Kernel-Update-Shenanigans

[phonic-otg]

After watching apper download kernel updates (recent 3.2.48) but not installing them, I'm a lot curious as to why this is occuring.
Since 3.2.39 there has been no change on grub loader.

Here is sys info....

uname -a

gave

phonic@Nova-Fractal:~$ uname -a
Linux Nova-Fractal 3.2.0-39-generic #62-Ubuntu SMP Thu Feb 28 00:28:53 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

head -n1 /etc/issue

gave

Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS \n \l

grep "model name" /proc/cpuinfo

gave

model name : Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU E6500 @ 2.93GHz model name : Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU E6500 @ 2.93GHz

hdparm -i /dev/sda

gave

/dev/sda:
HDIO_DRIVE_CMD(identify) failed: Bad address

Model=Hitachi HDS721032CLA362, FwRev=JPFOA39C, SerialNo=JP1430HN1RXTKL
Config={ HardSect NotMFM HdSw>15uSec Fixed DTR>10Mbs }
RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=0, SectSize=0, ECCbytes=56
BuffType=DualPortCache, BuffSize=14111kB, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=?16?
CurCHS=16383/16/63, CurSects=16514064, LBA=yes, LBAsects=625142448
IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
PIO modes: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
DMA modes: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2
UDMA modes: udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 udma5 *udma6
AdvancedPM=yes: disabled (255) WriteCache=enabled
Drive conforms to: unknown: ATA/ATAPI-2,3,4,5,6,7

* signifies the current active mode

Any help to comprehend why this is happening would be greatly appreciated.

[Snowhog]

Open a console and type:

df -h --exclude-type=tmpfs --exclude-type=devtmpfs

This will show us how much space is used and available on your partitions.
Also type:

dpkg --list | awk '/linux-image/ {print $2}'

This will show us how many kernel images you have installed.

[phonic-otg]

Thanks for the unexpected prompt response.

phonic@Nova-Fractal:~$ df -h --exclude-type=tmpfs --exclude-type=devtmpfs
Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda2        60G   52G  4.7G  92% /
/dev/sda1       223G  210G  2.2G  99% /media/Media-Nova
/dev/sdc1        15G   15G  345M  98% /media/JAY IPOD
/dev/sdb1       1.9T  1.8T   47G  98% /media/SOL

phonic@Nova-Fractal:~$ dpkg --list | awk '/linux-image/ {print $2}'
linux-image-2.6.38-10-generic
linux-image-2.6.38-11-generic
linux-image-2.6.38-8-generic
linux-image-3.0.0-12-generic
linux-image-3.0.0-13-generic
linux-image-3.0.0-14-generic
linux-image-3.0.0-15-generic
linux-image-3.0.0-16-generic
linux-image-3.0.0-17-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-24-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-25-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-26-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-27-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-29-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-30-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-31-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-32-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-33-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-34-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-35-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-36-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-37-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-38-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-39-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-40-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-41-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-43-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-44-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-45-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-48-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-49-generic
linux-image-generic

I am aware I'll need more space (thankfully there is a 2TB ext for $89) though space is not yet truly an issue.

[Snowhog]

Your root partition is very full and you have a butt load of installed kernels. I choose to only keep two kernels; the current and the one prior. I would suggest that you purge all but the 3.2.0-48 and -49 kernels. Easy to do from the console:

sudo apt-get purge linux-image-x.x.x-xx-generic

replacing the x's with the numbers. Do this for each of the older kernels. This purges the header files as well. You might find that just doing this will improve your current issue.

[kubicle]

One additional note, I'd keep the currently running kernel (linux-image-3.2.0-39-generic) installed, just so that you can be sure that you have kernel that will boot installed.

[phonic-otg]

Damn! Um well I've gone and purged, but purged 3.2.0-39 as well. Now grub is seriously lost, it seems to think that all the kernels mentioned in the report above are still there and wants to boot image 3.2.0-39.

I have access to a friends system to create a live usb.

Oh well we live and learn - lol.

[kubicle]

Unfortunate, it seems 'update-grub' has not been run (automatically) after purging and/or newer kernels have not been installed properly or left unconfigured.

If you have a live media (usb/cd) to boot with, you can chroot (instructions here: http://www.tuxgarage.com/2011/07/cre...ot-ubuntu.html) to your installation for repairs, I'd perform at least the following (as root):
Configure all unconfigured packages ('dpkg --configure -a')
Update and dist-upgrade
install a kernel and check that it installs correctly (no errors)
update grub manually to make sure it's updated ('update-grub')

[phonic-otg]

Ok I have followed the instructions with errors for

Update and dist-upgrade

similar to

Err http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates/main grub2-common amd64 1.99-21ubuntu3.9
Something wicked happened resolving 'archive.ubuntu.com:http' (-5 - No address associated with hostname)
Err http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates/main grub2-common amd64 1.99-21ubuntu3.9
Something wicked happened resolving 'au.archive.ubuntu.com:http' (-5 - No address associated with hostname)

but not exactly the same (as this error was given when went to install grub - further down). As i was lacking kernel installation knowledge from cl, I used

dpkg --list | awk '/linux-image/ {print $2}'

to see if sys could read any, both linux-image-3.2.0-48-generic & linux-image-3.2.0-49-generic were identified, then from cl I used

update-grub

update-grub it seemed ok so rebooted removed live usb waited and still had old grub list.
So I booted back to live usb and repeated chroot setup and thought I'd be able to remove grub and reinstall with the following mess, Ai-kah-rumba!

