Entire partition locked up during upgrade

Sun Mar 16 16:40:44 UTC 2008

I was running Kubuntu Gutsy on a 386 machine.  Started an apt-get 
update and then apt-get upgrade.  In the middle of the upgrade, I 
started seeing: 
rm: cannot remove /usr/foo .......... Read-only file system

over and over.

After that everything was read only.  I was able to save the terminal 
output to another partition (a copy below here) and shut the system 
down.  Now it won't even boot.

I am able to get into it from this Kubuntu 6.06 partition on the same 
machine and was able to rm a file that was previously declared 
read-only.

Can anyone tell how this happened by looking at the printout below?

Does apt-get upgrade include locking everything?

And how might I be able to save my system?

 bruce at blacky:/var/log$ sudo apt-get update
[sudo] password for bruce:
Ign cdrom://Kubuntu 7.10 _Gutsy Gibbon_ - Release i386 (20071016.1) 
gutsy/main Translation-en_US
Ign cdrom://Kubuntu 7.10 _Gutsy Gibbon_ - Release i386 (20071016.1) 
gutsy/restricted Translation-en_US
Get:1 http://archive.canonical.com dapper-commercial Release.gpg 
[191B]
Ign http://archive.canonical.com dapper-commercial/main 
Translation-en_US
Get:2 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security Release.gpg [191B]
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted 
Translation-en_US
Get:3 http://archive.canonical.com dapper-commercial Release [5999B]
Get:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy Release.gpg [191B]
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe 
Translation-en_US
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse 
Translation-en_US
Get:5 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security Release [51.2kB]
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Translation-en_US
Get:6 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates Release.gpg [191B]
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted 
Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/universe 
Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/multiverse 
Translation-en_US
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy Release
Get:7 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates Release [58.5kB]
Hit http://archive.canonical.com dapper-commercial/main Packages Read
Get:8 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Packages [75.9kB]
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Sources
Get:9 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Packages [247kB]
Get:10 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted Packages 
[14B]
Get:11 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Sources [14.0kB]
Get:12 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted Sources 
[14B]
Get:13 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe Packages 
[50.5kB]
Get:14 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe Sources 
[7303B]
Get:15 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse Packages 
[2903B]
Get:16 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse Sources 
[833B]
Get:17 http://www.debian-multimedia.org sid Release.gpg [189B]
Get:18 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted Packages 
[4263B]
Get:19 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Sources 
[68.9kB]
Hit http://www.debian-multimedia.org sid Release
Get:20 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted Sources 
[937B]
Get:21 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/universe Packages 
[72.4kB]
Get:22 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/universe Sources 
[11.5kB]
Get:23 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/multiverse Packages 
[9942B]
Hit http://www.debian-multimedia.org sid/main Sources
Get:24 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/multiverse Sources 
[1883B]
Fetched 684kB in 4s (154kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done
bruce at blacky:/var/log$ sudo apt-get upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be upgraded:
  language-pack-en language-pack-kde-en python2.5 python2.5-dev
  python2.5-minimal
5 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 5939kB of archives.
After unpacking 102kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main language-pack-en 
1:7.10+20080229 [3016B]
Get:2 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main python2.5-dev 
2.5.1-5ubuntu5.1 [1877kB]
Get:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main 
language-pack-kde-en 1:7.10+20080229 [20.1kB]
Get:4 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main python2.5 
2.5.1-5ubuntu5.1 [2869kB]
Get:5 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main python2.5-minimal 
2.5.1-5ubuntu5.1 [1169kB]
Fetched 5939kB in 7s (842kB/s)
(Reading database ... 105022 files and directories currently 
installed.)
Preparing to replace language-pack-en 1:7.10+20080205 
(using .../language-pack-en_1%3a7.10+20080229_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement language-pack-en ...
Replacing files in old package language-pack-en-base ...
Preparing to replace language-pack-kde-en 1:7.10+20080205 
(using .../language-pack-kde-en_1%3a7.10+20080229_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement language-pack-kde-en ...
Replacing files in old package language-pack-kde-en-base ...
Preparing to replace python2.5-dev 2.5.1-5ubuntu5 
(using .../python2.5-dev_2.5.1-5ubuntu5.1_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement python2.5-dev ...
Preparing to replace python2.5 2.5.1-5ubuntu5 
(using .../python2.5_2.5.1-5ubuntu5.1_i386.deb) ...
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/pprint.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/pty.pyc': Read-only file system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/pyclbr.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/pydoc.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/quopri.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/rexec.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/rfc822.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/rlcompleter.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/robotparser.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/runpy.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/sched.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/sets.pyc': Read-only file system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/sgmllib.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/shelve.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/shlex.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/shutil.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/smtpd.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/smtplib.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/sndhdr.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/statvfs.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/stringold.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/sunau.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/sunaudio.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/symbol.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/symtable.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/tabnanny.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/tarfile.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/telnetlib.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/this.pyc': Read-only file system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/threading.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/timeit.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/toaiff.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/trace.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/tty.pyc': Read-only file system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/unittest.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/urllib.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/urllib2.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/urlparse.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/user.pyc': Read-only file system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/uu.pyc': Read-only file system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/uuid.pyc': Read-only file system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/wave.pyc': Read-only file system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/weakref.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/webbrowser.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/whichdb.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/xdrlib.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/xmllib.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/xmlrpclib.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/zipfile.pyc': Read-only file 
system
rm: cannot remove `/usr/lib/python2.5/plat-mac/plistlib.pyc': 
Read-only file system
dpkg: warning - old pre-removal script returned error exit status 123
dpkg - trying script from the new package instead ...
dpkg: ... it looks like that went OK.
dpkg: error 
processing /var/cache/apt/archives/python2.5_2.5.1-5ubuntu5.1_i386.deb 
(--unpack):
 unable to flush updated status of `python2.5': Read-only file system
dpkg-trigger: unable to open/create triggers lockfile 
`/var/lib/dpkg/triggers/Lock': Read-only file system
/sbin/ldconfig.real: Can't create temporary cache 
file /etc/ld.so.cache~: Read-only file system
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 failed to delete `/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci': Read-only file system
dpkg: failed to open `/var/lib/dpkg/status' for writing status 
information: Read-only file system
touch: cannot touch `/var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp': 
Read-only file system
E: Problem executing scripts DPkg::Post-Invoke 'if 
[ -d /var/lib/update-notifier ]; then  
touch /var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp; fi'
E: Sub-process returned an error code
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (2)
bruce at blacky:/var/log$ cd