Errors after updating today

[Bings]

Hoping someone can help me with this. I get the following when using the apt-get upgrade command or when installing something (doesn't affect what I am installing)

Setting up linux-image-4.10.0-21-generic (4.10.0-21.23) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: deferring update (hook will be called later)
The link /initrd.img is a dangling linkto /boot/initrd.img-4.10.0-21-generic
vmlinuz(/boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-21-generic
) points to /boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-21-generic
(/boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-21-generic) -- doing nothing at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-4.10.0-21-generic.postinst line 491.
Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 4.10.0-21-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-21-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms 4.10.0-21-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-21-generic
Error! Could not locate dkms.conf file.
File:  does not exist.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms exited with return code 4
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-4.10.0-21-generic.postinst line 1052.
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-4.10.0-21-generic (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Setting up linux-image-4.10.0-19-generic (4.10.0-19.21) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: deferring update (hook will be called later)
Not updating initrd symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled 
(4.10.0-19.21 was configured last, according to dpkg)
Not updating image symbolic links since we are being updated/reinstalled 
(4.10.0-19.21 was configured last, according to dpkg)
Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 4.10.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-19-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms 4.10.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-19-generic
Error! Could not locate dkms.conf file.
File:  does not exist.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms exited with return code 4
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-4.10.0-19-generic.postinst line 1052.
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-4.10.0-19-generic (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Setting up linux-headers-4.10.0-21-generic (4.10.0-21.23) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms 4.10.0-21-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-21-generic
Error! Could not locate dkms.conf file.
File:  does not exist.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms exited with return code 4
Failed to process /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-headers-4.10.0-21-generic.postinst line 110.
dpkg: error processing package linux-headers-4.10.0-21-generic (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-image-generic:
linux-image-generic depends on linux-image-4.10.0-21-generic; however:
Package linux-image-4.10.0-21-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-image-generic (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-headers-generic:
linux-headers-generic depends on linux-headers-4.10.0-21-generic; however:
Package linux-headers-4.10.0-21-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-headers-generic (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-image-extra-4.10.0-19-generic:
linux-image-extra-4.10.0-19-generic depends on linux-image-4.10.0-19-generic; however:
Package linux-image-4.10.0-19-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-image-extra-4.10.0-19-generic (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigNo apport report written because MaxReports has already been reached
            No apport report written because MaxReports has already been reached
                                                                                No apport report written because MaxReports has already been reached
                                                       No apport report written because MaxReports has already been reached
                              No apport report written because MaxReports has already been reached
     ured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-image-extra-4.10.0-21-generic:
linux-image-extra-4.10.0-21-generic depends on linux-image-4.10.0-21-generic; however:
Package linux-image-4.10.0-21-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-image-extra-4.10.0-21-generic (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-generic:
linux-generic depends on linux-image-generic (= 4.10.0.21.23); however:
Package linux-image-generic is not configured yet.
linux-generic depends on linux-headers-generic (= 4.10.0.21.23); however:
Package linux-headers-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-generic (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
linux-image-4.10.0-21-generic
linux-image-4.10.0-19-generic
linux-headers-4.10.0-21-generic
linux-image-generic
linux-headers-generic
linux-image-extra-4.10.0-19-generic
linux-image-extra-4.10.0-21-generic
linux-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[Snowhog]

Try: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install dkms && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

[GreyGeek]

And, if what Snowhog suggested fails to clear things up, repeat the following pair of commands several times:
sudo apt install -f
sudo dpkg --configure -a

If they don't work post the error msgs.
Question: have you installed a PPA or packages from somewhere else besides the repository?

[Bings]

Thanks for the help. I've tried all of those and I still get the same text that I pasted in the top post.

I have Kdenlive and Grub-Customiser installed from their respective repositories.

[GreyGeek]

What have you done that you are not telling us? Something like deleting pre & post scripts from /var/lib/dpkg/info ?

The error msg is related to missing dkms files. Did you try to manually delete dkms? Have you tried to reinstall it?

Post the contents of your sources.list file.

Also, show the output of "uname -a"

[Bings]

Linux "computername" 4.8.0-44-generic #47-Ubuntu SMP Wed Mar 22 14:27:57 UTC 2017 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Sources.list:

# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.
deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ zesty main
# deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial main restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ zesty-updates main
# deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-updates main restricted

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in
## universe WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu security
## team.
deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ zesty universe
# deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial universe
deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ zesty-updates universe
# deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-updates universe

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu 
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to 
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in 
## multiverse WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu
## security team.
deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ zesty multiverse
# deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial multiverse
deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ zesty-updates multiverse
# deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-updates multiverse

## N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as
## extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes
## newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features.
## Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review
## or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ zesty-backports main universe multiverse
# deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-backports main restricted universe multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from Canonical's
## 'partner' repository.
## This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is offered by Canonical and the
## respective vendors as a service to Ubuntu users.
# deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ xenial partner
# deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ xenial partner

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ zesty-security main
# deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-security main restricted
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ zesty-security universe
# deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-security universe
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ zesty-security multiverse
# deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ xenial-security multiverse

I have never touched DKMS or scripts from that folder. Above my level of knowledge. There was an update to the linux image and header files mentioned, that's when the problem occurred.

[GreyGeek]

Did you upgrade from Xenial to Zesty? If not, how did all the Xenial repository entries get into your sources.list? If you did, how did you do it?

[Bings]

Yeah, I upgraded. I did it with Konsole/Terminal command.

[GreyGeek]

That explains it. Some people win the upgrade lottery and, in my observation, many more lose.
It looks like you are among the losers. That's why I counsel to do a fresh install and not the upgrade.

It will be a lot quicker to back up important data, do a fresh install from a LiveUSB and then restore your data than to debug a broken upgrade to a later version. Sorry.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bings]

I am confused as to why this problem has occurred a month after I upgraded to zesty? Is it because it's the first upgrade to those particular packages since then?

Also, I get that error message and a prompt to restart every time I update. However, as I said it doesn't affect the actual installing or anything else. Apart from a desire to get rid of the messages, Is there any reason why it would be inadvisable to just carry on and wait till the next distro upgrade to do a fresh install?

[GreyGeek]

Your active kernel is the *20. You could try "apt-get remove *kernelname*" for the kernels below 20 AND the dkms.
Then do
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get clean
to clean up the package cache, then retry
sudo apt-get install -f
sudo dpkg --configure -a
repeatedly until no error msgs, or no success is removing those messages.

If you are using a VM you'll have to reinstall the dkms

Upgrading from one version to the next is notorious for failures. If your system is usable you are lucky. Personally, I avoid that procedure since backing up my data, reinstalling fresh from the latest ISO and adding my data back is much faster than trying to fix upgrade failures.

[Bings]

Thanks, that solved the issue

Yeah, I've read lots of people have problems with distro upgrades. I've been lucky in the draw and never had any.