root@kubuntu:/home/phonic# apt-get remove grub
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED
grub
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 2,207 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
(Reading database ... 446835 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing grub ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
root@kubuntu:/home/phonic# apt-get install grub
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Suggested packages:
grub-legacy-doc mdadm
The following NEW packages will be installed
grub
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 913 kB of archives.
After this operation, 2,207 kB of additional disk space will be used.
WARNING: The following packages cannot be authenticated!
grub
Install these packages without verification [y/N]? y
Err http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main grub amd64 0.97-29ubuntu66
Something wicked happened resolving 'archive.ubuntu.com:http' (-5 - No address associated with hostname)
Err http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main grub amd64 0.97-29ubuntu66
Something wicked happened resolving 'au.archive.ubuntu.com:http' (-5 - No address associated with hostname)
Failed to fetch http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...tu66_amd64.deb Something wicked happened resolving 'au.archive.ubuntu.com:http' (-5 - No address associated with hostname)
E: Unable to fetch some archives, maybe run apt-get update or try with --fix-missing?
root@kubuntu:/home/phonic# apt-get --fix-missing
apt 0.8.16~exp12ubuntu10.10 for amd64 compiled on Mar 13 2013 21:23:55
Usage: apt-get [options] command
apt-get [options] install|remove pkg1 [pkg2 ...]
apt-get [options] source pkg1 [pkg2 ...]


root@kubuntu:/home/phonic# apt-get upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
root@kubuntu:/home/phonic# apt-get source pkg1
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to find a source package for pkg1
root@kubuntu:/home/phonic# apt-get source pkg2
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to find a source package for pkg2
root@kubuntu:/home/phonic# update-grub
The program 'update-grub' can be found in the following packages:
* grub
* grub2-common
Try: apt-get install <selected package>
root@kubuntu:/home/phonic# apt-get install grub2-common
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed
grub2-common
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 94.2 kB of archives.
After this operation, 142 kB of additional disk space will be used.
WARNING: The following packages cannot be authenticated!
grub2-common
Install these packages without verification [y/N]? y
Err http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates/main grub2-common amd64 1.99-21ubuntu3.9
Something wicked happened resolving 'archive.ubuntu.com:http' (-5 - No address associated with hostname)
Err http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates/main grub2-common amd64 1.99-21ubuntu3.9
Something wicked happened resolving 'au.archive.ubuntu.com:http' (-5 - No address associated with hostname)
Failed to fetch http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...u3.9_amd64.deb Something wicked happened resolving 'au.archive.ubuntu.com:http' (-5 - No address associated with hostname)
E: Unable to fetch some archives, maybe run apt-get update or try with --fix-missing?
root@kubuntu:/home/phonic# apt-get --fix-missing
apt 0.8.16~exp12ubuntu10.10 for amd64 compiled on Mar 13 2013 21:23:55
Usage: apt-get [options] command
apt-get [options] install|remove pkg1 [pkg2 ...]
apt-get [options] source pkg1 [pkg2 ...]
root@kubuntu:/home/phonic#
root@kubuntu:/home/phonic# sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
sudo: unable to resolve host kubuntu
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-49-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-49-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-48-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-48-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
ERROR: mkdir /var/lock/dmraid
ERROR: mkdir /var/lock/dmraid
ERROR: mkdir /var/lock/dmraid
ERROR: mkdir /var/lock/dmraid
ERROR: mkdir /var/lock/dmraid
ERROR: mkdir /var/lock/dmraid
done

[phonic-otg]

So I tried to use aptitude from cl, chose grub from not installed list, main trusted repo, aptitude suggested 11 more but ALL were not d/l or installed. I gave up and ended the live session. I decided to see if the grub was removed and to my surprise there was grub with kernel 3.2.49 available.

I think it was this (from snowhogs previous thread i found)

sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

that must of done the trick, as I am now working in a stable kernel.

Thanks to all for the pointers.

[kubicle]

Glad you got it solved, for future reference, I'll try to tackle some of the errors you got:

Err http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates/main grub2-common amd64 1.99-21ubuntu3.9
Something wicked happened resolving 'archive.ubuntu.com:http' (-5 - No address associated with hostname)

This seems to indicate your network connection wasn't functional (more accurately, DNS was non-functional). The instructions on the link might have been a bit outdated (precise might be using newer dynamic resolv.conf where /etc/resolv.conf is actually a link to dynamic /run/resolvconf/resolv.conf, not 100% sure as it's been ages since I touched precise), and copying /etc/resolv.conf doesn't actually work...you'd need to copy /run/resolvconf/resolv.conf (omitting this step might actually work as well, depending on your network setup).

apt-get --fix-missing

This syntax doesn't work, you have to define an action for apt-get, like 'apt-get install --fix-missing'
When you use "bad" syntax, apt-get prints usage information, with examples:

Usage: apt-get [options] command
apt-get [options] install|remove pkg1 [pkg2 ...]
apt-get [options] source pkg1 [pkg2 ...]

Those are just examples of the syntax, not actual commands...so you shouldn't actually run them "as shown in the examples" (which explains the errors for your subsequent apt-get commands)