linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-4-generic purge fails

Hi DJR013,

Sorry for the delayed response. From the error messages in your DpkgTerminalLog.txt . Seem related to the fact that you'd likely already removed the linux-image-2.6.28-4-generic package I'm guessing:

Purging configuration files for linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-4-generic ...
FATAL: Could not open '/boot/System.map-2.6.28-4-generic': No such file or directory
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-4-generic
Cannot find /lib/modules/2.6.28-4-generic
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-4-generic
dpkg: error processing linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-4-generic (--purge):
 subprocess post-removal script returned error exit status 1

Yes, exactly...sorry if that was a bit unclear. I removed, then attempted to purge the package. The problem is still present through version 2.6.28-10, the latest.

If I had to take a random guess, I would think the packages' removal scripts are trying to remove that file on both remove and purge, expecting it to be there when the script begins. This shouldn't result in failure. If that removed file is necessary to reconfigure something for purge, should it even be removed when when not purging? If it's not necessary, and already gone, then purge should just be happy it has one less file to remove.

Didn't catch this in time for the last message... I just tried purging all my linux-backports packages, plus some other old linux packages. My description appears to be wrong in including the other packages in the bug. However this time it managed to purge some of the latest linux-backports packages after still giving errors on missing files. After four or so unsuccessful purges, a maximum number of failures were reported to apport apparently and the rest continued without complete failure, being removed from the residual config list in Synaptic. Odd...

I can confirm this on Ubuntu 9.10.

# dpkg --get-selections | grep purge
linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-14-generic purge
linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-15-generic purge

# aptitude purge linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-14-generic linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-15-generic
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information
Initializing package states... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-14-generic{p} linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-15-generic{p}
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 2 to remove and 23 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B of archives. After unpacking 0B will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] y
Writing extended state information... Done
(Reading database ... 142151 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-14-generic ...
Purging configuration files for linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-14-generic ...
FATAL: Could not open '/boot/System.map-2.6.28-14-generic': No such file or directory
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
Cannot find /lib/modules/2.6.28-14-generic
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
dpkg: error processing linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-14-generic (--purge):
 subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
Removing linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-15-generic ...
Purging configuration files for linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-15-generic ...
FATAL: Could not open '/boot/System.map-2.6.28-15-generic': No such file or directory
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-15-generic
Cannot find /lib/modules/2.6.28-15-generic
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-15-generic
dpkg: error processing linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-15-generic (--purge):
 subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-14-generic
 linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-15-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install. Trying to recover:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information
Initializing package states... Done

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