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jimb0b360
September 28th, 2014, 01:30 PM
Don't mark this as a duplicate, as solutions posted in other threads have not worked in this case.
When I try to install software or run sudo apt-get upgrade, the same error message returns every time:


james@JimUbuntuTop:~$ sudo apt-get upgrade[sudo] password for james:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED
linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic
The following packages have been kept back:
account-plugin-aim account-plugin-facebook account-plugin-flickr
account-plugin-google account-plugin-jabber account-plugin-salut
account-plugin-twitter account-plugin-windows-live account-plugin-yahoo
accountsservice activity-log-manager-control-center alsa-utils anacron
apparmor appmenu-qt5 apport apport-gtk apt-clone apt-utils aptdaemon
aptitude aptitude-common apturl apturl-common avahi-daemon bamfdaemon baobab
bind9-host blt brasero brasero-cdrkit brasero-common brltty checkbox
checkbox-qt chromium-browser chromium-browser-l10n colord compiz compiz-core
compiz-gnome compiz-plugins-default cpp cpp-4.7 cups cups-browsed cups-bsd
cups-client cups-daemon cups-filters dbus dconf-tools deja-dup dnsutils
duplicity empathy empathy-common eog evince evince-common
evolution-data-server evolution-data-server-common fakeroot file-roller
firefox folks-common friends-dispatcher friends-facebook friends-twitter g++
g++-4.7 gcc gcc-4.7 gcc-4.7-base gcr gdb gdebi gdebi-core gedit gedit-common
gir1.2-dee-1.0 gir1.2-ebook-1.2 gir1.2-edataserver-1.2 gir1.2-gdata-0.0
gir1.2-goa-1.0 gir1.2-gtk-3.0 gir1.2-gtksource-3.0
gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-3.0 gir1.2-packagekitglib-1.0 gir1.2-pango-1.0
gir1.2-rb-3.0 gir1.2-totem-1.0 gir1.2-totem-plparser-1.0 gir1.2-unity-5.0
gir1.2-webkit-3.0 gir1.2-wnck-3.0 gnome-calculator gnome-contacts
gnome-control-center gnome-control-center-data gnome-disk-utility
gnome-font-viewer gnome-keyring gnome-mines gnome-orca gnome-power-manager
gnome-screensaver gnome-session gnome-session-bin gnome-session-common
gnome-settings-daemon gnome-sudoku gnome-system-log gnome-system-monitor
gnome-terminal gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-x
gstreamer1.0-clutter gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad
gstreamer1.0-plugins-good gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly gstreamer1.0-x gucharmap
guile-2.0-libs gvfs gvfs-backends gvfs-bin gvfs-common gvfs-daemons
gvfs-fuse gvfs-libs hplip hplip-data hud ibus ibus-gtk ibus-gtk3 ibus-pinyin
ibus-table ifupdown indicator-application indicator-appmenu
indicator-bluetooth indicator-datetime indicator-power indicator-printers
indicator-session indicator-sound iproute iptables iputils-ping
isc-dhcp-client isc-dhcp-common language-selector-common
language-selector-gnome libaccount-plugin-1.0-0 libaccountsservice0
libalgorithm-diff-xs-perl libaprutil1 libapt-pkg-perl libasound2 libav-tools
libavdevice53 libbind9-90 libbrasero-media3-1 libcairo-perl libcdr-0.0-0
libclone-perl libclutter-1.0-0 libclutter-gst-2.0-0 libclutter-gtk-1.0-0
libcolord1 libcompizconfig0 libcups2 libcupscgi1 libcupsfilters1
libcupsimage2 libcupsmime1 libcupsppdc1 libdbusmenu-gtk3-4 libdbusmenu-gtk4
libdecoration0 libdee-1.0-4 libebook-1.2-14 libegl1-mesa
libegl1-mesa-drivers libevdocument3-4 libevview3-3 libfile-fcntllock-perl
libfolks-eds25 libfolks-telepathy25 libfolks25 libgail-3-0 libgail-common
libgail18 libgbm1 libgcc-4.7-dev libgcc1 libgcr-3-1 libgdata13
libgl1-mesa-dri libgl1-mesa-glx libglapi-mesa libgles2-mesa libglib-perl
libgnome-control-center1 libgnutls26 libgoa-1.0-common libgomp1 libgpgme11
libgpod-common libgpod4 libgstreamer-plugins-bad1.0-0
