installing new kernels fails: nvidia-common postinst failed

[Andreas Schildbach]

Binary package hint: nvidia-common

On a Dell Latitude X1 (containing no nvidia hardware), upgrading intrepid fails at two points (see below).

Removing the nvidia-common scripts provides a workaround for me.

1)

Setting up linux-image-2.6.27-4-generic (2.6.27-4.5) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-4-generic
Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common
debconf: Unable to load Debconf::Element::Dialog. Failed because: Can't locate Debconf/Element/Dialog.pm in @INC (@INC contains: /etc/perl /usr/local/lib/per
l/5.10.0 /usr/local/share/perl/5.10.0 /usr/lib/perl5 /usr/share/perl5 /usr/lib/perl/5.10 /usr/share/perl/5.10 /usr/local/lib/site_perl .) at (eval 24) line 2
, <GEN0> line 2.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at (eval 24) line 2, <GEN0> line 2.

Can't locate object method "new" via package "Debconf::Element::Dialog" (perhaps you forgot to load "Debconf::Element::Dialog"?) at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/
FrontEnd.pm line 68, <GEN0> line 2.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common exited with return code 2
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-2.6.27-4-generic.postinst line 1002.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.27-4-generic (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2

---

2)

Setting up linux-headers-2.6.27-4-generic (2.6.27-4.5) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/nvidia-common
debconf: Unable to load Debconf::Element::Dialog. Failed because: Can't locate Debconf/Element/Dialog.pm in @INC (@INC contains: /etc/perl /usr/local/lib/perl/5.10.0 /usr/local/share/perl/5.10.0 /usr/lib/perl5 /usr/share/perl5 /usr/lib/perl/5.10 /usr/share/perl/5.10 /usr/local/lib/site_perl .) at (eval 24) line 2, <GEN0> line 2.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at (eval 24) line 2, <GEN0> line 2.
Can't locate object method "new" via package "Debconf::Element::Dialog" (perhaps you forgot to load "Debconf::Element::Dialog"?) at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd.pm line 68, <GEN0> line 2.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/nvidia-common exited with return code 2
Failed to process /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-headers-2.6.27-4-generic.postinst line 110.
dpkg: error processing linux-headers-2.6.27-4-generic (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-headers-generic:
 linux-headers-generic depends on linux-headers-2.6.27-4-generic; however:
  Package linux-headers-2.6.27-4-generic is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing linux-headers-generic (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured

[Alberto Milone (albertomilone)]

Maybe there was a problem with Debconf when you did the dist-upgrade.

Please type:
sudo apt-get install nvidia-common

sudo apt-get install --reinstall linux-headers-2.6.27-4-generic

and let me know what happens.

If nothing happens then the problem is solved.

[Andreas Schildbach (schildbach)]

First, I tried

  sudo apt-get install -reinstall nvidia-common

but it did not copy the nvidia-common scripts back to

  /etc/kernel/postinst.d
  /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d

Thus, I suppose this test is invalid. What do I need to do to get the scripts back?

[Joel Cross (ukch)]

I have just had my bug (https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/305526) marked a duplicate of this one. For me, the NVidia drivers and nvidia-common are already installed.

Running sudo apt-get install --reinstall linux-{headers,restricted-modules}-`uname -r` did not solve the problem, but just did the same thing it always does when I run apt-get (namely, displays the long error message and quits).

[Joel Cross (ukch)]

I finally managed to get the problem to go away. I did an 'apt-get purge nvidia-common', then I installed the latest kernel update, and then reinstalled nvidia-common, and everything seems to be fine now.

[Milan Bouchet-Valat (nalimilan)]

See duplicate bug 273681 for data about the same issue but when upgrading kernels (2.6.31-12-generic and others) in Karmic.

[Sebastian Malcolm (smalcolm)]

I saw a repeat of this issue after upgrade to lucid and installing recent kernel update to 2.6.32.22.23

On my system I found that jockey-common (0.5.8-0ubuntu8) recommends nvidia-common (0.2.23).
Joel Cross's suggestion (#4) to remove nvidia-common worked for me, so I could then successfully finish installing the newer kernel packages.

Can nvidia-common be safely removed on all 10.04 Lucid Lynx systems?
Replaced by nvidia-current, nvidia-current-modaliases?

[pinzia (pinzia)]

similar bug on lucid https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nvidia-common/+bug/595440