kernel-packages team mailing list archive

[Kent Lion <KLSU@xxxxxxx>]

Note that this bug applies to upgrading, not installing (there's a
forcepae work-around for that). Since the machine in question
successfully upgraded distributions (using sudo apt-get dist-upgrade) to
and runs fine with 15.04, the key to the solution to this bug may lie in
answering the question "what change was made from 15.04 to 15.10 that
results in the error message and error during installation, and why was
it made?" It is not possible for an installer to make correct decisions
based on information not available to it; such decisions should be
passed to the user (unless there's a reliable way to detect RAM in a
machine that is above the addressable range).

According to this:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PAE?action=show&redirect=EnablingPAE
...PAE "is now a requirement for Ubuntu"; however, as near as I can tell, the only purpose for PAE is to allow addressing "more than 4GB of memory address space". What would keep Ubuntu from working on a non-pae machine with less than 4GB of RAM; what are the real chances that someone will install more than 4GB of RAM in a machine with a CPU that can't address that much; will the BIOS recognize it; will there be enough slots on the main board for the type of modules it's available in; won't the computer's manual specifically state the maximum amount of RAM supported by the main board and CPU; and will someone who doesn't know what this means even try to add RAM him-/herself?

The installer should WARN someone installing on what appears to be a non-pae machine that it won't support more than 4GB of RAM. Instead of refusing to install or upgrade based on a pae flag that may not exist or may not be relevant, why not just give a warning if there is no pae flag, e.g.: "Your CPU does not report the ability to address more than 4GB of RAM. Ubuntu must be able to address ALL installed RAM; therefore, only proceed if you are sure that the CPU in this machine can address the amount of RAM installed, and only AFTER you remove unsupported RAM.
Continue upgrade (N to remove excess RAM or stop/y to continue):

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1515873

Title:
  package linux-image-4.2.0-18-generic (not installed) failed to
  install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error
  exit status 1

Status in linux package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Because the machine has not upgraded from 15.04 to 15.10, in response to:
  sudo apt-get dist-upgrade ..., based on this: http://askubuntu.com/questions/689358/ubuntu-kernel-not-updating-with-15-10 ...I executed:
  sudo apt-get install linux-generic ...which failed. The machine in question has a Pentium M that does not report pae capability (not sure why that should matter on a machine with 2 GB of RAM, but 15.04 runs on the machine. Installation errors reported during the process:

  This kernel does not support a non-PAE CPU.
  dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-4.2.0-18-generic_4.2.0-18.22_i386.deb (--unpack):
   subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1

  ...and then at the end of the process:

  Errors were encountered while processing:
   /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-4.2.0-18-generic_4.2.0-18.22_i386.deb
  E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

  I'll reboot and see if the installation really failed or not, and if
  it did, I'll try running dpkg on the archive with the error using the
  --force option and see what happens...

  version.log just contains:
  Ubuntu 3.19.0-15.15-generic 3.19.3

  ProblemType: Package
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.10
  Package: linux-image-4.2.0-18-generic (not installed)
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.19.0-15.15-generic 3.19.3
  Uname: Linux 3.19.0-15-generic i686
  ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu4
  Architecture: i386
  AudioDevicesInUse:
   USER        PID ACCESS COMMAND
   /dev/snd/controlC0:  kent       1468 F.... pulseaudio
  Date: Fri Nov 13 00:02:11 2015
  DpkgTerminalLog:
   Preparing to unpack .../linux-image-4.2.0-18-generic_4.2.0-18.22_i386.deb ...
   This kernel does not support a non-PAE CPU.
   dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-4.2.0-18-generic_4.2.0-18.22_i386.deb (--unpack):
    subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
  DuplicateSignature: package:linux-image-4.2.0-18-generic:(not installed):subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
  ErrorMessage: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
  HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=0dc01c56-1599-4a76-8717-22f4d37942f7
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-04-22 (569 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
  Lsusb:
   Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
   Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
   Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
   Bus 002 Device 002: ID 1241:1166 Belkin MI-2150 Trust Mouse
   Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
  MachineType: Dell Computer Corporation Inspiron 600m
  ProcFB: 0 radeondrmfb
  ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.19.0-15-generic root=UUID=b2762d0a-9345-41cf-a5cf-e98bb3b6d350 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
  PulseList: Error: command ['pacmd', 'list'] failed with exit code 1: No PulseAudio daemon running, or not running as session daemon.
  RelatedPackageVersions: grub-pc 2.02~beta2-29
  RfKill:
   0: phy0: Wireless LAN
   	Soft blocked: no
   	Hard blocked: no
  SourcePackage: linux
  Title: package linux-image-4.2.0-18-generic (not installed) failed to install/upgrade: subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to wily on 2015-11-01 (11 days ago)
  dmi.bios.date: 06/29/2005
  dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Computer Corporation
  dmi.bios.version: A17
  dmi.board.vendor: Dell Computer Corporation
  dmi.chassis.type: 8
  dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Computer Corporation
  dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellComputerCorporation:bvrA17:bd06/29/2005:svnDellComputerCorporation:pnInspiron600m:pvr:rvnDellComputerCorporation:rn:rvr:cvnDellComputerCorporation:ct8:cvr:
  dmi.product.name: Inspiron 600m
  dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Computer Corporation

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