libgstreamer-plugins-good1.0-0 libgtk-3-0 libgtk-3-bin libgtk-3-common
libgtk2-perl libgtk2.0-0 libgtk2.0-bin libgtkmm-3.0-1
libgtksourceview-3.0-common libgucharmap-2-90-7 libhpmud0 libido3-0.1-0
libio-pty-perl libisccc90 libisccfg90 libitm1 libjavascriptcoregtk-3.0-0
libjson-glib-1.0-0 libjson0 liblocale-gettext-perl liblwres90
libmailtools-perl libmetacity-private0a libmspub-0.0-0 libnet-dns-perl
libnetfilter-conntrack3 libnm-gtk0 libnss3 libnss3-1d libnux-4.0-0
libnux-4.0-common libopencv-core2.4 libopencv-highgui2.4
libopencv-imgproc2.4 libopencv-video2.4 libpam-modules libpam-modules-bin
libpango-perl libpango1.0-0 libpangomm-1.4-1 libpeas-1.0-0 libplymouth2
libpolkit-backend-1-0 libpolkit-gobject-1-0 libpoppler-glib8 libppl-c4
libpulse0 libpurple0 libpwquality1 libpython-stdlib libpython2.7
libpython2.7-minimal libpython2.7-stdlib libpython3-stdlib libqt4-dbus
libqt4-declarative libqt4-designer libqt4-help libqt4-network libqt4-opengl
libqt4-script libqt4-scripttools libqt4-sql libqt4-sql-sqlite libqt4-svg
libqt4-test libqt4-xml libqt4-xmlpatterns libqtcore4 libqtgui4 libquadmath0
libquvi7 librdf0 libreoffice-base-core libreoffice-calc libreoffice-common
libreoffice-core libreoffice-draw libreoffice-gnome libreoffice-gtk
libreoffice-help-en-gb libreoffice-help-en-us libreoffice-impress
libreoffice-l10n-en-gb libreoffice-l10n-en-za libreoffice-math
libreoffice-ogltrans libreoffice-pdfimport
libreoffice-presentation-minimizer libreoffice-style-human
libreoffice-writer librsvg2-2 librsvg2-common libsane libsane-common
libsane-hpaio libsasl2-2 libsignon-extension1 libsignon-plugins-common1
libsmbclient libsnmp-base libsocket6-perl libstdc++6 libstdc++6-4.7-dev
libsub-name-perl libsvn1 libswscale2 libtext-charwidth-perl
libtext-iconv-perl libtotem0 libudev1 libunity-protocol-private0
libunity-webapps0 libunity9 libuuid-perl libvisio-0.0-0 libvte-2.90-9
libvte-2.90-common libwayland0 libwebkitgtk-3.0-0 libwnck-3-0 libwnck22
libxfixes3 libxi6 lintian linux-generic linux-generic-pae
linux-headers-generic linux-headers-generic-pae linux-image-generic
lsb-release mcp-account-manager-uoa mercurial mercurial-common metacity
metacity-common modemmanager mousetweaks nautilus nautilus-data
nautilus-sendto nautilus-sendto-empathy network-manager
network-manager-gnome notify-osd onboard openttd openttd-data
overlay-scrollbar-gtk3 perl perl-base perl-modules plymouth plymouth-label
pm-utils policykit-1 poppler-utils printer-driver-foo2zjs
printer-driver-hpcups printer-driver-postscript-hp procps protobuf-compiler
pulseaudio python python-crypto python-gtk2 python-ibus python-imaging
python-imaging-compat python-minimal python-oauthlib python-protobuf
python-reportlab python-smbc python-ubuntu-sso-client python2.7
python2.7-minimal python3 python3-apport python3-apt python3-aptdaemon
python3-aptdaemon.gtk3widgets python3-aptdaemon.pkcompat python3-brlapi
python3-cairo python3-commandnotfound python3-crypto python3-dbus
python3-defer python3-dirspec python3-distupgrade python3-gdbm python3-gi
python3-gi-cairo python3-httplib2 python3-louis python3-lxml python3-minimal
python3-oauthlib python3-oneconf python3-piston-mini-client
python3-pkg-resources python3-problem-report python3-pyatspi python3-pyicu
python3-six python3-software-properties python3-speechd python3-tk
python3-uno python3-update-manager python3-virtkey python3-xdg python3-xkit
qdbus qpdf qtchooser rhythmbox rhythmbox-data rhythmbox-mozilla
rhythmbox-plugin-cdrecorder rhythmbox-plugin-magnatune
rhythmbox-plugin-zeitgeist rhythmbox-plugins rsyslog samba-common
samba-common-bin seahorse sessioninstaller shotwell signon-keyring-extension
signon-plugin-oauth2 signon-plugin-password signon-ui signond smbclient
