modprobe FATAL error on startup

[raven]

Anybody know what this means?

modprobe FATAL could not load /lib/modules/2.6.28-11-generic/modules.dep
no such file or directory

I've checked and the directory and file exists (184KB), this occurs on every boot immediately after the line "Starting up".
This is on both K/Ubuntu 9.04 amd64 fresh installs with full updates.(ext4)

However, the machine seems to be working OK apart from small video driver problems.

HP 6715b laptop, 2x turion, 2MB ram, ATI X1250

I've Googled and found no solution that fits my particular case...come on experts, where are you?

[doctordruidphd]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

Try the following command and post its output:

uname -r

[raven]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

The output from

uname -r

is "2.6.28-11-generic"
This doesn't mean much as kernels completely baffle me!
Still, maybe I'll be wiser soon. Thanks for responding

[doctordruidphd]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

OK, I'm not really sure what's with this. A new kernel upgrade has come down the wire in the last couple of days, and I thought maybe it had broken modprobe, but you evidently do not have the new kernel, which is 2.6.28-12-generic.


Before you mess with any of this, you need to make sure you either have a backup, or another system you can boot from in case of a crash. Make backups of your /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic and /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic files in case this really trashes things.

Then:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure linux-image-2.6.28-11-generic
sudo update-initramfs -u

Then reboot.

This just might clean up the problem, but it could also render your system unbootable, hence the need for a backup system and the backup boot files.

Installing the new kernel might fix it, then again, it might not. I'm really not sure what's wrong.

Have you updated in the last few days?

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

That and a reboot should install the new kernel

[flarson]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

At that point it would be looking in your initrd rather than on your hard disk.

[raven]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

Dear drdruidphd ,
I thought that I would try the kernel upgrade solution first and followed your instructions.
I don't think that worked

jamie@happy:~$ uname -r
2.6.28-11-generic
jamie@happy:~$ sudo apt-get update
[sudo] password for jamie:
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security Release.gpg
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty Release.gpg
Get: 1 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Translation-en_GB [52.6kB]
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/restricted Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/universe Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security Release
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/restricted Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/restricted Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/universe Packages
Get: 2 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Translation-en_GB [4640B]
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/universe Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/multiverse Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/multiverse Sources
Get: 3 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Translation-en_GB [35.2kB]
Get: 4 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/multiverse Translation-en_GB [47.5kB]
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates Release.gpg
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/restricted Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/universe Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/multiverse Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/multiverse Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/restricted Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/universe Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/universe Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/multiverse Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/multiverse Sources
Fetched 140kB in 3s (44.3kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done
jamie@happy:~$ sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
jamie@happy:~$
jamie@happy:~$ uname -r
2.6.28-11-generic
jamie@happy:~$


I'll try your other suggestion later, I'd better go out to walk the dog before she dies of boredom!

[doctordruidphd]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

Hmm. The new kernel version must be in either backports or proposed, which i don't see in your list. No matter.

At that point it would be looking in your initrd rather than on your hard disk.

Which leads me to think that the update-initramfs may be the fix.

[barbolani]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

raven, I could be wrong, as my knowledge of the package system is very limited, but I've always done first apt-get update (that makes the system know what packages are available for update by reading the repository indexes) and then apt-get upgrade (that makes the updated packages install)

I've always assumed that dist-upgrade was to move from one distro version to another. I'd suggest you try running apt-get upgrade and see if that pulls the latest kernel version you're after.

[doctordruidphd]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

I've always assumed that dist-upgrade was to move from one distro version to another. I'd suggest you try running apt-get upgrade and see if that pulls the latest kernel version you're after.

Not exactly. This is one of the confusing things about apt. "Upgrade" will install a newer release of a program, but if there is a change in the version of the program itself, upgrade won't get it. For example, going from kernel 2.6.28-11 to -12 won't be picked up by upgrade. Many people just use "sudo apt-get dist-upgrade" routinely.

From the man page:

upgrade
upgrade is used to install the newest versions of all packages currently installed on the system from the
sources enumerated in /etc/apt/sources.list. Packages currently installed with new versions available are
retrieved and upgraded; under no circumstances are currently installed packages removed, or packages not already
installed retrieved and installed. New versions of currently installed packages that cannot be upgraded without
changing the install status of another package will be left at their current version. An update must be
performed first so that apt-get knows that new versions of packages are available.

