Upgrading 4.4-1 hangs on update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.35-1-pve

[Harry Hanson]

I tried updating initramfs as suggested on another thread which apparently solved the problem for the poster, but no such luck for me. After removing and reinstalling

apt-get dist-upgrade

hangs in the same spot.

root 10930 0.0 0.0 19348 4140 pts/3 S+ 14:31 0:00 /usr/bin/perl -w /var/lib/dpkg/info/pve-kernel-4.4.35-1-pve.postinst configure 4.4.35-76
root 16510 0.0 0.0 12736 2108 pts/2 S+ 14:43 0:00 grep dpkg
root 22555 0.0 0.0 4340 712 pts/0 S 14:17 0:00 /bin/sh /var/lib/dpkg/info/initramfs-tools.postinst triggered update-initramfs

root@vms1:/boot# apt-get dist-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libappconfig-perl libjs-extjs libpve-guest-common-perl libpve-http-server-perl libtemplate-perl pve-kernel-4.4.134-1-pve
The following packages will be upgraded:
  libpve-common-perl proxmox-ve pve-container pve-manager qemu-server
5 upgraded, 6 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
115 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/50.9 MB of archives.
After this operation, 22.6 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
Reading changelogs... Done
Preconfiguring packages ...
(Reading database ... 39652 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../qemu-server_4.0-115_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking qemu-server (4.0-115) over (4.0-101) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libpve-http-server-perl.
Preparing to unpack .../libpve-http-server-perl_1.0-4_all.deb ...
Unpacking libpve-http-server-perl (1.0-4) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libjs-extjs.
Preparing to unpack .../libjs-extjs_6.0.1-1_all.deb ...
Unpacking libjs-extjs (6.0.1-1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libappconfig-perl.
Preparing to unpack .../libappconfig-perl_1.66-1_all.deb ...
Unpacking libappconfig-perl (1.66-1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libtemplate-perl.
Preparing to unpack .../libtemplate-perl_2.24-1.2+b1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libtemplate-perl (2.24-1.2+b1) ...
Preparing to unpack .../pve-manager_4.4-24_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking pve-manager (4.4-24) over (4.4-1) ...
dpkg: warning: unable to delete old directory '/etc/vz': Directory not empty
Preparing to unpack .../pve-container_1.0-106_all.deb ...
Unpacking pve-container (1.0-106) over (1.0-88) ...
Preparing to unpack .../libpve-common-perl_4.0-96_all.deb ...
Unpacking libpve-common-perl (4.0-96) over (4.0-83) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libpve-guest-common-perl.
Preparing to unpack .../libpve-guest-common-perl_1.0-2_all.deb ...
Unpacking libpve-guest-common-perl (1.0-2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package pve-kernel-4.4.134-1-pve.
Preparing to unpack .../pve-kernel-4.4.134-1-pve_4.4.134-112_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking pve-kernel-4.4.134-1-pve (4.4.134-112) ...
Preparing to unpack .../proxmox-ve_4.4-112_all.deb ...
Unpacking proxmox-ve (4.4-112) over (4.4-76) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.0.2-5) ...
Processing triggers for systemd (215-17+deb8u10) ...
Setting up libapt-inst1.5:amd64 (1.0.9.8.5) ...
Setting up libssl1.0.0:amd64 (1.0.1t-1+deb8u10) ...
Setting up libgnutls-deb0-28:amd64 (3.3.30-0+deb8u1) ...
Setting up libgnutls-openssl27:amd64 (3.3.30-0+deb8u1) ...
