Bug#1104190: nvidia-kernel-dkms: package postinst failing due to module overwrite

[Russell Coker]

On Sunday, 27 April 2025 17:04:25 AEST Andreas Beckmann wrote:
> > The error about the module version not being newer would be because the
> > postinst has been run many times (every time I install packages) and
> > compiles the same files.  Maybe there should be a --force to address that
> > case.
> dkms fails to get the version from the module because of that weird modinfo
> failure and then uses an empty version string (notice the double space in
> the error message where the version should have been printed)

https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1104199

OK thanks for pointing that out.  It turned out that there was EACCES which 
wasn't being reported in a way that humans would understand it.  I filed the 
above bug report about that.  If modinfo had said "path permission error" then 
it would have been obvious where I should have looked before filing this bug 
report.

After I fixed that error I still got the following (which happens even if 
running in permissive mode so it's not SE Linux at fault) so it looks like the 
--force is needed:

Signing module /var/lib/dkms/nvidia-current/535.216.03/build/nvidia-uvm.ko
Signing module /var/lib/dkms/nvidia-current/535.216.03/build/nvidia-peermem.ko
Module /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current.ko.xz already 
installed at version 535.216.03, override by specifying --force
Module /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-modeset.ko.xz 
already installed at version 535.216.03, override by specifying --force
Module /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-drm.ko.xz 
already installed at version 535.216.03, override by specifying --force
Module /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-uvm.ko.xz 
already installed at version 535.216.03, override by specifying --force
Module /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-peermem.ko.xz 
already installed at version 535.216.03, override by specifying --force

Error! Installation aborted.
dpkg: error processing package nvidia-kernel-dkms (--configure):
 installed nvidia-kernel-dkms package post-installation script subprocess 
returned error exit status 6
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of nvidia-driver:
 nvidia-driver depends on nvidia-kernel-dkms (= 535.216.03-3) | nvidia-
kernel-535.216.03 | nvidia-open-kernel-535.216.03; however:
  Package nvidia-kernel-dkms is not configured yet.
  Package nvidia-kernel-535.216.03 is not installed.

> Does
>    modinfo
> /var/lib/dkms/nvidia-current/535.216.03/6.12.22-amd64/x86_64/module//nvidia
> -current.ko.xz return sensible output?

# modinfo /var/lib/dkms/nvidia-current/535.216.03/6.12.22-amd64/x86_64/
module//nvidia-current.ko.xz|head
filename:       /var/lib/dkms/nvidia-current/535.216.03/6.12.22-amd64/x86_64/
module//nvidia-current.ko.xz
firmware:       nvidia/535.216.03/gsp_tu10x.bin
firmware:       nvidia/535.216.03/gsp_ga10x.bin
alias:          char-major-195-*
version:        535.216.03
supported:      external
license:        NVIDIA
srcversion:     86397DBEF232F6DDB587EF2
alias:          pci:v000010DEd*sv*sd*bc06sc80i00*
alias:          pci:v000010DEd*sv*sd*bc03sc02i00*
 
> What does
>    dkms status -k 6.12.22-amd64 nvidia-current/535.216.03
> report about the module?

# dkms status -k 6.12.22-amd64 nvidia-current/535.216.03
nvidia-current/535.216.03, 6.12.22-amd64, x86_64: built

> 
> Does
>    dkms install -k 6.12.22-amd64 nvidia-current/535.216.03

# dkms install -k 6.12.22-amd64 nvidia-current/535.216.03
Module /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current.ko.xz already 
installed at version 535.216.03, override by specifying --force
Module /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-modeset.ko.xz 
already installed at version 535.216.03, override by specifying --force
Module /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-drm.ko.xz 
already installed at version 535.216.03, override by specifying --force
Module /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-uvm.ko.xz 
already installed at version 535.216.03, override by specifying --force
Module /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-peermem.ko.xz 
already installed at version 535.216.03, override by specifying --force

Error! Installation aborted.
# echo $?
6

> work if the module has already been built in an earlier dkms run?
> Maybe add --force

# dkms install -k 6.12.22-amd64 nvidia-current/535.216.03 --force
Found pre-existing /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-
current.ko.xz, archiving for uninstallation
Installing /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current.ko.xz
Found pre-existing /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-
modeset.ko.xz, archiving for uninstallation
Installing /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-
modeset.ko.xz
Found pre-existing /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-
drm.ko.xz, archiving for uninstallation
Installing /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-drm.ko.xz
Found pre-existing /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-
uvm.ko.xz, archiving for uninstallation
Installing /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-uvm.ko.xz
Found pre-existing /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-
peermem.ko.xz, archiving for uninstallation
Installing /lib/modules/6.12.22-amd64/updates/dkms/nvidia-current-
peermem.ko.xz
Running depmod..... done.
# echo $?
0

Thanks for the quick response!

-- 
My Main Blog         http://etbe.coker.com.au/
My Documents Blog    http://doc.coker.com.au/