So if, in this case, the version number on a kernel changes, upgrade won't get it.

upgrade
upgrade is used to install the newest versions of all packages currently installed on the system from the
sources enumerated in /etc/apt/sources.list. Packages currently installed with new versions available are
retrieved and upgraded; under no circumstances are currently installed packages removed, or packages not already
installed retrieved and installed. New versions of currently installed packages that cannot be upgraded without
changing the install status of another package will be left at their current version. An update must be
performed first so that apt-get knows that new versions of packages are available.

This will.

[raven]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

Sorry for the delay, I'm back!

Just done this, Synaptic click on full upgrade, done.
Reboot
Modprobe error still there

Then in terminal

jamie@happy:~$ sudo apt-get upgrade
[sudo] password for jamie:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
jamie@happy:~$
jamie@happy:~$ uname -r
2.6.28-11-generic
jamie@happy:~$

When doing Ctrl+Alt+F1 is there any way to grab what is displayed? (this is the stuff displayed before I have logged in to tty1) From a boot log somewhere?
I've text searched /var/log/* for "modprobe" but the only reference to it was not what I'm seeing on the screen (tty1)
Also searched in all tty* search results using Krusader.
It would be hard to copy by hand the output

Anyway, all this is not so important, what hacks me off is that this brand new laptop is obsolete!!
Yes, I'm one of the unlucky who has an ATI card that is not really supported by X11
I so like the speed of 9.04, am I really having to revert to 8.04? boo hoo!

[flarson]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

A few things. You are still running the -11 kernel so you did not get a new kernel which means you probably did not get initrd.img automatically rebuilt and have not affected the problem in any way. The advise to use update-initramfs is almost certainly the answer.

I think you have another slight problem in that you have not gotten the -12 kernel yet either. You have not gotten your package manager to install the latest updates. I don't use synaptic so I can't tell you how to make it behave but

sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude -f full-upgrade

will get your system up to date.

If you work in the text terminal at all you will want gpm, General Purpose Mouse.

sudo aptitude install gpm

and you will have cut and paste in the terminal.

Look in /var/log/messages and /var/log/syslog. They should contain messages about the boot process.

[raven]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

That did not work, is it a repository thing?

jamie@happy:~$ sudo aptitude update
[sudo] password for jamie:
Writing extended state information... Done
Hit http://archive.canonical.com jaunty Release.gpg
Ign http://archive.canonical.com jaunty/partner Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty Release.gpg
Get:1 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Translation-en_GB [52.6kB]
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security Release.gpg
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Translation-en_GB
Hit http://archive.canonical.com jaunty Release
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/restricted Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/universe Translation-en_GB
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security Release
Ign http://archive.canonical.com jaunty/partner Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Packages
Hit http://archive.canonical.com jaunty/partner Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/restricted Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/restricted Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/universe Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/universe Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/multiverse Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/multiverse Sources
Get:2 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Translation-en_GB [4640B]
Get:3 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Translation-en_GB [35.2kB]
Get:4 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/multiverse Translation-en_GB [47.5kB]
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates Release.gpg
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/restricted Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/universe Translation-en_GB
Ign http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/multiverse Translation-en_GB
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates Release
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/multiverse Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/multiverse Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/restricted Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/restricted Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/universe Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/universe Sources
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/multiverse Packages
Hit http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/multiverse Sources
Fetched 140kB in 8s (16.9kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done

jamie@happy:~$ sudo aptitude -f full-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information
Initialising package states... Done
No packages will be installed, upgraded, or removed.
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B of archives. After unpacking 0B will be used.
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information
Initialising package states... Done

jamie@happy:~$

[flarson]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

That all went well. Your system is entirely up to date with your current sources. The only sources that I do not see in there are

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-backports main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jaunty-proposed restricted main multiverse universe

You could uncomment those in /etc/apt/sources.list or go into the package manager and enable proposed updates and backports. Those are not required though and your system should be at least as stable without them.

You should run update-initramfs to rebuild the initrd.img file. To do that first run

uname -r

which will show you something like
2.6.28-11-generic

Then run

sudo update-initramfs -k 2.6.28-11-generic -d

but make sure the 2.6.28-11-generic is exactly what uname -r returned.

That should solve your problem.

[dibl]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

Hmmm -- I wonder if you could run that command as

sudo update-initramfs -k `uname -r` -d

Any idea? I'm afraid to try it on mine

[flarson]

Re: modprobe FATAL error on startup

Afraid of what? It does work. Thanks for making me look at this again. It turns out that the -d is not right, it needs to be -u to update the existing file or just remove the old file and use -c to create a new one.