package nvidia-331 331.89-0ubuntu5 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 8

[henry adler]

Tried to switch to using NVIDIA binary driver - version 331.89 from nvidia-331-updates (proprietary)

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.10
Package: nvidia-331 331.89-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-21.28-generic 3.16.4
Uname: Linux 3.16.0-21-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.14.7-0ubuntu5
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Oct 8 12:05:05 2014
DuplicateSignature: package:nvidia-331:331.89-0ubuntu5:subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 8
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 8
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-04-02 (919 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Beta amd64 (20120328)
SourcePackage: nvidia-graphics-drivers-331
Title: package nvidia-331 331.89-0ubuntu5 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 8
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
modified.conffile..etc.modprobe.d.nvidia.331.hybrid.conf: [deleted]

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Aaron Taggert (aaron-taggert)]

Same Issue while upgrading to Linux Utopic 3.16.0-23-generic #30-Ubuntu SMP Thu Oct 16 13:17:16 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[Aaron Taggert (aaron-taggert)]

It won't let me downgrade to noveau. I was hoping a reinstall would fix.

[Aaron Taggert (aaron-taggert)]

[alt@Utopic Documents]$ sudo apt-get purge nvidia-331
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  linux-headers-3.16.0-17 linux-headers-3.16.0-17-generic linux-image-3.16.0-17-generic linux-image-extra-3.16.0-17-generic linux-signed-image-3.16.0-17-generic
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  nvidia-331
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 182 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y

(Reading database ... 217406 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing nvidia-331 (331.89-0ubuntu5) ...
stop: Unknown job: nvidia-persistenced
userdel: user nvidia-persistenced is currently used by process 1739
dpkg: error processing package nvidia-331 (--remove):
 subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 8
Errors were encountered while processing:
 nvidia-331
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[Aaron Taggert (aaron-taggert)]

I believe I fixed this by killing the process that the 'nvidia' user was using then purging and reinstalling. We'll see how it goes. The issue seemed to be from a bad DKMS build which I seem to remember something about when I did my last 'dist-upgrade'. Apt no longer complains about broken pakages and sudo lshw -c video | grep 'configuration'
 shows nvidia drivers in use.

[lionel giraudeau (lionel-l)]

Sorry, logs partially in French (but important informations are not) :

lionel@osiris:~$ dpkg -l |grep nvidia
rH nvidia-331 331.89-0ubuntu5 amd64 NVIDIA binary driver - version 331.89

lionel@osiris:~$ sudo aptitude remove --purge nvidia-331 nvidia-libopencl1-331 nvidia-opencl-icd-331
Les paquets suivants seront ENLEVÉS :
  nvidia-331
0 paquets mis à jour, 0 nouvellement installés, 1 à enlever et 0 non mis à jour.
Il est nécessaire de télécharger 0 o d'archives. Après dépaquetage, 182 Mo seront libérés.
(Lecture de la base de données... 278807 fichiers et répertoires déjà installés.)
Suppression de nvidia-331 (331.89-0ubuntu5) ...
stop: Unknown instance:
userdel: user nvidia-persistenced is currently used by process 2457
dpkg: erreur de traitement du paquet nvidia-331 (--remove) :
 le sous-processus script post-removal installé a retourné une erreur de sortie d'état 8
Des erreurs ont été rencontrées pendant l'exécution :
 nvidia-331
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
Impossible d'effectuer l'opération demandée sur le paquet. Essai de récupération :

lionel@osiris:~$ ps -ef |grep 2457
nvidia-+ 2457 1 0 09:26 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/nvidia-persistenced --user nvidia-persistenced
lionel@osiris:~$ sudo kill 2457
lionel@osiris:~$ ps -ef |grep 2457
lionel 8363 7980 0 09:46 pts/4 00:00:00 grep 2457
lionel@osiris:~$ sudo aptitude remove --purge nvidia-331 nvidia-libopencl1-331 nvidia-opencl-icd-331
Les paquets suivants seront ENLEVÉS :
  nvidia-331
0 paquets mis à jour, 0 nouvellement installés, 1 à enlever et 0 non mis à jour.
Il est nécessaire de télécharger 0 o d'archives. Après dépaquetage, 182 Mo seront libérés.
(Lecture de la base de données... 278805 fichiers et répertoires déjà installés.)
Suppression de nvidia-331 (331.89-0ubuntu5) ...
stop: Unknown instance:
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
Traitement des actions différées (« triggers ») pour initramfs-tools (0.103ubuntu8) ...
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.16.0-24-generic
Traitement des actions différées (« triggers ») pour libc-bin (2.19-10ubuntu2) ...

lionel@osiris:~$

-- Re-install Nvidia drivers through graphical "Prorpietary Drivers" in settings --

Then reboot : Fixed

[Thadah Denyse (juchuf)]

I followed Lionel's steps and it worked for me too, so I suppose the drivers can't be uninstalled because they are being used by the process nvidia-persistenced.

As lionel said, finding and killing the process lets you uninstall Nvidia's Propertary Drivers.

[gabriel.soe (gabriel-soe)]

lionel-l's fix is working perfectly.
Note that the process can be found by issuing the command "ps -ef | grep -i nvidia" and kill the process with "kill -9 ????"

Thank you for the fix.

[matthew gould (paganchef)]

thank you gabriel.soe
those comands worked a treat and was able to up grade to driver 340 with ease
 saved a lot of time

thank you