#1135573 DKMS kernel post installation hook causes kernel installation to fail

Package:
dkms
Source:
dkms
Submitter:
Meredith Swanborough
Date:
2026-05-16 06:27:01 UTC
Severity:
normal
#1135573#5
Date:
2026-05-02 20:48:00 UTC
From:
To:
Dear Maintainer,

I had run apt-get dist-upgrade on my installation. I received a series
of errors. I believe I have identified the cause of the problem. You
will find the solution following the log file excerpt:

BEGIN LOG EXCERPT

Setting up linux-libc-dev (6.12.85-1) ...
Setting up linux-kbuild-6.12.85+deb13 (6.12.85-1) ...
Setting up linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64 (6.12.85-1) ...
I: /vmlinuz.old is now a symlink to boot/vmlinuz-6.12.74+deb13+1-amd64
I: /initrd.img.old is now a symlink to boot/initrd.img-6.12.74+deb13+1-amd64
I: /vmlinuz is now a symlink to boot/vmlinuz-6.12.85+deb13-amd64
I: /initrd.img is now a symlink to boot/initrd.img-6.12.85+deb13-amd64
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms:
Sign command: /lib/modules/6.12.85+deb13-amd64/build/scripts/sign-file
Signing key: /var/lib/dkms/mok.key
Public certificate (MOK): /var/lib/dkms/mok.pub

Autoinstall of module 8192ee/1.1 for kernel 6.12.85+deb13-amd64 (x86_64)
Building module(s)........(bad exit status: 2)
Failed command:
'make' KVER=6.12.85+deb13-amd64 all -j4

Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel:
6.12.85+deb13-amd64 (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/8192ee/1.1/build/make.log for more information.

Autoinstall on 6.12.85+deb13-amd64 failed for module(s) 8192ee(10).

Error! One or more modules failed to install during autoinstall.
Refer to previous errors for more information.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms exited with return code 1
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64 (--configure):
 installed linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64 package post-installation
script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Setting up linux-headers-6.12.85+deb13-common (6.12.85-1) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of
linux-headers-6.12.85+deb13-amd64:
 linux-headers-6.12.85+deb13-amd64 depends on
linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64 (= 6.12.85-1) |
linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64-unsigned (= 6.12.85-1); however:
  Package linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64 is not configured yet.
  Package linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64-unsigned is not installed.

dpkg: error processing package linux-headers-6.12.85+deb13-amd64 (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-headers-amd64:
 linux-headers-amd64 depends on linux-headers-6.12.85+deb13-amd64 (=
6.12.85-1); however:
  Package linux-headers-6.12.85+deb13-amd64 is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-headers-amd64 (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-image-amd64:
 linux-image-amd64 depends on linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64 (=
6.12.85-1); however:
  Package linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64 is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-image-amd64 (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64
 linux-headers-6.12.85+deb13-amd64
 linux-headers-amd64
 linux-image-amd64

END LOG EXCERPT

Installation of linux-image-6.12.85+deb13-amd64 fails at the post
install phase. The dkms script executed by the post installation hook
is the source of the error. It is located here:

/etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms

In the above log, you can see apt-get attempt to install the
corresponding linux-headers after failing to install the kernel. This
is key.
Building DKMS modules requires the up to date header files; it
requires corresponding header files for the target kernel.

There is a post installation hook for linux-headers packages. The
directory already contains a dkms script. It is an identical copy:

/etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms

A prior version of the dkms script appeared to have error checking for
this scenario, but it was removed. I suspect this may have been due to
the introduction of the linux-run-hooks script in the linux-base
package.
There may have been some confusion due to a bug in the linux-run-hooks
script. It wasn't executing the post installation hook for
linux-headers packages. See bug #1121366.

I was able to work around the issue.
Thanks,
Meredith

#1135573#10
Date:
2026-05-16 06:24:24 UTC
From:
To:
Hello

I misdiagnosed the problem. You can close this. No further action is required.

Thanks,
Meredith