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