Fresh Mint 20.2 Install - Impossible to install any software

[ramenos]

Hi everyone,

I'm a beginner to Linux but this time, when I did an install of the last Mint package on my new computer, I realized I just can't install any app (by using command or the app manager provided).

Here are details I received after I tried to install Spotify for example:

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Lecture des listes de paquets... Fait
Construction de l'arbre des dépendances       
Lecture des informations d'état... Fait
Les NOUVEAUX paquets suivants seront installés :
  spotify-client
0 mis à jour, 1 nouvellement installés, 0 à enlever et 0 non mis à jour.
2 partiellement installés ou enlevés.
Il est nécessaire de prendre 113 Mo dans les archives.
Après cette opération, 281 Mo d'espace disque supplémentaires seront utilisés.
Réception de :1 http://repository.spotify.com stable/non-free amd64 spotify-client amd64 1:1.1.68.632.g2b11de83 [113 MB]
113 Mo réceptionnés en 4s (27.5 Mo/s)    
Sélection du paquet spotify-client précédemment désélectionné.
(Lecture de la base de données... 358268 fichiers et répertoires déjà installés.)
Préparation du dépaquetage de .../spotify-client_1%3a1.1.68.632.g2b11de83_amd64.deb ...
Dépaquetage de spotify-client (1:1.1.68.632.g2b11de83) ...
Paramétrage de initramfs-tools (0.136ubuntu6.6) ...
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
Paramétrage de linux-image-5.4.0-89-generic (5.4.0-89.100) ...
Paramétrage de spotify-client (1:1.1.68.632.g2b11de83) ...
Traitement des actions différées (« triggers ») pour initramfs-tools (0.136ubuntu6.6) ...
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-88-generic
I: The initramfs will attempt to resume from /dev/nvme0n1p3
I: (UUID=a318f45c-40f9-41d4-8964-56cac25e54c4)
I: Set the RESUME variable to override this.
Error 24 : Write error : cannot write compressed block 
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 lz4 -9 -l 24
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-88-generic with 1.
dpkg: erreur de traitement du paquet initramfs-tools (--configure) :
 installed initramfs-tools package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Traitement des actions différées (« triggers ») pour linux-image-5.4.0-89-generic (5.4.0-89.100) ...
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms:
 * dkms: running auto installation service for kernel 5.4.0-89-generic
   ...done.
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools:
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-89-generic
I: The initramfs will attempt to resume from /dev/nvme0n1p3
I: (UUID=a318f45c-40f9-41d4-8964-56cac25e54c4)
I: Set the RESUME variable to override this.
Error 24 : Write error : cannot write compressed block 
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 lz4 -9 -l 24
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-89-generic with 1.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1
dpkg: erreur de traitement du paquet linux-image-5.4.0-89-generic (--configure) :
 installed linux-image-5.4.0-89-generic package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Des erreurs ont été rencontrées pendant l'exécution :
 initramfs-tools
 linux-image-5.4.0-89-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Here is a screenshot of my config:

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System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-88-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 
  Desktop: Cinnamon 5.0.6 wm: muffin 5.0.2 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 
  Distro: Linux Mint 20.2 Uma base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: Micro-Star model: B550-A PRO (MS-7C56) v: 1.0 
  serial: <filter> UEFI: American Megatrends LLC. v: A.50 date: 01/15/2021 
CPU:
  Topology: 12-Core model: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Zen 3 L2 cache: 6144 KiB 
  flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm 
  bogomips: 177599 
  Speed: 2195 MHz min/max: 2200/3700 MHz boost: enabled Core speeds (MHz): 
  1: 2200 2: 2198 3: 2244 4: 2293 5: 2199 6: 2199 7: 2200 8: 2197 9: 2189 
  10: 2192 11: 2471 12: 2895 13: 2198 14: 3365 15: 2248 16: 3606 17: 3173 
  18: 2196 19: 2198 20: 2197 21: 3158 22: 2808 23: 2913 24: 2255 
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA vendor: Gigabyte driver: nvidia v: 470.74 bus ID: 2b:00.0 
  chip ID: 10de:2489 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: nvidia 
  unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,nouveau,vesa 
  resolution: 1920x1200~60Hz, 1920x1080~60Hz, 1920x1200~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti/PCIe/SSE2 
  v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 470.74 direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: NVIDIA vendor: Gigabyte driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel 
  bus ID: 2b:00.1 chip ID: 10de:228b 
  Device-2: AMD Starship/Matisse HD Audio vendor: Micro-Star MSI 
  driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 2d:00.4 chip ID: 1022:1487 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-88-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet 
  vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: r8169 v: kernel port: f000 bus ID: 2a:00.0 
  chip ID: 10ec:8168 
  IF: enp42s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.36 TiB used: 14.64 GiB (1.0%) 
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Western Digital model: WDS100T3X0C-00SJG0 
  size: 931.51 GiB speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 serial: <filter> rev: 111130WD 
  scheme: GPT 
  ID-2: /dev/sda vendor: Samsung model: SSD 860 EVO 500GB size: 465.76 GiB 
  speed: 6.0 Gb/s serial: <filter> rev: 4B6Q scheme: GPT 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 90.25 GiB used: 9.47 GiB (10.5%) fs: ext4 
  dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 
  ID-2: /boot size: 260.1 MiB used: 224.1 MiB (86.2%) fs: ext4 
  dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 
  ID-3: /home size: 817.53 GiB used: 4.92 GiB (0.6%) fs: ext4 
  dev: /dev/nvme0n1p4 
  ID-4: swap-1 size: 7.45 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap 
  dev: /dev/nvme0n1p3 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 0.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nvidia temp: 37 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A gpu: nvidia fan: 0% 
Repos:
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
  1: deb http://packages.linuxmint.com uma main upstream import backport #id:linuxmint_main
  2: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
  3: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
  4: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
  5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
  6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list 
  1: deb http://repository.spotify.com stable non-free
Info:
  Processes: 386 Uptime: 7m Memory: 31.35 GiB used: 2.18 GiB (7.0%) 
  Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 alt: 9 Shell: bash 
  v: 5.0.17 running in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.0.38 

