Package install error

[Cranky_Frankie]

Every time I install an update, I get this:

Package failed to install Error while installing package: installed grub-pc package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1

I'm using KDE desktop. This is my os version:

PRETTY_NAME="Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)"
NAME="Debian GNU/Linux"
VERSION_ID="11"
VERSION="11 (bullseye)"
VERSION_CODENAME=bullseye
ID=debian
HOME_URL="https://www.debian.org/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://www.debian.org/support"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.debian.org/"

[j2mcgreg]

We need your computer’s complete profile before we can diagnose a problem like this, so you need to post the output from the QSI utility. The Quick System Info (QSI) utility is located in MX Tools and its output is automatically formatted for use here in the forum. Run the QSI utility, click “Copy” at the bottom and then just paste it here in your thread.

[timkb4cq]

When grub updates there is normally a popup asking where grub should be installed. Usually that would be on the mbr of the first drive e.g. /dev/sda
However some users install on a partition instead, e.g. /dev/sda5
I've heard that updates through KDE's Discover don't show that popup. If that's what happened to you, use

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sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

in a Konsole terminal.

[Huckleberry Finn]

Also:

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sudo dpkg --configure -a

If still the same:

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sudo apt purge grub-pc -y ; sudo apt update ; sudo apt install grub-pc -y

[Cranky_Frankie]

output of QSI:

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System:    Kernel: 5.10.0-20-amd64 [5.10.158-2] x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 10.2.1 
           parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-20-amd64 
           root=UUID=<filter> ro quiet splash 
           Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.20.5 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 7 dm: SDDM 
           Distro: MX-21.2.1_KDE_x64 Wildflower October 20  2021 
           base: Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye) 
Machine:   Type: Desktop System: Dell product: OptiPlex 7010 v: 01 serial: <filter> Chassis: 
           type: 3 serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: Dell model: 0YXT71 v: A03 serial: <filter> BIOS: Dell v: A29 date: 06/28/2018 
CPU:       Info: Quad Core model: Intel Core i7-3770 bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Ivy Bridge 
           family: 6 model-id: 3A (58) stepping: 9 microcode: 21 cache: L2: 8 MiB 
           flags: avx lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 54276 
           Speed: 2372 MHz min/max: 1600/3900 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 2372 2: 2406 3: 3099 
           4: 2459 5: 2426 6: 2558 7: 2842 8: 2456 
           Vulnerabilities: Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled 
           Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT vulnerable 
           Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable 
           Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI 
           Type: mmio_stale_data status: Unknown: No mitigations 
           Type: retbleed status: Not affected 
           Type: spec_store_bypass 
           mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl and seccomp 
           Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization 
           Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Retpolines, IBPB: conditional, IBRS_FW, STIBP: 
           conditional, RSB filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected 
           Type: srbds status: Vulnerable: No microcode 
           Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel IvyBridge GT2 [HD Graphics 4000] 
           vendor: Dell Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor driver: i915 v: kernel 
           bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0162 class-ID: 0300 
           Device-2: Sunplus Innovation FHD Camera Microphone type: USB 
           driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo bus-ID: 2-1.5:3 chip-ID: 1bcf:28c4 class-ID: 0102 
           serial: <filter> 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.14 compositor: kwin_x11 driver: loaded: modesetting 
           unloaded: fbdev,vesa display-ID: :0 screens: 1 
           Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.0x11.2") 
           s-diag: 582mm (22.9") 
           Monitor-1: VGA-1 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 82 size: 598x336mm (23.5x13.2") 
           diag: 686mm (27") 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 4000 (IVB GT2) v: 4.2 Mesa 22.0.5 
           compat-v: 3.1 direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel 7 Series/C216 Family High Definition Audio vendor: Dell 
           driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:1e20 class-ID: 0403 
           Device-2: Sunplus Innovation FHD Camera Microphone type: USB 
           driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo bus-ID: 2-1.5:3 chip-ID: 1bcf:28c4 class-ID: 0102 
           serial: <filter> 
           Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.10.0-20-amd64 running: yes 
           Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 14.2 running: yes 
Network:   Device-1: Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network vendor: Dell driver: e1000e v: kernel 
           port: f080 bus-ID: 00:19.0 chip-ID: 8086:1502 class-ID: 0200 
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 10 Mbps duplex: half mac: <filter> 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 953.87 GiB used: 228.23 GiB (23.9%) 
           SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required. 
           ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 model: OSSD001TBQSS2 size: 953.87 GiB block-size: 
           physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 5A0 
           scheme: MBR 
Partition: ID-1: / raw-size: 945.86 GiB size: 929.94 GiB (98.32%) used: 228.23 GiB (24.5%) 
           fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1 
Swap:      Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default) 
           ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 8 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 dev: /dev/sda2 
           maj-min: 8:2 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 29.8 C mobo: 27.8 C 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:     Packages: note: see --pkg apt: 2401 lib: 1309 flatpak: 0 
           No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/deadsnakes-ubuntu-ppa-jammy.list 
           1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/deadsnakes/ppa/ubuntu jammy main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list 
           1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye-updates main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list 
           1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye main contrib non-free
           2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bullseye-security main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list 
           1: deb [arch=amd64] https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list 
           1: deb http://mirrors.rit.edu/mxlinux/mx-packages/mx/repo/ bullseye main non-free
           2: deb http://mirrors.rit.edu/mxlinux/mx-packages/mx/repo/ bullseye ahs
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/scribus-ubuntu-ppa-kinetic.list 
           1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/scribus/ppa/ubuntu kinetic main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list 
           1: deb http://repository.spotify.com stable non-free
Info:      Processes: 289 Uptime: 2m wakeups: 1 Memory: 15.52 GiB used: 2.48 GiB (16.0%) 
           Init: SysVinit v: 2.96 runlevel: 5 default: 5 tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 10.2.1 
           alt: 10 Client: shell wrapper v: 5.1.4-release inxi: 3.3.06 
Boot Mode: BIOS (legacy, CSM, MBR)

[j2mcgreg]

Two things:

You need to read this:

https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php?t=44747

You are using the R.I.T. mirror as your main repository (probably automatically selected by the installer) and it is well known to be flaky. You should use Repo manager in MX Tools to switch to the Salt Lake City or Los Angeles mirrors, both of which are owned and operated by the MX team.

[dolphin_oracle]

there is rarely anything wrong with the rit repo. that's rochester ny, and it did go down for a while a few days ago but AFAIK its OK now.

its very possible that grub-pc update has just never completed.

the advice that @Huckleberry Finn gives is good and should be tried before anything else.

[richb]

I have been using the RIT repo for several years and have not had a problem with it. Just saying it is not a generic issue.

[j2mcgreg]

I based my remarks on the RIT repo on the problems that I and a few others had with it last summer. These problems were rectified when the main repo was switched to SLC.

[Cranky_Frankie]

I just want to say I ran the commands suggested by timkb4cq and Huckleberry Fin to move grub and now the error is gone. Thanks so much!