Setting up libkrb5support0:amd64 (1.12.1+dfsg-19+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libk5crypto3:amd64 (1.12.1+dfsg-19+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libkrb5-3:amd64 (1.12.1+dfsg-19+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libgssapi-krb5-2:amd64 (1.12.1+dfsg-19+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libgssrpc4:amd64 (1.12.1+dfsg-19+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libidn11:amd64 (1.29-1+deb8u3) ...
Setting up libkadm5clnt-mit9:amd64 (1.12.1+dfsg-19+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libkdb5-7:amd64 (1.12.1+dfsg-19+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libkadm5srv-mit9:amd64 (1.12.1+dfsg-19+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libkrad0:amd64 (1.12.1+dfsg-19+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libldap-2.4-2:amd64 (2.4.40+dfsg-1+deb8u4) ...
Setting up libmagic1:amd64 (1:5.22+15-2+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libsqlite3-0:amd64 (3.8.7.1-1+deb8u4) ...
Setting up libtirpc1:amd64 (0.2.5-1+deb8u2) ...
Setting up libxml2:amd64 (2.9.1+dfsg1-5+deb8u7) ...
Setting up libpython2.7-minimal:amd64 (2.7.9-2+deb8u2) ...
Setting up libpython2.7-stdlib:amd64 (2.7.9-2+deb8u2) ...
Setting up libpython2.7:amd64 (2.7.9-2+deb8u2) ...
Setting up glusterfs-common (3.5.2-2+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libarchive13:amd64 (3.1.2-11+deb8u7) ...
Setting up libcaca0:amd64 (0.99.beta19-2+deb8u1) ...
Setting up libcups2:amd64 (1.7.5-11+deb8u4) ...
Setting up libcurl3-gnutls:amd64 (7.38.0-4+deb8u14) ...
Setting up libisc-export95 (1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u17) ...
Setting up libdns-export100 (1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u17) ...
Setting up libfuse2:amd64 (2.9.3-15+deb8u3) ...
Setting up libicu52:amd64 (52.1-8+deb8u7) ...
Setting up libisccfg-export90 (1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u17) ...
Setting up libirs-export91 (1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u17) ...
Setting up libjpeg62-turbo:amd64 (1:1.3.1-12+deb8u1) ...
Setting up libjasper1:amd64 (1.900.1-debian1-2.4+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libldb1:amd64 (2:1.1.20-0+deb8u2) ...
Setting up libpixman-1-0:amd64 (0.32.6-3+deb8u1) ...
Setting up libpython3.4-minimal:amd64 (3.4.2-1+deb8u2) ...
Setting up libpython3.4-stdlib:amd64 (3.4.2-1+deb8u2) ...
Setting up libwbclient0:amd64 (2:4.2.14+dfsg-0+deb8u11) ...
Setting up samba-libs:amd64 (2:4.2.14+dfsg-0+deb8u11) ...
Setting up libsmbclient:amd64 (2:4.2.14+dfsg-0+deb8u11) ...
Setting up libvorbis0a:amd64 (1.3.4-2+deb8u1) ...
Setting up libvorbisenc2:amd64 (1.3.4-2+deb8u1) ...
Setting up libsndfile1:amd64 (1.0.25-9.1+deb8u3) ...
Setting up libtiff5:amd64 (4.0.3-12.3+deb8u8) ...
Setting up libx11-data (2:1.6.2-3+deb8u2) ...
Setting up libx11-6:amd64 (2:1.6.2-3+deb8u2) ...
Setting up libx11-xcb1:amd64 (2:1.6.2-3+deb8u2) ...
Setting up libxcursor1:amd64 (1:1.1.14-1+deb8u2) ...
Setting up libqb0 (1.0.1-1) ...
Setting up libcorosync4-pve (2.4.2-2~pve4+2) ...
Setting up sqlite3 (3.8.7.1-1+deb8u4) ...
Setting up fuse (2.9.3-15+deb8u3) ...
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
Setting up corosync-pve (2.4.2-2~pve4+2) ...
Setting up vncterm (1.3-2) ...
Setting up pve-libspice-server1 (0.12.8-2) ...
Setting up pve-qemu-kvm (2.9.1-9~pve4) ...
Installing new version of config file /etc/kvm/kvm-ifup ...
Setting up libpve-common-perl (4.0-96) ...
Setting up openssl (1.0.1t-1+deb8u10) ...
Setting up pve-cluster (4.0-55) ...
Setting up libpve-access-control (4.0-23) ...
