5

I have an Ubuntu 14.04 LTS "Desktop" with GitLab. The system runs in a virtual machine on a Windows Server 2012 R2.

The machine runs daily automatic updates for "Important security updates", "Recommended updates" and "Unsupported updates". Not for "Pre-release updates".

Today I logged in the system, ran "sudo apt-get update" and it couldn't finish because some process is using dpkg.

I've ran "sudo apt-get upgrade" and it updated but hanged at:

Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-39-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img.3.19.0-39-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-37-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img.3.19.0-37-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-33-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img.3.19.0-33-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-32-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img.3.19.0-32-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-31-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img.3.19.0-31-generic

I rebooted and hanged again at the same point for an "sudo apt-get upgrade".

Then I tried to clean the unused kernels. I ran:

uname -r

and got:

3.19.0-39-generic

So I removed 3.19.0-31, 3.19.0-32 and 3.19.0-33:

sudo rm /boot/initrd.img.3.19.0-31-generic
sudo rm /boot/initrd.img.3.19.0-32-generic
sudo rm /boot/initrd.img.3.19.0-33-generic
sudo rm /boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-31-generic
sudo rm /boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-32-generic
sudo rm /boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-33-generic

Then, I tried to purge:

sudo apt-get purge linux-image-3.19.0-31-generic linux-image-3.19.0-32-generic linux-image-3.19.0-33-generic

But the process hanged also.
Then, I could "update" but the "upgrade" failed at:

Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-39-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img.3.19.0-39-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-37-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img.3.19.0-37-generic

At some update/upgrade, it suggested me to run dpkg --configure -a but it also failed at the same point above.

Also, when I reboot, the system gets stuck at the "dots screen". I have to "power off" the virtual machine and restart it to get into it.

After some apt-get update, apt-get upgrade, dpkg --configure -a and reboots I'm not sure how, but everything ran fine again.

Now I'm again with the same problems:

  1. When I run apt-get update, apt-get upgrade I get:

    E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'sudo dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.

  2. When I run sudo dpkg --configure -a it hangs after:

    Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-42-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.19.0-42-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-39-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.19.0-39-generic

  3. The system also hangs at the "dots screen" when I reboot

I'm quite noob with linux. Can anybody put some light here?

Community
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Yeray
  • 203

4 Answers4

4

Temporally fixed it!

After some reboots and some attempts to apt-get update, apt-get upgrade, apt-get dist-upgrade and dpkg --configure -a, the last command finally ended successfully and the rest of commands started to also run with success.

Updated to 3.19.0-42-generic kernel during the process.

So I'm not sure what exactly caused it, neither what exactly fixed it, but anyway... :)

Yeray
  • 203
1

It looks as through at some point you upgraded your kernel and it did not fully take I would make sure the kernel is correct by running:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Then update and upgrade:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

Next you can check all pakages are correct by running 

sudo apt-get -f install
Wtower
  • 467
DnrDevil
  • 1,478
0

I had a similar problem twice and I have noticed that it happens everytime my system wants to upgrade to a new Kernel. The steps below seem to work for me all the time;

  1. Boot into the recovery mode of your newest kernel versions.
  2. Log-in to the system as root from the drop-down menu.
  3. Edit the /etc/resolv.conf file using a text editor, I normally use vi, i.e. vi /etc/resolv.conf and put in the contents below and save file;

nameserver 208.67.222.220

nameserver 208.67.222.222

  1. After the above step, Ctrl+D (exit) back into the recovery mode menu and click on networking to enable network/internet connection.
  2. Next, click on the dpkg item to fix broken packages.

That's it, after the reboot your system should have the right kernel install and broken packages fixed/removed.

Dingane Hlaluku
  • 1
  • 1
0

That’s just to configure a DNS server in order to resolve IP address mapping.

You can even use the public google server

8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

Dingane Hlaluku
  • 1
  • 1