linux-headers-generic is not being installed, causes issues when installing proprietary drivers

[Doug McMahon]

linux-headers-generic is no longer being default installed
When users attempt to install either nvidia-* or fglrx linux-headers-3.5.0-17-generic is not being installed & the kernel module fails to build
linux-headers is default installed & likely satisfies the dep of the above packages which is linux-headers-generic | linux-headers

related bug
Bug 1068456 (now duplicate of bug #1068341)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: ubiquity (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-17.28-generic 3.5.5
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-17-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Oct 19 03:50:13 2012
InstallCmdLine: initrd=/ubninit file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash -- BOOT_IMAGE=/ubnkern
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: ubiquity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Doug McMahon (mc3man)]

Also just seen from some users trying to install gcdemu from the ppa
Without linux-headers-3.5.0-XX-generic installed the module fails to build for vhba & leaves them with unconfigured packages
It's, ( linux-headers-generic linux-headers-3.5.0-17-generic) , on the live image, why not have it installed???

[Doug McMahon (mc3man)]

With Bug 1068341 on nvidia-* being marked 'won't fix' & on dpkg being a 'wishlist' it seems that unless linux-headers-generic is default installed you are leaving users on their own??
To make a bit worse when users use the recommended method of software sources > Additional Drivers the kernel module build fails with NO info being passed to the user

[Giordano Battilana (jordan83)]

very critical bug this one... left my laptop completely unusable.
Thankfully I'm a skilled user and I managed to find the information on my own and fix this by manually installing linux-headers-generic :\

And this happened on a fresh installation.

[Vladimir Brednikov (vbrednikov)]

I have installed fresh 12.10 with "Enable proprietary drivers" checkbox enabled to Eee PC 1215N (Broadcom BCM4313 WLAN chip). Wireless was working perfectly with broadcom driver (bcmwl-kernel-source). But after update to 3.5.0-18 DKMS failed to rebuild this module without Module.symvers and other files from linux-headers-generic package. I have no Ethernet LAN, so this problem was hard to investigate and fix without reboot to livecd or previous kernel.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

I had the same issue with Ubuntu 12.10 x64. I have a Broadcom BCM43227 wlan chip, I have installed the propriotary driver (bcmwl-kernel-source) but it did not work until I've installed linux-headers-generic too .

[Everaldo Canuto (ecanuto)]

It is the same issue reported in #1068341.

[Doug McMahon (mc3man)]

On 11/25/2012 09:49 PM, Everaldo Canuto wrote:
> *** This bug is a duplicate of bug 1068341 ***
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1068341
>
> It is the same issue reported in #1068341.
>
> ** This bug has been marked a duplicate of bug 1068341
> No way to specify correct dependencies for dkms packages (nvidia driver install fails to get matching header)
>
Dupe?, not really.
  If linux-headers-generic was being default installed on the typical
amd64 & i386 desktop installs then users wouldn't have issues when
installing nvidia-*, fglrx, ect.
  (At least not initially

[Jeremy Bícha (jbicha)]

This has been fixed for raring (bug 1070427).