Trouble with 4.15.0-20 kernel

[clem]

Quick update on the situation:

We're working on an update which should prevent both issues from happening. We'll be testing this update until tomorrow before releasing it.

If you have system snapshots in place and you want to give us a hand, it is available at: https://github.com/linuxmint/mintupdate ... .2_all.deb.

Here are the changes it includes:

https://github.com/linuxmint/mintupdate ... a40841e348
https://github.com/linuxmint/mintupdate ... f74cadad6a

As a reminder, if you were impacted by one of these issues, run the following command to fix it:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install linux-base linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic

[Joe2Shoe]

Per Clem "This was fixed today in the git version, https://github.com/linuxmint/mintupdate ... _5.3.4.zip (please use caution and make sure you've got system snapshots in place if testing this version and it is a development version). We'll backport the fix ASAP.:

I installed MintUpdate v5.3.4, but Update Manager will not open or update now.
So, I uninstalled MintUpdate v5.3.4 and reinstalled v5.3.2.1 and everything is good.

[clem]

The following updates are now available for testing:

- mintupdate 5.1.0.6 in sarah/romeo
- mintupdate 5.2.1.3 in serena/romeo
- mintupdate 5.2.9.2 in sonya/romeo
- mintupdate 5.3.2.3 in sylvia/romeo

[floreym2]

With guidance from JeremyB and Joe2Shoe in a related thread (thanks guys) the following worked successfully on my Haswell NUC test box and Skylake Skull Canyon NUC main PC.

sudo apt-get install linux-base
sudo apt-get install elfutils libelf-dev
sudo apt-get install linux-base linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic

Then reboot.

The first line may be redundant as the installer reported that the latest linux-base version was already installed.

One question: should I leave these boxes as they are or would it be better to timeshift back to 4.15.0-15 and wait for the official fixed update?

Many thanks,

Mike Florey

[clem]

If the issue is fixed for you, no need to "backshift"

I'm not sure why you need to upgrade elfutils and libelf-dev manually?

[clem]

Both issues are now resolved and updates were shipped to all 18.x point releases. Here's a summary of the situation.

Problem #1:

Starting with kernel 4.15.0-20, a new package was introduced called linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic.
The update manager didn't know about it and didn't install it.
Other kernel packages such as linux-image-4.15.0-20-generic don't depend on it.
Although the system would boot correctly without it, this package is needed for some drivers to work properly.

Problem #2:

Starting with kernel 4.15.0-20, the kernel postinst script (which is run during installation/upgrade) calls a command which only exists since linux-base 4.1.
On computers where the version of linux-base is still 4.0, this results in an installation/upgrade error and a kernel which isn't properly installed.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1767133

Fixes:

To fix problem #1, the Update Manager now supports the new package names.
To fix problem #2, which should be fixed upstream eventually, the Update Manager depends on (linux-base >= 4.1).

The following updates prevent both problems from happening:

- mintupdate 5.1.0.6 in sarah
- mintupdate 5.2.1.3 in serena
- mintupdate 5.2.9.2 in sonya
- mintupdate 5.3.2.3 in sylvia

Workaround:

If one of these issues already impacted you. You can upgrade linux-base and install the missing linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic package.

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic

I'd like to thank everyone for their patience, and JeremyB in particular for catching our attention and providing help.

This is also a great opportunity to promote timeshift. Once you've got system snapshots in place, no matter what happens, you're just one restoration away from a working system.

[tomdkat]

Both issues are now resolved and updates were shipped to all 18.x point releases. Here's a summary of the situation.

Thanks for the update and for the great information! My Lenovo laptop is also affected by this and I would prefer to wait for a Linux Mint update, to correct the issue, than to use the workaround. I'm ok using the 4.15.0-15 kernel for now.

My question: when will the updates you mention above appear via the normal Mint update process?

Thanks!

Peace...

[clem]

Hi tomdkat,

They're already published in the main repositories. It can take a little longer if you're using a mirror (they usually sync with the main repositories twice a day but some can take longer to update).

[nkoropoff]

Received the new update manager and all is good now with the kernel install. Thanks for the fast response.

[Claverhouse]

Many thanks.


EDIT: I like Timeshift well enough, but would also put in a word for Aptik as a good way of keeping and transferring personal settings.

[tomdkat]

Hi tomdkat,

They're already published in the main repositories. It can take a little longer if you're using a mirror (they usually sync with the main repositories twice a day but some can take longer to update).

Thanks for the info! Yes, I am using a mirror and it took a little while to update. My system was updated last night and all is well.

Peace...

[snagles]

Hi,

I found some solution. It is not the best way probably but works. I download the following package from pkgs.org
https://ubuntu.pkgs.org/16.04/ubuntu-up ... l.deb.html

Manual installation using dpkg -i then run regular apt upgrade from console.

Cheers

[PDXsailor]

I had the same software rendering problem, now fixed. But I have other problems with the 4.15.0-20 kernel. The nVidia configuration program, set to the Intel GPU instead of the nVidia one, shows that it can't identify the GPU. Also, Polychromatic (app for setting Razer keyboard backlights) also doesn't find the keyboard. Both work fine on -15. Any ideas?

Razer Blade Kaby Lake (7700) with nVidia 1060

[mr.travo]

My 4.15.0-20 is in update hell. I can't seem to remove it and it can't install. I was able to boot back into 4.13.0-41. How can I correct this?

Code: Select all

Setting up linux-image-4.15.0-20-generic (4.15.0-20.21~16.04.1) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-4.15.0-20-generic.postinst: 50: /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-4.15.0-20-generic.postinst: linux-update-symlinks: not found
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-4.15.0-20-generic (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 127
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-4.15.0-20-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

I have tried autoremove, install -f, remove, purge, and no change.

Thanks!

[JeremyB]

See viewtopic.php?f=46&t=269102#p1467299

[mr.travo]

Thank you. I don't know how I missed that thread when searching.

~T