software-properties-common software-properties-gtk speech-dispatcher
subversion supertuxkart supertuxkart-data synaptic systemd-services tcl8.5
thin-client-config-agent thunderbird thunderbird-gnome-support
thunderbird-locale-en tk8.5 totem totem-common totem-mozilla totem-plugins
transmission-common transmission-gtk ttf-dejavu-core ttf-wqy-microhei
ubiquity ubiquity-frontend-debconf ubiquity-ubuntu-artwork ubuntu-desktop
ubuntu-drivers-common ubuntu-minimal ubuntu-release-upgrader-core
ubuntu-release-upgrader-gtk ubuntu-restricted-addons ubuntu-sso-client
ubuntu-sso-client-qt ubuntu-wallpapers udev udisks2 ufw unity unity-greeter
unity-lens-applications unity-lens-files unity-lens-friends unity-lens-music
unity-lens-photos unity-lens-video unity-scope-gdrive
unity-scope-musicstores unity-scope-video-remote unity-services
unity-webapps-service uno-libs3 update-manager update-manager-core
update-notifier update-notifier-common upower upstart ure usb-creator-common
usb-creator-gtk xdiagnose xserver-xorg-core xserver-xorg-input-evdev
xserver-xorg-input-mouse xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse xserver-xorg-input-wacom xserver-xorg-video-ati
xserver-xorg-video-cirrus xserver-xorg-video-fbdev xserver-xorg-video-intel
xserver-xorg-video-mach64 xserver-xorg-video-mga
xserver-xorg-video-modesetting xserver-xorg-video-neomagic
xserver-xorg-video-nouveau xserver-xorg-video-openchrome
xserver-xorg-video-qxl xserver-xorg-video-r128 xserver-xorg-video-radeon
xserver-xorg-video-s3 xserver-xorg-video-savage
xserver-xorg-video-siliconmotion xserver-xorg-video-sis
xserver-xorg-video-sisusb xserver-xorg-video-tdfx xserver-xorg-video-trident
xserver-xorg-video-vesa xserver-xorg-video-vmware zeitgeist-core
zeitgeist-datahub zenity zenity-common
The following packages will be upgraded:
libfftw3-double3 libfftw3-single3
2 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 2 to remove and 543 not to upgrade.
4 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/1,179 kB of archives.
After this operation, 123 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database ... 176614 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic (3.8.0-19.30) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.8.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-19-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.8.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic
/usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 6: /etc/default/grub: Syntax error: "(" unexpected
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub exited with return code 2
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postrm.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic.postrm line 328.
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic (--remove):
subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
Removing linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic (3.8.0-19.30) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.8.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-19-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.8.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic
/usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 6: /etc/default/grub: Syntax error: "(" unexpected
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub exited with return code 2
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postrm.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic.postrm line 328.
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic (--remove):
subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic
linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Vladlenin5000
September 28th, 2014, 01:41 PM
4 not fully installed or removed.

