upgrade could not install linux image

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

I encountered this problem after upgrade from 12.04to 12.10.

It has prevented Software Updates and Software Centre from working. Synpactic gives an error.

The problem appears to be related to two things: /root partition being full; and/or CPU being non-PAE.

The /root partition problem has been occurring periodically since installing 12.04 six months ago. This problem has not arisen before, in five years of using Ubuntu on this machine. What was different with this install was i) encrypted LVM and ii) separate partitions for /home /root /tmp /usr /var, using defaults offered during installation. Xubuntu has since periodically reported errors derived from the /root partition being full. This last occurred the day before the upgrade. I solved the problem by removing all unused linux kernel images - all but the last single most recent linux kernel - keeping also the generic image. This problem has been irritating. On the one hand, the default partitioning should have created a /root partition of a size that doesn't fill up so quickly. On the other hand, the O/S should do its own house-keeping and not leave me to scrap the abandoned linux images that periodically spill over.

Now error on upgrading from 12.04 to 12.10:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
could not install '/var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-3.5.0-27-generic_3.5.0-27.46_i386.deb'
The upgrade will continue but the '/var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-3.5.0-27-generic_3.5.0-27.46_i386.deb' package may not be in a working state. Please consider submitting a bug report about it.
subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...later during installation...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Could not install 'linux-image-3.5.0-27-generic' may not be in a working state. Please consider submitting a bug report about it.
no package named 'linux-image-3.5.0-27-generic' is installed, cannot configure

Items cannot be installed or removed until the package catalogue is repaired. Do you want to repair it now?

Once update manager has finished the repairs you can close it and return to the Software Centre.

installArchives() failed: (Reading database ...
(Reading database ... 5%
(Reading database ... 10%
(Reading database ... 15%
(Reading database ... 20%
(Reading database ... 25%
(Reading database ... 30%
(Reading database ... 35%
(Reading database ... 40%
(Reading database ... 45%
(Reading database ... 50%
(Reading database ... 55%
(Reading database ... 60%
(Reading database ... 65%
(Reading database ... 70%
(Reading database ... 75%
(Reading database ... 80%
(Reading database ... 85%
(Reading database ... 90%
(Reading database ... 95%
(Reading database ... 100%
(Reading database ... 260026 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking linux-image-3.5.0-27-generic (from .../linux-image-3.5.0-27-generic_3.5.0-27.46_i386.deb) ...
This kernel does not support a non-PAE CPU.
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-3.5.0-27-gener...

Strange thing about this.

uname -r
3.2.0-40-generic

dpkg -l | grep linux-image-

ii linux-image-3.2.0-40-generic 3.2.0-40.64 i386 Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
iU linux-image-extra-3.5.0-27-generic 3.5.0-27.46 i386 Linux kernel image for version 3.5.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
iU linux-image-generic 3.5.0.27.43 i386 Generic Linux kernel image

Why if the system is running 3.2.0-40, does it insist on trying to install 3.5.0-27 and .0-28?

Is this something to do with Ubuntu dropping support for i386 processors?

Will the install routine be just clever enough to tell users if they've got an incompatible processor?

The attachment thing now appears to be working.

Look forward to hearing from you :)

At least for me it's almost certainly cause the CPU is non-PAE. I remember not being able to install the 12.10 version cause it didn't support non-PAE CPUs so I installed 12.04 and hoped I could upgrade it to 12.10, but apparently the new linux image is the part that doesn't support non-PAE CPUs, not just the instalation of the whole 12.10 system.
I guess given that non-PAE CPUs are not supported anymore I'll just have to stick with the current 3.2.0-40 linux image.

To check if your processor supports PAE, try:

grep --color=always -i PAE /proc/cpuinfo

if it does support it, it will show up. If you have a pentium M series then
things get a bit more complicated.

Phillw

On 3 May 2013 03:24, Joao Rijo <email address hidden> wrote:

> At least for me it's almost certainly cause the CPU is non-PAE. I remember
> not being able to install the 12.10 version cause it didn't support non-PAE
> CPUs so I installed 12.04 and hoped I could upgrade it to 12.10, but
> apparently the new linux image is the part that doesn't support non-PAE
> CPUs, not just the instalation of the whole 12.10 system.
> I guess given that non-PAE CPUs are not supported anymore I'll just have
> to stick with the current 3.2.0-40 linux image.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of Lubuntu
> Packages Team, which is subscribed to lubuntu-meta in Ubuntu.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1168866
>
> Title:
> upgrade could not install linux image
>
> Status in “lubuntu-meta” package in Ubuntu:
> Confirmed
>
> Bug description:
> upgrading from 12.04 to 12.10 linux image could not be intalled got
> the following message:
>
>
> Could not install
> '/var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-3.5.0-27-generic_3.5.0-27.46_i386.deb'
>
> The upgrade will continue but the '/var/cache/apt/archives/linux-
> image-3.5.0-27-generic_3.5.0-27.46_i386.deb' package may not be in a
> working state. Please consider submitting a bug report about it.
>
> subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
> Package: lubuntu-desktop 0.45
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-40.64-generic 3.2.40
> Uname: Linux 3.2.0-40-generic i686
> ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu10
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Sun Apr 14 12:54:21 2013
> InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-04-14 (0 days ago)
> InstallationMedia: Lubuntu 12.04 "Precise Pangolin" - Release i386
> (20120423)
> MarkForUpload: True
> ProcEnviron:
> TERM=xterm
> PATH=(custom, no user)
> LANG=en_US.UTF-8
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> SourcePackage: lubuntu-meta
> UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to quantal on 2013-04-14 (0 days ago)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lubuntu-meta/+bug/1168866/+subscriptions
>