Setting up glusterfs-client (3.5.2-2+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libpve-storage-perl (4.0-76) ...
Setting up libpve-guest-common-perl (1.0-2) ...
Setting up wget (1.16-1+deb8u5) ...
Setting up libpve-http-server-perl (1.0-4) ...
Setting up apt-transport-https (1.0.9.8.5) ...
Setting up ca-certificates (20141019+deb8u4) ...
Updating certificates in /etc/ssl/certs... 20 added, 42 removed; done.
Setting up spiceterm (2.0-3) ...
Setting up novnc-pve (0.5-9) ...
Setting up pve-docs (4.4-4) ...
Setting up libjs-extjs (6.0.1-1) ...
Setting up libappconfig-perl (1.66-1) ...
Setting up libtemplate-perl (2.24-1.2+b1) ...
Setting up libgnutlsxx28:amd64 (3.3.30-0+deb8u1) ...
Setting up lxcfs (2.0.8-2~pve4) ...
Installing new version of config file /etc/rc.d/init.d/lxcfs ...
Setting up lxc-pve (2.0.7-4) ...
Setting up file (1:5.22+15-2+deb8u5) ...
Setting up python2.7-minimal (2.7.9-2+deb8u2) ...
Setting up python3.4-minimal (3.4.2-1+deb8u2) ...
Setting up samba-common (2:4.2.14+dfsg-0+deb8u11) ...
Setting up smbclient (2:4.2.14+dfsg-0+deb8u11) ...
Setting up openssh-client (1:6.7p1-5+deb8u7) ...
Setting up openssh-sftp-server (1:6.7p1-5+deb8u7) ...
Setting up openssh-server (1:6.7p1-5+deb8u7) ...
Setting up ssh (1:6.7p1-5+deb8u7) ...
Setting up apt-utils (1.0.9.8.5) ...
Setting up isc-dhcp-common (4.3.1-6+deb8u3) ...
Setting up isc-dhcp-client (4.3.1-6+deb8u3) ...
Setting up libisc95 (1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u17) ...
Setting up libdns100 (1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u17) ...
Setting up libisccc90 (1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u17) ...
Setting up libisccfg90 (1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u17) ...
Setting up libbind9-90 (1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u17) ...
Setting up liblwres90 (1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u17) ...
Setting up bind9-host (1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u17) ...
Setting up dnsutils (1:9.9.5.dfsg-9+deb8u17) ...
Setting up krb5-locales (1.12.1+dfsg-19+deb8u5) ...
Setting up mutt (1.5.23-3+deb8u1) ...
Setting up ncurses-term (5.9+20140913-1+deb8u3) ...
Setting up patch (2.7.5-1+deb8u1) ...
Setting up python-reportbug (6.6.3+deb8u2) ...
Setting up python2.7 (2.7.9-2+deb8u2) ...
Setting up reportbug (6.6.3+deb8u2) ...
Setting up busybox (1:1.22.0-9+deb8u4) ...
Setting up gnupg-agent (2.0.26-6+deb8u2) ...
Setting up gnupg2 (2.0.26-6+deb8u2) ...
Setting up libuutil1linux (0.6.5.9-pve15~bpo80) ...
Setting up libnvpair1linux (0.6.5.9-pve15~bpo80) ...
Setting up libzpool2linux (0.6.5.9-pve15~bpo80) ...
Setting up libzfs2linux (0.6.5.9-pve15~bpo80) ...
Setting up pve-firmware (1.1-12) ...
Setting up pve-kernel-4.4.35-1-pve (4.4.35-77) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 4.4.35-1-pve /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.35-1-pve
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 4.4.35-1-pve /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.35-1-pve
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.35-1-pve

Any advice? Thanks in advance.

 

[Stoiko Ivanov]

PVE 4.x is EOL - Please consider upgrading to 5.3! Otherwise you don't get important security-updates

regarding the update-initramfs problem:
* quite often this is related to a hanging storage-system (NFS-share,... ) because update-initramfs issues a `sync` and this hangs waiting on the storage to come back
* you can verify this by running `ps auxwf` and see which process is the last in the tree starting with the update-initramfs

hope this helps!