[Bug 36849] initrd creation error ignored => unbootable system

[Sascha Silbe]

Public bug reported:
https://launchpad.net/malone/bugs/36849

Affects: linux-source-2.6.12 (Ubuntu)
       Severity: Normal
       Priority: (none set)
         Status: Unconfirmed

Description:
My /boot was too full to store the new initrd, so gzip aborted with an error.
But the update continued anyway, leaving me with a broken kernel/initrd
combination.
Also, it apperently removed the modules from the old kernel version, so that
one didn't boot any more, too.
=> DEAD SYSTEM (unbootable)

installation log:
=== begin ===
[...]
Setting up linux-image-2.6.12-10-386 (2.6.12-10.30) ...

gzip: stdout: No space left on device
Not touching initrd symlinks since we are being reinstalled (2.6.12-10.28)
Not updating image symbolic links since we are being updated (2.6.12-10.28)
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub .
Testing for an existing GRUB menu.list file... found: /boot/grub/menu.lst .
Searching for splash image... found: /boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz .
Found kernel: /vmlinuz-2.6.12-10-386
Found kernel: /vmlinuz-2.6.12-9-386
Found kernel: /memtest86+.bin
Updating /boot/grub/menu.lst ... done


Setting up python2.4-apt (0.6.16.2breezy1) ...
[...]
=== end ===


Contents of /boot after update:
=== begin ===
total 15580
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  239811 Mar 11 18:42 abi-2.6.12-10-386
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  239770 Oct 10 15:16 abi-2.6.12-9-386
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root       1 Dec  1 18:17 boot -> .
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   64125 Mar 11 17:12 config-2.6.12-10-386
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   64135 Oct 10 14:12 config-2.6.12-9-386
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   45919 Mar 24 22:42 config-2.6.15.6-infra
drwxr-xr-x  2 root root    1024 Mar 26 14:47 grub
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 2514944 Mar 26 14:47 initrd.img-2.6.12-10-386
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 4940054 Dec 21 23:53 initrd.img-2.6.12-9-386
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 2353245 Mar 24 22:17 kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.15.6-infra
drwx------  2 root root   12288 Jul 14  2002 lost+found
drwxr-xr-x  2 root root    1024 Jan 14  2005 memtest86
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   94664 Jun 30  2005 memtest86+.bin
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  897419 Mar 11 18:42 System.map-2.6.12-10-386
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  897159 Oct 10 15:16 System.map-2.6.12-9-386
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 1090082 Mar 24 22:17 System.map-genkernel-x86-2.6.15.6-infra
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      35 Mar 15 20:12 vmlinux -> kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.15.6-infra
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      22 Dec  2 17:57 vmlinux.old -> kernel-2.6.11.10-infra
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 1207036 Mar 11 18:42 vmlinuz-2.6.12-10-386
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 1206555 Oct 10 15:16 vmlinuz-2.6.12-9-386
=== end ===


Contents of /lib/modules after update:
=== begin ===
2.6.12-10-386
=== end ===