package linux-image-2.6.31-20-generic 2.6.31-20.57 failed to install/upgrade: run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common exited with return code 10

Hi,

A couple of quick comments.

First, as a temporary workaround,as root user I simply backed up and then removed the nvidia-common file in the /etc/kernel/postinst.d and /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d directories. Then, by running "apt-get -f install", I was able to get the kernel packages to finally finish installing correctly. Then, I copied the nvidia-common file back into the two directories mentioned, and everything with apt now works again (i.e., apt-get update, apt-get autoremove, etc).

In other words, running the following might temporarily help others with this problem:

sudo cp -pi /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common /tmp/nvidia-common
sudo rm -f /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common
sudo rm -f /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/nvidia-common
sudo apt-get -f install
sudo cp -pi /tmp/nvidia-common /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common
sudo cp -pi /tmp/nvidia-common /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/nvidia-common

Second, here's what I've discovered technically that might help the experts figure out the correct solution. Non-experts may not wish to read any further.

I added a "set -x" command to the 2nd line of /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common. This revealed the error return code 10 and error message line "RET='10 nvidia-common/obsolete-driver doesn'\''t exist'". This lead me to notice at least one problem:

(1) /usr/share/nvidia-common/obsolete-driver in fact does NOT exist

Apparently, it has been renamed to simply /usr/share/nvidia-common/obsolete.

At this point, I tried to diagnose further, and the problem clearly follows from the db_set commands within the /etc/kernel/[header_]postinst.d/nvidia-common files. However, being still somewhat new to Ubuntu/Debian (I come from RHEL world), I'm not familiar with debconf and could not readily find documentation what what db_set is suppposed to do (and looking at /usr/share/debconf/confmodule didn't help, as db_set simply calls _db_cmd "SET", which I couldn't quickly figure out what that does).

At any rate, I tried the following, all of which do not work:

(2) globally replacing "obsolete-driver" with "obsolete" does NOT work
(3) globally replacing "obsolete-driver" with "/usr/share/nvidia-common/obsolete" does NOT work.

I tried (3) because, after putting an "echo PWD=`pwd`" line at the start of nvidia-common script, I noticed it was being running from PWD=/, so I thought the problem might be a directory location, but still no joy.

At this point, I just gave up and tried removing the nvidia-common files from /etc/kernel, and, as I mentioned first, that worked for me.

For what it's worth, below is the relevant output from "apt-get -f install" from attempt (2) above, that is, "obsolete-driver" replaced with "obsolete" (the error message was the same in all cases, i.e., "RET='10 nvidia-common/obsolete doesn'\''t exist'").

Hope this helps folks get this resolved. It seems to be affecting a lot of people and a similar bug has high priority / triaged status. I'll crossref next.

Cheers,
Doug

run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common
+ . /usr/share/debconf/confmodule
++ '[' '!' '' ']'
++ PERL_DL_NONLAZY=1
++ export PERL...

Thanks for this detailed report.

Do you have the package nvidia-common installed on your system ?

Hi Jean-Baptiste,

Yes, I did at the time. (I have since removed and re-installed all nvidia-* packages.)

Doug

thanks. setting to confirmed then.

Is this possibly a dup of bug 388923?

@Doug

As regards this error:

+ read -r _db_internal_line
+ RET='10 nvidia-common/obsolete-driver doesn'\''t exist'

nvidia-common/obsolete-driver is provided by a template such as /var/lib/dpkg/info/nvidia-common.templates

Do you have that file?

Hi Alberto,

Thanks again for the help on this.

Yes, I do have that file, and I've included it's contents below.

Of course, as I mentioned, I have uninstalled and re-installed all nvidia-*
packages recently, so I cannot be sure it was present then.

Doug

Template: nvidia-common/obsolete-driver
Type: error
Description: Obsolete NVIDIA Driver version
 The system has detected an obsolete NVIDIA driver in your system.
 .
 Please install ${latest} at the end of the installation with the following command:
 .
 sudo apt-get install ${latest}
 .
 The removal of other NVIDIA drivers will be dealt with automatically.

On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:37:05 -0000 Alberto Milone
<email address hidden> wrote:
> Doug
>
> As regards this error:
>
> + read -r _db_internal_line
> + RET='10 nvidia-common/obsolete-driver doesn'\''t exist'
>
> nvidia-common/obsolete-driver is provided by a template such as
> /var/lib/dpkg/info/nvidia-common.templates
>
> Do you have that file?
>

Hi Brian,

I don't think so, although I already commented on the similarities (see
comment #32 on that bug report). That report seems to be more about custom
kernel and grub issues, which were not in play for me. I had neither a
custom kernel nor did I have problems with or error messages from grub.

HTH,
Doug

On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:22:38 -0000 Brian Murray <email address hidden> wrote:
> Is this possible a dup of bug 388923?

This bug was fixed in the package nvidia-common - 0.2.22

---------------
nvidia-common (0.2.22) lucid; urgency=low

  * debian/control:
    - Add dependency on fglrx-modaliases.
  * debian/nvidia-common.config:
    - Put back the config script with only one line to source
      debconf so that the template file is loaded when
      nvidia-common is triggered by kernel hooks (LP: #533970).
      Thanks to Colin Watson for the advice.
  * NvidiaDetector/alternatives.py:
    - Add the update_gmenu method and call it in set_alternative
      so that the gnome menu is updated when we switch between
      drivers (LP: #548751).
    - Add the resolve_module_alias method so as to retrieve the
      module name from the alias (relevant to #547066).
 -- Alberto Milone <email address hidden> Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:44:17 +0100

Fix released or not I have been affected by this bug for a month or so now, current kernel: 2.6.32-24-generic