux kernel image for version 2.6.28 on x86/x86_64
idA linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic - Linux kernel image for version 2.6.28 on x86/x86_64
i A linux-image-2.6.28-14-generic - Linux kernel image for version 2.6.28 on x86/x86_64
id linux-image-2.6.31-4-generic - Linux kernel image for version 2.6.31 on x86/x86_64
i linux-image-2.6.31-5-generic - Linux kernel image for version 2.6.31 on x86/x86_64
i linux-image-2.6.31-6-generic - Linux kernel image for version 2.6.31 on x86/x86_64
i linux-image-generic

uname -a:
Linux havis 2.6.31-5-generic #24-Ubuntu SMP Sat Aug 1 12:47:58 UTC 2009 x86_64 GNU/Linux

command:
aptitude purge linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information
Initializing package states... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic{ap}
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B of archives. After unpacking 111MB will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] y
Writing extended state information... Done
(Reading database ... 211186 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic ...
Examining /etc/kernel/prerm.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/prerm.d/dkms
rmdir: failed to remove `/lib/modules/2.6.27-7-generic/updates/dkms': No such file or directory
rmdir: failed to remove `/lib/modules/2.6.27-7-generic/updates': No such file or directory
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/prerm.d/last-good-boot
/etc/kernel/prerm.d/last-good-boot: 3: /usr/sbin/kernel-helper: not found
run-parts: /etc/kernel/prerm.d/last-good-boot exited with return code 127
Failed to process /etc/kernel/prerm.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic.prerm line 267.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic (--purge):
 subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information
Initializing package states... Done