package nvidia-331 331.113-0ubuntu0.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 8

[Daniel Heidfeld]

I switched to the Nvidia driver not long before I updated the OS to the latest version.

ProblemType: Package
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.10
Package: nvidia-331 331.113-0ubuntu0.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-26.35-generic 3.16.7-ckt1
Uname: Linux 3.16.0-26-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.7-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Dec 10 20:45:45 2014
DuplicateSignature: package:nvidia-331:331.113-0ubuntu0.1:subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 8
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 8
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-12-05 (6 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140722.2)
SourcePackage: nvidia-graphics-drivers-331
Title: package nvidia-331 331.113-0ubuntu0.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 8
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to utopic on 2014-12-11 (0 days ago)
modified.conffile..etc.modprobe.d.nvidia.331.hybrid.conf: [deleted]

[Yoda (jofe)]

I have the same issue here.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Chris Cowan (macil)]

I'm having this too. It's refusing to let me remove the nvidia-331 package.

[Chris Cowan (macil)]

On my machine (Ubuntu 14.10), dpkg's output at the end goes a bit differently:

DEBUG:Parsing /usr/share/ubuntu-drivers-common/quirks/put_your_quirks_here
stop: Unknown job: nvidia-persistenced
userdel: user nvidia-persistenced is currently used by process 2035
dpkg: error processing package nvidia-331 (--remove):
 subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 8
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.19-10ubuntu2.1) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.0.2-2) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 nvidia-331
Log ended: 2014-12-17 22:12:31

The difference from OP is the "stop: Unknown job: nvidia-persistenced" line. My machine has no such job nvidia-persistenced, but it does have a user and a process running by that name. (OP's log shows "stop: Unknown instance: ", which indicates there was a job by that name, but it wasn't currently running.)

The issue appears to be because of this part in nvidia-331's postrm:

        # Remove the nvidia-persistenced user
        if id "$NVPD_USER" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
            stop nvidia-persistenced || true
            userdel "$NVPD_USER"
        fi

On my machine, there is no such job "nvidia-persistenced". It fails to stop that job and continues, but my machine does have a nvidia-persistenced process running, so the following userdel line fails and causes the package uninstallation to abort. The correct way to stop nvidia-persistenced appears to be "/usr/bin/stop-nvidia-persistenced", but that file is already removed by the time that nvidia-331's postrm is run. The "stop nvidia-persistenced || true" line should be removed, and "/usr/bin/stop-nvidia-persistenced" should be added to prerm's remove) section. I just tested that on my local machine and saw that change makes removing the package work correctly.

[Andrea Gioffré (andreagioffre)]

I always have to suspend my local machine because the video output became freezed. i tried to install the open-source driver but i can't remove nvidia drivers. i'm using ubuntu 14.10 and nvidia geforce 710M.

[james (charja13)]

This is getting annoying, I went to only install lebtool and it told me yet again, and i couldent install lebtools either because of it for some odd reason

[Chris Kankiewicz (phlak)]

I ran into this bug last night trying to reinstall my Nvidia drivers (nvidia-331-updates) and couldn't uninstall them. Running 14.10 on the provided kernel. Can provie any additional information if needed.

[ber4444 (ber-44)]

Same here, esp. frustrating due to another bug, https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xorg/+bug/1387134 which often freezes the Nvidia driver - but now we cannot even downgrade from it, so we are left with that Nvidia shit.

[Stefan Leitner (s-o-l)]

@ber4444 the frustrating bug you mentioned is fixed with a patch you have to apply yourself. it happens with hybrid graphics and the proprietary nvidia driver.

workaround is to use a usb mouse instead of the touchpad.

Nikhil Mahale (nmahale) created a working patch: https://bugs.launchpad.net/xorg-server/+bug/1220426/comments/171

So i have the same problem, i can't uninstall the proprietary nvidia driver from GUI, so i had to follow guides like this:
http://askubuntu.com/questions/206283/how-can-i-uninstall-a-nvidia-driver-completely

[Stefan Leitner (s-o-l)]

same bug appears when you try to uninstall the nvidia-331-updates driver:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nvidia-graphics-drivers-331-updates/+bug/1401597

[Jeb E. (jebeld17)]

I'm getting this issue too!
I reported it to Kernel.org and Nvidia as well :(

[Jeb E. (jebeld17)]

Would you consider this a duplicate bug of 1268257?