--
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/phillw

I KNOW my CPU doesn't support PAE, that's why I said: "... the CPU is non-PAE"
and yes it's a M series.
but it's ok, I can live with just staying on the current verion of the linux image/lubuntu. I understand it makes little sense in keeping up support for such old CPUs, they won't last much longer and there are other linux distros that still support the older machines.
I just think it would be good if istead of just showing a error, it could see that it's cause the CPU is non-PAE and say that to the user when they try to upgrade, and suggest either sticking to the current version or installing another recommended linux distro that still supports and plans to support non-PAE CPUs.

>To check if your processor supports PAE, try:
>
>grep --color=always -i PAE /proc/cpuinfo
>
>if it does support it, it will show up. If you have a pentium M series then
>things get a bit more complicated.
>
>Phillw

+1 on this:

> At least for me it's almost certainly cause the CPU is non-PAE. I remember not being able to install the 12.10 version cause it didn't support non-PAE CPUs so I installed 12.04 and hoped I could upgrade it to 12.10

Of course, this happened to me too. It has been so long I had forgotten. I have a vague recollection of learning the hard way that I couldn't install 12.10 on this machine. Hence 12.04.

So there I was, happily using 12.04. And Ubuntu suggests I upgrade. Stupidly, I did. This always happens when Ubuntu suggests an upgrade. It ends up not working or messing something fundamental up. My girl friend laughs at me for always wasting so much time getting my Ubuntu computers just simply working. She uses Windows. She doesn't have this six-monthly nightmare where everything goes belly up. So this weekend, I've got a laptop that was working perfectly well and is now knackered. And instead of doing the things I was set to do this weekend, I have to reinstall my OS. Not only that, I have to find a new OS, by the looks of it, and install that.

So +1 on this too:

> I just think it would be good if istead of just showing a error, it could see that it's cause the CPU is non-PAE and say that to the user when they try to upgrade, and suggest either sticking to the current version or installing another recommended linux distro that still supports and plans to support non-PAE CPUs.

Hopefully these reports will not therefore simply be dismissed as the whinings of mumpty users too ignorant to know that the prompted Ubuntu upgrade doesn't actually apply to them.

There is a serious error here. It is a complete malfunction of human/computer interaction caused entirely by the OS' inability to communicate vital information.

And another thing!-)

I thought Xubuntu was meant to be a refuge for people to whom Unity came as a rude interruption? Implicit in this is support for older hardware. I think it was even explicit, wasn't it? :- that Xubuntu would be just your thing if you had an older machine. And you simply wanted security and longevity. And its let me down again.

*Real* users don't change operating systems for fun. They build their life into it: the interface, the apps, the files, the settings. It's a big commitment. It takes time and effort, the most valuable investment we have. Changing OS is a massive operation. You have to move everything. You invariably lose something. It's stressful and time consuming.

It really is about time Ubuntu stopped foisting half-baked upgrades that don't work on users who just need to get on with their work. I might even have time to make meaningful contributions as a user if I didn't have to waste so much time reporting and firefighting errors that shouldn't be there in the first place.

>this six-monthly nightmare where everything goes belly up

You should only upgrade to the LTS (long term support) versions, they are generally more stable and last longer. they only come out every 2 years I believe. that's what I'll be doing from now on. the new fancies can wait. I thought all upgrades where just as stable but apparantly the LTS ones are more, the other ones seem to me too much beta versions, where new things are tried out and the ones that work best are put into the next LTS release.

Yeah. You get this thing keep prompting you to upgrade to the new version. It should advise you not to upgrade to the new version. "New version of Ubuntu available <Click here to not upgrade!>"

For crying out loud.