The only difference vs last time I installed Linux is that I created a partition for / (like 100go) then what's remaining for /home. Maybe it's a stupid issue but I have no idea what to do to resolve this.

Also, I don't know if this is related, but I received a warning that it's not possible to analyze some folders into /boot


Should I reinstall everything? Did I messed up something when I did create the partitions? I'm lost.
Thanks (a lot) in advance for your help.

[spamegg]

Your hardware seems very new (AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). The 5.4 series kernel might not have full support for your hardware. So you should probably try installing with the Edge ISO viewtopic.php?f=46&t=339270

[karlchen]

In the inxi output, I read this:

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  ID-2: /boot size: 260.1 MiB used: 224.1 MiB (86.2%) fs: ext4 
  dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 

Dedicated filesystem /boot having 260 MB only. - 36 MB free space left.

This explains why above the inxi output, I read this error message 2 or 3 times:

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Error 24 : Write error : cannot write compressed block 
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 lz4 -9 -l 24
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-88-generic with 1.

update-initramfs fails, because 36 MB on /boot are not sufficient.

/boot having only 260 MB total size:
The forum is filled by threads about filesystem /boot running out of space, because its size is simply rediculously small. Either because the installing person sized it too small or because the installer uses default sizes, which are insanely low.

On my /boot, there are currently only 3 kernels and 3 boot images, occupying 255 MB. The default size of a dedicated filesystem /boot should really not be less than 2048 MB = 2 GB.
(My /boot is actually a sub-directory on the root filesystem / only, not a separate filesystem.)

Possible solution in the case here:
Resize /boot if possible, i.e. if there is unallocated disk space available, which can be used to make /boot bigger.
In case this is really only a fresh installation, then starting all over from scratch may be the more hassle free approach.

[ramenos]

Thanks for your answer. In the meantime, I did a fresh reinstall but I put 500Mo for /boot. On my other computer, I have 300Mo + a single dualboot with win10 and it was enough so I'm not sure why I should have 2048Mb.

My goal is to have a boot option between Windows 10 and Mint, nothing else so I would hope this is enough? I'm just wondering what I did that could have caused this. Now, when I did this reinstall, I just create a boot partition + swap + /.

Do you think that the fact I created a /home partition on my previous install may have caused this?

[pdc_2]

I did a fresh reinstall

.... so do you now have a working system?

.. système fonctionnel?? ca marche??

[ramenos]

For now, it looks like it works very well. Thank you.

[karlchen]

Hello, ramenos.

Thanks for your answer. In the meantime, I did a fresh reinstall but I put 500Mo for /boot. On my other computer, I have 300Mo + a single dualboot with win10 and it was enough so I'm not sure why I should have 2048Mb.

My suggestion to grant 2048 MB / 2 GB to a dedicated /boot is aimed at making it pretty unlikely that people collect so many pairs of kernel + boot image in /boot that they run out of space again quickly. (And 2 GB is not really much disk space today.)

With only 500 MB of /boot space, you should really enable Automation => Automatic maintenance in your Update Manager. Doing so will make sure that Update Manager regularly and automatically uninstall obsolete kernels. It will preserve the currently running kernel and the previous kernel as a drop back for the case that the current kernel should cause severe trouble.

Note: the "space eaters" in /boot are less the kernels (around 10 MB per kernel), but the boot images initrd* (can easily consume 80 MB or more per boot image). And during updates, dpkg may - for a few minutes - need more than 3 times the size of a given boot image in order to be able to update it.

Best regards,
Karl