package linux-image-2.6.31-21-generic 2.6.31-21.59 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2

[Misko]

That package started to install itself after being downloaded by Ubuntu 9.10 update manager. After a while it reported a crash. The package itself had some 28.9 MB (or something like that). In fact it tried to update Grub that came with Ub 9.10 (a beta version, don't know which one, 1.97 beta or so).

ProblemType: Package
Architecture: i386
Date: Sat May 15 17:55:38 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
Package: linux-image-2.6.31-21-generic 2.6.31-21.59
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-20.58-generic
SourcePackage: grub2
Title: package linux-image-2.6.31-21-generic 2.6.31-21.59 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-20-generic i686

[Misko (skoric)]

... After the crash happened, and after a while, I started Update manager once again, but it said the following:

E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'sudo dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report.

... Then I opened terminal and put the command required above. The result was:

misko@desktop:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
[sudo] password for misko:
Setting up linux-image-2.6.31-21-generic (2.6.31-21.59) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-21-generic
Running postinst hook script /usr/sbin/update-grub.
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-21-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-21-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-20-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-20-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Windows NT/2000/XP (loader) on /dev/sda1
/etc/grub.d/README: 2: All: not found
/etc/grub.d/README: 4: 00_*:: not found
/etc/grub.d/README: 5: 10_*:: not found
/etc/grub.d/README: 6: Syntax error: "(" unexpected
User postinst hook script [/usr/sbin/update-grub] exited with value 2
dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.31-21-generic (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-2.6.31-21-generic
misko@desktop:~$

... The second try to start Update Manager resulted in downloading remaining update files from repositories.
By the way, the installation of updated linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-20-generic some ten days ago went smoothly.

[Victor Vargas (kamus)]

I have reassigned this issue to linux kernel package

[Misko (skoric)]

Jean-Baptiste Lallement wrote:
> *** This bug is a duplicate of bug 537123 ***
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/537123
>
> ** This bug has been marked a duplicate of bug 537123
> package linux-image-2.6.31-20-generic 2.6.31-20.57 failed to install/upgrade: /etc/grub.d/README executable bit set
>

Thank you Jean-Baptiste! I found a solution within the bug 537123 place.
I also found that a newer version of grub (1.98 or so) is reported to
solve that bug but my Karmic update-manager do not offer that kind of
software update. Should I do it manually? If so, how then to remove (the
old then) grub 1.97beta ?