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My internet dropped while I was updating. Suddenly I couldn't install or upgrade anything. When I do this message loops and eats my RAM until I have to reset:

`update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3/12/0-57-generic`

When I run sudo apt-get xxxx it gives me:

`E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.`

dpkg --configure -a causes the same infite loop above.

Any ideas? I considered reinstalling but I don't have the installation disk and I have a data cap on my internet and can't download the iso.

EDIT1:

It seems that /etc/modprobe.d/iwlwifi.conf was causing problems. I had previously added lines to this file to fix my wifi, which I have now removed. Now I get this output recurring:

Generating grub configuration file ... Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-57-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-57-generic Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-48-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-48-generic Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-46-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-46-generic Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-45-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-45-generic Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-32-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-32-generic Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sda1 done

I've been running it for a few hours and it keeps spitting out the same thing.

EDIT 2:

I have decided to reformat and install another distro. Thanks for your help.

Kristo Zondagh
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1 Answers1

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The creation of the initramfs is a bit a lenghty process. And depending on how fast your system is, it can takeup to minute. Upon each new Kernel installation it has to be created newly. Let the process finish - I admit it's confusing if you don't see a progress bar!

Further reading: wikipedia!

man update-initramfs explains a little bit about the process.

You can also run the command on it's own:

sudo update-initramfs -u

If you get errors just post them. No need to install newly. :-)

ellisistfroh
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  • Could you please add a link to the mentioned bug report? – Germar Nov 18 '15 at 02:58
  • @Germar - ooops - just reran the command - and obviously I mixed this this up with my old machine where I saw this in the virtual terminal during the boot-process in Wily. Since packagr-managers hide more+more information-it would only be visible in the terminal or in the busybox of Synaptics. Well it would be worth a bug-report. Thanks for asking - firstly I saw this progressbar with Knoppix-CD during the boot process. Tks for improving the link. – ellisistfroh Nov 18 '15 at 03:24
  • I always wonder why they don't add a hook for update-initramfs and run it for all new/changed kernels at once after installation process. But that's off topic here. – Germar Nov 18 '15 at 03:35
  • Just created a [bug-report] https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/initramfs-tools-ubuntu-core/+bug/1517305 (Visibility update-initramfs)

    @germar update-initramfs will run autmatically, not though if it gets interrupted by shortage of electricity or false (but in this case understandable) user action. It may even run twice - which is due to a bug in ntfs-3g (which sadly won't have the bugfix backported - sigh), but as you said this gets here. So it's quite nice to be remembered on starters impressions & thanks for confirming this bug-report. That kind of the idea behind OSS

     – ellisistfroh Nov 18 '15 at 22:37
  • I ran it last night and it's just stuck on this. It keeps giving the same error messages: http://imgur.com/NwUpLqY – Kristo Zondagh Nov 20 '15 at 12:08
  • Looks to me like the system was messed with inappropiate use of sudo. But I'd like to wait on somebody elses opinion. Also noting that update-initramfs has succeded. – ellisistfroh Nov 20 '15 at 16:03
  • I have decided to reformat and install another distro. Thanks for your help. – Kristo Zondagh Nov 24 '15 at 14:57