[SOLVED] Backport kernel being held back on Buster

linustalman · 08-02-2020, 11:10 AM

Hi.

I see this:

Code:

The following packages have been kept back: linux-image-amd64

when I run:

Code:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

I'm stuck on kernel, 5.4.0-0.bpo.4-amd64. Can this be solved?

I have a virtual machine instance of Buster and it's on kernel, 5.6.0.0.bpo.2-amd64. It get's no 'kept back' warning when I update it.

Thanks.

hazel · 08-02-2020, 11:45 AM

"Kept back" usually means that installing it will require something else to be removed, probably the kernel that preceded your current one. apt upgrade will install extra packages when required but it won't uninstall anything. You could try looking at it in synaptic, which tells you if it wants to remove something.

linustalman · 08-02-2020, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazel

"Kept back" usually means that installing it will require something else to be removed, probably the kernel that preceded your current one. apt upgrade will install extra packages when required but it won't uninstall anything. You could try looking at it in synaptic, which tells you if it wants to remove something.

Hi hazel.

I click upgrade on the linux-image-amd64 package and it turns red [see image]. Also, this was in a message box:

Code:

E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
E: Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages.
E: Unable to correct dependencies
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
E: Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages.
E: Unable to correct dependencies
E: Unable to lock the list directory

I wonder if this issue will resolve itself in time - i.e. with a newer kernel?

hazel · 08-03-2020, 05:46 AM

Then the problem is not what I thought it was. Your apt database is broken. Someone else will have to help you fix it.

linustalman · 08-03-2020, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazel

Then the problem is not what I thought it was. Your apt database is broken. Someone else will have to help you fix it.

Ok, thanks anyway, hazel.

shruggy · 08-03-2020, 06:14 AM

Often, dpkg -C will show commands needed to recover.

Another option is aptitude why linux-image-amd64

linustalman · 08-03-2020, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shruggy

Often, dpkg -C will show commands needed to recover.

Another option is aptitude why linux-image-amd64

Hi shruggy.

For dpkg -C and sudo dpkg -C - there was no output.

I had to install aptitude as I always use apt instead.

Here's the output:

Code:

sudo aptitude why linux-image-amd64

Code:

i   exfalso         Suggests   brasero | k3b | xfburn   
p   brasero         Suggests   libdvdcss2               
p   libdvd-pkg      Provides   libdvdcss2               
p   libdvd-pkg      Depends    wget | devscripts        
p   devscripts      Suggests   diffoscope               
p   diffoscope      Recommends python3-guestfs          
p   python3-guestfs Depends    libguestfs0 (>= 1:1.39.8)
p   libguestfs0     Depends    supermin (>= 5)          
p   supermin        Recommends linux-image-amd64

HappyTux · 08-03-2020, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linustalman

Hi.

I see this:

Code:

The following packages have been kept back: linux-image-amd64

when I run:

Code:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

I'm stuck on kernel, 5.4.0-0.bpo.4-amd64. Can this be solved?

I have a virtual machine instance of Buster and it's on kernel, 5.6.0.0.bpo.2-amd64. It get's no 'kept back' warning when I update it.

Thanks.

I had that a few days ago try apt -s install linux-image-amd64 to simulate installing just the image package. It should then try to install the packages needed in addition to one mentioned, or it did on my system, remove the -s to install. Make sure to do another update before trying to install and hopefully it want to update grub as well so it does not install the packages of it that will brick the system.

Code:

@haswell:~$ apt-cache policy linux-image-amd64
linux-image-amd64:
  Installed: 5.6.14-2~bpo10+1
  Candidate: 5.6.14-2~bpo10+1
  Version table:
 *** 5.6.14-2~bpo10+1 100
        100 http://deb.debian.org/debian buster-backports/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     4.19+105+deb10u5 500
        500 http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian buster/main amd64 Packages

shruggy · 08-03-2020, 06:41 AM

@OP. Then I don't see any problems. Have you tried sudo apt full-upgrade?

linustalman · 08-03-2020, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shruggy

@OP. Then I don't see any problems. Have you tried sudo apt full-upgrade?

Yes, tried that a while back.

Code:

sudo apt full-upgrade

Code:

[sudo] password for XYZ:            
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following packages have been kept back:
  linux-image-amd64
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded

linustalman · 08-03-2020, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyTux

I had that a few days ago try apt -s install linux-image-amd64 to simulate installing just the image package. It should then try to install the packages needed in addition to one mentioned, or it did on my system, remove the -s to install. Make sure to do another update before trying to install and hopefully it want to update grub as well so it does not install the packages of it that will brick the system.

Code:

@haswell:~$ apt-cache policy linux-image-amd64
linux-image-amd64:
  Installed: 5.6.14-2~bpo10+1
  Candidate: 5.6.14-2~bpo10+1
  Version table:
 *** 5.6.14-2~bpo10+1 100
        100 http://deb.debian.org/debian buster-backports/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     4.19+105+deb10u5 500
        500 http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian buster/main amd64 Packages

Hi HT. No joy.

Code:

sudo apt -s install linux-image-amd64

Code:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 linux-image-amd64 : Depends: linux-image-5.6.0-0.bpo.2-amd64 (= 5.6.14-2~bpo10+1) but it is not going to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

shruggy · 08-03-2020, 06:53 AM

Then try

Code:

sudo apt -t buster-backports upgrade

linustalman · 08-03-2020, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shruggy

Then try

Code:

sudo apt -t 5.6\* upgrade

Code:

Reading package lists... Done
E: The value '5.6*' is invalid for APT::Default-Release as such a release is not available in the sources

shruggy · 08-03-2020, 06:55 AM

Ah, sorry. I don't know what release is it for backports. apt policy linux-image-amd64 should show it. I updated my previous post, but this is only a guess.

linustalman · 08-03-2020, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shruggy

Ah, sorry. I don't know what release is it for backports. apt policy linux-image-amd64 should show it. I updated my previous post, but this is only a guess.

No problem.

Code:

linux-image-amd64:
  Installed: 5.4.19-1~bpo10+1
  Candidate: 5.6.14-2~bpo10+1
  Version table:
     5.6.14-2~bpo10+1 100
        100 http://ftp.debian.org/debian buster-backports/main amd64 Packages
 *** 5.4.19-1~bpo10+1 100
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     4.19+105+deb10u5 500
        500 http://ftp.ie.debian.org/debian buster/main amd64 Packages