K4.15.0-43: abi-4.15.0-43-generic missing and retpoline-4.15.0-43-generic

[Karlchen]

Hello, folks.

Environment: Xubuntu 18.04.1 32-bit

karl@paulchen:~$ inxi -Sxxx
System: Host: paulchen Kernel: 4.15.0-43-generic i686 bits: 32 compiler: gcc v: 7.3.0 Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 tk: Gtk 2.24.31
info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm4 dm: LightDM 1.26.0 Distro: Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS (Bionic Beaver)
karl@paulchen:~$
Just noticed that the most recent kernel 4.15.0-43 does not bring along the files abi-4.15.0-43-generic and retpoline-4.15.0-43-generic.
The previous kernels still brought along these files, matching the kernel version.

karl@paulchen:~$ ls -l /boot
insgesamt 189004
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1525762 Okt 23 16:44 abi-4.15.0-39-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1525879 Nov 15 20:01 abi-4.15.0-42-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 218616 Okt 23 16:44 config-4.15.0-39-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 218616 Nov 15 20:01 config-4.15.0-42-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 218616 Dez 6 14:52 config-4.15.0-43-generic
drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 4096 Dez 22 13:41 grub
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 52359744 Nov 19 20:59 initrd.img-4.15.0-39-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 52358000 Dez 5 23:49 initrd.img-4.15.0-42-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 52370254 Dez 22 13:40 initrd.img-4.15.0-43-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 182704 Jan 28 2016 memtest86+.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 184380 Jan 28 2016 memtest86+.elf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 184840 Jan 28 2016 memtest86+_multiboot.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 583 Okt 23 16:44 retpoline-4.15.0-39-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 583 Nov 15 20:01 retpoline-4.15.0-42-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3163073 Okt 23 16:44 System.map-4.15.0-39-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3163785 Nov 15 20:01 System.map-4.15.0-42-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3163898 Dez 6 14:52 System.map-4.15.0-43-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7548208 Okt 23 16:44 vmlinuz-4.15.0-39-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7548656 Nov 15 20:01 vmlinuz-4.15.0-42-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7549008 Dez 6 14:52 vmlinuz-4.15.0-43-generic
karl@paulchen:~$

Going through the logfile /var/log/apt/term.log, I do not spot any error while upgrading to K4.15.0-43.
Searching for "missing abi-4.15.0-43-generic and retpoline-4.15.0-43-generic" has not returned any results.

Are the files missing by mistake? Or are they absent by design?
And what will be the (side) effect as these files are absent?

Best regards,
Karl

[jeremy31]

Hello Karl, seems to be a recent change according to the changelog, same conditions with 64 bit kernel

linux (4.15.0-43.46) bionic; urgency=medium

* linux: 4.15.0-43.46 -proposed tracker (LP: #1806659)

* System randomly hangs during suspend when mei_wdt is loaded (LP: #1803942)
- SAUCE: base/dd: limit release function changes to vfio driver only

* Workaround CSS timeout on AMD SNPS 3.0 xHC (LP: #1806838)
- xhci: Allow more than 32 quirks
- xhci: workaround CSS timeout on AMD SNPS 3.0 xHC

* linux-buildinfo: pull out ABI information into its own package
(LP: #1806380)
- [Packaging] limit preparation to linux-libc-dev in headers
- [Packaging] commonise debhelper invocation
- [Packaging] ABI -- accumulate abi information at the end of the build
- [Packaging] buildinfo -- add basic build information
- [Packaging] buildinfo -- add firmware information to the flavour ABI
- [Packaging] buildinfo -- add compiler information to the flavour ABI
- [Packaging] buildinfo -- add buildinfo support to getabis
- [Config] buildinfo -- add retpoline version markers

* linux packages should own /usr/lib/linux/triggers (LP: #1770256)
- [Packaging] own /usr/lib/linux/triggers

* CVE-2018-12896
- posix-timers: Sanitize overrun handling

* CVE-2018-16276
- USB: yurex: fix out-of-bounds uaccess in read handler

* CVE-2018-10902
- ALSA: rawmidi: Change resized buffers atomically

* CVE-2018-18710
- cdrom: fix improper type cast, which can leat to information leak.

* CVE-2018-18690
- xfs: don't fail when converting shortform attr to long form during
ATTR_REPLACE

* CVE-2018-14734
- infiniband: fix a possible use-after-free bug

* CVE-2018-18445
- bpf: 32-bit RSH verification must truncate input before the ALU op

* Packaging resync (LP: #1786013)
- [Packaging] update helper scripts

Also https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1806380

It seems this info is included in a new package linux-buildinfo-4.15.0-43-generic. This package will put that info in /usr/lib/linux/4.15.0-43-generic
A note in Synaptic Package Manager for linux-buildinfo says You likely do not want to install this package

[Karlchen]

Hello, jeremy31.

Thanks for clearing up why ABI and retpoline disappeared from the /boot directory in kernel version 4.15.0-43.
So this change is by design, no cause for alarm, no ill side effect.
Will mark the thread as solved.

Cheers,
Karl