Try:

sudo apt-get install -f

It may or may not prompt you to run another command:

sudo dpkg --configure -a

jimb0b360
September 28th, 2014, 01:45 PM
First command:

james@JimUbuntuTop:~$ sudo apt-get install -f[sudo] password for james:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED
linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic
0 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 2 to remove and 545 not to upgrade.
4 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 123 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database ... 176614 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic (3.8.0-19.30) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.8.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-19-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.8.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic
/usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 6: /etc/default/grub: Syntax error: "(" unexpected
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub exited with return code 2
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postrm.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic.postrm line 328.
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic (--remove):
subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
Removing linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic (3.8.0-19.30) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.8.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-19-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.8.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic
/usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 6: /etc/default/grub: Syntax error: "(" unexpected
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub exited with return code 2
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postrm.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic.postrm line 328.
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic (--remove):
subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic
linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)


had the same error.

Second command:

james@JimUbuntuTop:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -aSetting up memtest86+ (4.20-1.1ubuntu8) ...
/usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 6: /etc/default/grub: Syntax error: "(" unexpected
dpkg: error processing package memtest86+ (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Setting up grub-pc (2.02~beta2-9ubuntu1) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/grub-pc.config: 6: /etc/default/grub: Syntax error: "(" unexpected
dpkg: error processing package grub-pc (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
memtest86+
grub-pc


has a different error...

Vladlenin5000
September 28th, 2014, 02:16 PM
I'm afraid you have a deeper & darker problem and is something to do with an old kernel that for some reason dpkg wants to remove but it can't. Later, this triggers an (kinda) expected error when updating grub. Expected because grub needs to enumerate all the booting possibilities, be them other OSs, the current Ubuntu kernel plus all the previous kernels. There's a problem with your linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic.

Other them attempting to remove the old kernels I'm out of ideas (and that may fail as well).

First of all note down the kernel version in use:

uname -a
(You want to remove everything except that one)

Then, the following command with the --dry-run, will show you what it'll going to remove without actually doing it. Make sure the version previously obtained ISN'T listed:

dpkg -l linux-* | awk '/^ii/{ print $2}' | grep -v -e `uname -r | cut -f1,2 -d"-"` | grep -e [0-9] | grep -E "(image|headers)" | xargs sudo apt-get --dry-run remove

If everything is OK, you can then proceed and actually run the command for real:

dpkg -l linux-* | awk '/^ii/{ print $2}' | grep -v -e `uname -r | cut -f1,2 -d"-"` | grep -e [0-9] | grep -E "(image|headers)" | xargs sudo apt-get -y purge

jimb0b360
September 28th, 2014, 02:39 PM
I get the same error whilst running that last command too.

james@JimUbuntuTop:~$ dpkg -l linux-* | awk '/^ii/{ print $2}' | grep -v -e `uname -r | cut -f1,2 -d"-"` | grep -e [0-9] | grep -E "(image|headers)" | xargs sudo apt-get -y purgeReading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED
linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic
0 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 2 to remove and 545 not to upgrade.
4 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 123 MB disk space will be freed.
(Reading database ... 176614 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic (3.8.0-19.30) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.8.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-19-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.8.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic
/usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 6: /etc/default/grub: Syntax error: "(" unexpected
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub exited with return code 2
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postrm.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic.postrm line 328.
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic (--remove):
subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
Removing linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic (3.8.0-19.30) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.8.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-19-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.8.0-19-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic
/usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 6: /etc/default/grub: Syntax error: "(" unexpected
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub exited with return code 2
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postrm.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic.postrm line 328.
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic (--remove):
subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic
linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)