Description for the file: ubuntu-12.04.2-desktop-i386.iso

"PC (Intel x86) desktop CD
    For almost all PCs. This includes most machines with Intel/AMD/etc type processors and almost all computers that run Microsoft Windows, as well as newer Apple Macintosh systems based on Intel processors. Choose this if you are at all unsure."
http://releases.ubuntu.com/precise/

Good. So: download, burn, install. The installer says, this kernel doesn't work with your machine because it needs PAE support. Needs what? What the hell is PAE anyway? Do I need to know? I've got work to do. Must I really learn about the fine points of microprocessor architectures just to fix this broken Ubuntu upgrade? I'm not sure my sanity will last that long. I've got one day off before I have to get to work. I need to eat some lunch. Oh, Jesus. What the hell do I do now? Got save me from the forums. Please, not the forums. I'll be here all night again.

Ah look here. It's only, what, three days since I accepted Ubuntu's offer of an upgrade:

"The Ubuntu 12.04 installation image does not include support for old computers that do not support PAE. If your computer is affected, you can either first install Ubuntu 10.04 or 11.10 and upgrade to 12.04 or you can use the Lubuntu or Xubuntu images. The non-PAE version of the Linux kernel will be dropped completely following the 12.04 release. "
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PrecisePangolin/ReleaseNotes/UbuntuDesktop

Yeah, well I know that now don't I? But what am I supposed to do now?

Ah look. It's Xubuntu 12.04 that runs on a non-PAE machine (whatever that means).

http://xubuntu.org/news/12-04-release/

@markling
>Ah look. It's Xubuntu 12.04 that runs on a non-PAE machine (whatever that means).
yes, the Xubuntu and Lubuntu 12.04 (and Ubuntu too I think) still support non-PAE computers but as it says in the release notes: "The non-PAE kernel will not be available in future Xubuntu releases." I believe it's the same for Lubuntu.
So you can use either Xubuntu or Lubuntu (I thought you where already using one of those) but it won't upgrade further to 12.10 or beyond properly, so just don't upgrade
 I reccomend using Xubuntu cause the 12.04 is a LTS (long term support) and will be supported for 3 years, while the Lubuntu is not a LTS and will only be supported for 18 months.
If your old computer still survives another 3 years then you'd need to switch to another linux distro when that time comes.
Also regarding the full root partition (IDK why you'd want to separate all those parts, /home /root /tmp /usr /var) but if you really want to then it seems you need a harddrive with more space.

Also if you're too pressed for time and don't want to spend hours/days solving problems, know that you can get commercial support for any of the ubuntu distros.

allthebest

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my frustrated report, Joao.

> If your old computer still survives another 3 years then you'd need to switch to another linux distro when that time comes.

I know that now. I learned the hard way. My error report is about the fact that I had to learn the hard way.

> Also regarding the full root partition (IDK why you'd want to separate all those parts, /home /root /tmp /usr /var) but if you really want to then it seems you need a harddrive with more space.

Again, I should not have to clean my /root partition out of junk left by the installer and upgrade routines. They should clean up their own junk or give me a <yes or no> option to do it when it gets full, instead of leaving me to search forums and learn how to clean up their mess on the command line when it overfills my /root partition.

The point is that a little light reading about partitions will advise separation. Such reading is prompted after so many years of routine ubuntu upgrades creating havoc - after those upgrades were done at the click of a button and a prompt from the software updater: "New version available - Upgrade Now!". This action was always hopeful , no matter how many times it had caused problems in the past, because it was done in the hope that a new installation would magically clear away the host of errors that were characteristic of that most recent version. These were not deal breakers, because I'm still here, loyally filling my evenings with bug reports.

So after all this, and having spent more time than I would rather spare looking in forums to deal with errors, you learn that having a separate /home partition might be a good idea, because they say in the forums that you can do an upgrade and restore some semblance of sanity with a separate home partition if it all goes wrong. It does of course turn out to be not quite so straightforward. But my need to protect my data and not have days and weeks of time, both personal and professional, lost to dealing with errors, has kept me conscious of this issue.

Thus when Xubuntu 12.04 offered a helpful way of having sepatate partitions as part of an apparently foolproof graphical installation routine, I obviously jumped at the chance. The promise was that I could keep my applications and data intact, and have perhaps two different installations running on the same machine (we are talking about the desktop now, but desktop practices leak onto the laptop), so if anything happened to one, I would not actually have any downtime, and I could deal with the upgrade crisis at a time convenient to me. The forums and official documentation all over the place bangs on about the merits of having separate /home and /root and whatever other partitions. The Xubuntu installar even does it all automatically.

Then when it goes wrong you get some smarty pants developer saying you shouldn't have done it in the first place.

And then after all this, you learn your machine is not being supported any more and you've got to go find a different distrubution. Oh the life of a user. It's like being an S&M gimp.

> Also if you're too pressed for time and don't want to spend hours/days solving problems, ...

@markling
thx for your informative response.

BTW I hope that by:
>Then when it goes wrong you get some smarty pants developer saying you shouldn't have done it in the first place.
you don't mean me... I'm not a developer, I'm just a user, I don't even know any programming.
anyway, wish you allthebest

Smarty pants user, then :-)