[schlypel (schlypel)]

I found that the process of removing nvidia driver / returning to nouveau is prevented by a running service (nvidia-persistenced).
to get rid of the proprietary driver, do: "sudo kill <id of process>" and then you can use the hardware driver dialog to return to nouveau.
To find the id just do "ps -e | grep nvidia-persistenced"

[Jason Lenz (jason-t-lenz)]

The solution posted by @schlypel worked for me. Thank you! The only issue I had was that the running service didn't show up for me using the grep string shown. It was called "nvidia-persiste" or something along those lines. I would recommend finding the id by typing a shortened version in the grep string, such as "ps -e | grep nvidia-pers"

[sipa (sipa)]

The solution posted by @schlypel worked for me too. As for @jason-t-lenz, it was not called "nvidia-persistenced" but "nvidia-persiste".
I could then install nvidia-331-updates with no issues.

[sipa (sipa)]

My output when failing:

Removing libcuda1-331 (331.113-0ubuntu0.1) ...
Removing nvidia-331-uvm (331.113-0ubuntu0.1) ...
Removing all DKMS Modules
Done.
Removing nvidia-331 (331.113-0ubuntu0.1) ...
Removing all DKMS Modules
Done.
update-alternatives: using /usr/lib/nvidia-331-prime/ld.so.conf to provide /etc/ld.so.conf.d/x86_64-linux-gnu_GL.conf (x86_64-linux-gnu_gl_conf) in auto mode
update-alternatives: using /usr/lib/nvidia-331-prime/alt_ld.so.conf to provide /etc/ld.so.conf.d/i386-linux-gnu_GL.conf (i386-linux-gnu_gl_conf) in auto mode
update-alternatives: using /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/mesa/ld.so.conf to provide /etc/ld.so.conf.d/x86_64-linux-gnu_GL.conf (x86_64-linux-gnu_gl_conf) in auto mode
update-alternatives: using /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/mesa/ld.so.conf to provide /etc/ld.so.conf.d/i386-linux-gnu_GL.conf (i386-linux-gnu_gl_conf) in auto mode
INFO:Disable nvidia-331
DEBUG:Parsing /usr/share/ubuntu-drivers-common/quirks/put_your_quirks_here
DEBUG:Parsing /usr/share/ubuntu-drivers-common/quirks/dell_latitude
DEBUG:Parsing /usr/share/ubuntu-drivers-common/quirks/lenovo_thinkpad
stop: Unknown job: nvidia-persistenced
userdel: user nvidia-persistenced is currently used by process 4117
dpkg: error processing package nvidia-331 (--remove):
 subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 8
Removing nvidia-opencl-icd-331 (331.113-0ubuntu0.1) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.19-10ubuntu2.2) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.0.2-2) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 nvidia-331
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

It seems the error occurs while doing some changes on the user "nvidia-persistenced", that is used by the process 4117 (nvidia-persiste)
I got the name of the process with:

# sudo ps -e | grep nvidia
=> 4117 ? 00:00:00 nvidia-persiste

And killed it:
# sudo kill 4117

Then could install with no issues and the output shows the operation on the user "nvidia-persistenced" is now successful:

Removing nvidia-331 (331.113-0ubuntu0.1) ...
stop: Unknown job: nvidia-persistenced
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
Processing triggers for initramfs-tools (0.103ubuntu8) ...
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.16.0-30-generic
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.19-10ubuntu2.2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libcuda1-331-updates.
(Reading database ... 358904 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libcuda1-331-updates_331.113-0ubuntu0.1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libcuda1-331-updates (331.113-0ubuntu0.1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package nvidia-331-updates.
Preparing to unpack .../nvidia-331-updates_331.113-0ubuntu0.1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking nvidia-331-updates (331.113-0ubuntu0.1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package nvidia-331-updates-uvm.
Preparing to unpack .../nvidia-331-updates-uvm_331.113-0ubuntu0.1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking nvidia-331-updates-uvm (331.113-0ubuntu0.1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package nvidia-opencl-icd-331-updates.
Preparing to unpack .../nvidia-opencl-icd-331-updates_331.113-0ubuntu0.1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking nvidia-opencl-icd-331-updates (331.113-0ubuntu0...

[belissner (benyo09)]

The solution posted by @schlypel worked for me too. I searched nvidia-persitenced with htop. THX for solution!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for nvidia-graphics-drivers-331 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]