linux-image : exit status 128 when dpkg configure

cbonar · 11-08-2009, 04:34 AM

Hello everybody

I ran into a blocking matter when trying to update my kernel via apt-get.
I can reproduce the problem with the following :

Code:

esgaroth:~# dpkg --debug=3773 --configure linux-image-2.6.26-2-486
D000040: checking dependencies of linux-image-2.6.26-2-486 (- <none>)
D000400:   checking group ...
D000400:     checking possibility  -> module-init-tools
D000400:       is installed, ok and found
D000400:     found 3
D000400:   found 3 matched 0 possfixbytrig -
D000400:   checking group ...
D000400:     checking possibility  -> initramfs-tools
D000400:       is installed, ok and found
D000400:     found 3
D000400:   found 3 matched 0 possfixbytrig -
D000400:   checking group ...
D000400:     checking possibility  -> debconf
D000400:       is installed, ok and found
D000400:     found 3
D000400:   found 3 matched 0 possfixbytrig -
D000040: ok 2 msgs >><<
D000040:     checking Breaks
D000400:      checking virtbroken linux-image
D000400:      checking virtbroken linux-image-2.6
D000400:      checking virtbroken linux-modules-2.6.26-2-486
Setting up linux-image-2.6.26-2-486 (2.6.26-19lenny2) ...
D000002: fork/exec /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-2.6.26-2-486.postinst ( configure 2.6.26-19lenny1 )
Running depmod.
Running mkinitramfs-kpkg.
Not updating initrd symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled
(2.6.26-19lenny1 was configured last, according to dpkg)
Not updating image symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled
(2.6.26-19lenny1 was configured last, according to dpkg)
Running postinst hook script update-grub.
Updating /boot/grub/grub.cfg ...
Found Debian background: moreblue-orbit-grub.png
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-2-486
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.26-2-486
done
dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.26-2-486 (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 128
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-2.6.26-2-486

Here is the status of the installed packages :

Code:

esgaroth:~# dpkg -l | grep linux-
ii  doc-linux-text                                           2008.08-1                                Linux HOWTOs and FAQs in ASCII format
ii  linux-image-2.6-486                                      2.6.26+17+lenny1                         Linux 2.6 image on x86
iF  linux-image-2.6.26-2-486                                 2.6.26-19lenny2                          Linux 2.6.26 image on x86
ii  linux-image-486                                          2.6.26+17+lenny1                         Linux image on x86
ii  linux-kbuild-2.6.26                                      2.6.26-3                                 Kbuild infrastructure for Linux 2.6.26
ii  linux-libc-dev                                           2.6.26-19lenny2                          Linux support headers for userspace development
ii  linux-sound-base                                         1.0.17.dfsg-4                            base package for ALSA and OSS sound systems

The real problem is that there is no apparent problem :

I've checked the update-grub script and it exits with 0 status
I've checked the linux-image-2.6.26-2-486.postinst and is also exits with 0 status
So the exit status 128 is thrown by dpkg afaik, but there is no trace of whatever error...
I suspect it could come from the "-19" version of this package since I've installed the "-17" version with no problem.
I had the exact same problem with the "-686" kernel, this is why I retrograded to a "-486", for testing purpose

evo2 · 11-08-2009, 11:57 PM

Interesting. Is this a standard lenny install?

Evo2.

cbonar · 11-09-2009, 04:22 AM

Very interesting indeed, but very time consuming ;-)

Yes it is a standard installation. From the install ISO from debian.org, with the original installer.

Well, 2 things that might no be "standard" :

the machine is an eeepc 900
the whole disk is encrypted (again from the standard installer)

About the eeepc stuff, if I remember well I've just built the kernel module for the wifi adapter from source (madwifi-hal) and that should be all. Fyi, I removed it and tested again without it with no success, so it's not likely to be the problem.

I can be mistaken, though...

evo2 · 11-09-2009, 05:19 AM

Regarding the madwifi and encrypted file system, I can't comment. I have no experience with either.

Since you say the postinst script returns cleanly I wonder if dpkg is working correctly with other packages. Does 'dpkg-reconfigure foo' work as expected? Are you still able to install other kernels (eg the -17 version)?

Evo2.

cbonar · 11-09-2009, 06:00 AM

I can install and update other packages with no problem. In fact, every time I upgrade my system, I have this error on linux-image, but other packages are installed and configured correctly (except those who depend on the latest linux-image).

dpkg-reconfigure works ok on other packages but triggers the same error on linux-image.

I would like to rollback to the "-17" version, but I couldn't find how (I didn't have quite time for that up to now).

evo2 · 11-09-2009, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbonar

I would like to rollback to the "-17" version, but I couldn't find how (I didn't have quite time for that up to now).

You can probably just pull down the .deb file from pacakges.debian.org and 'dpkg -i' it.

Cheers,

Evo2.