If you use Ubuntu or any other Linux distribution, you may have encountered an error like this when trying to update your system:
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-42-generic E: /usr/share/initramfs-tools/hooks/plymouth failed with return 1. update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-42-generic with 1. dpkg: error processing package initramfs-tools (--configure): installed initramfs-tools package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1 Errors were encountered while processing: initramfs-tools E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
This error means that the update-initramfs command, which is used to create or update the initial ramdisk image (initrd), failed to execute properly. The initrd is a temporary file system that is loaded into memory during the boot process and contains the necessary drivers and scripts to mount the root file system and start the operating system.
The initramfs error can prevent you from installing or upgrading any packages on your system, and can also cause boot problems if the initrd image is corrupted or missing. In this article, we will show you how to fix the initramfs error on Ubuntu and explain what causes it and how to prevent it from happening again.
Table of Contents
What Causes the Initramfs Error?
There are several possible causes for the initramfs error, but the most common ones are:
- A missing or incompatible kernel module or hook script in the /usr/share/initramfs-tools directory. These files are used by update-initramfs to generate the initrd image, and if they are not compatible with the current kernel version or have some syntax errors, they can cause the update-initramfs command to fail.
- A lack of disk space in the /boot partition. The /boot partition is where the kernel and initrd images are stored, and if it runs out of space, there may not be enough room to create or update the initrd image.
- A corrupted or misconfigured GRUB bootloader. GRUB is the program that loads the kernel and initrd images and passes them to the operating system. If GRUB is corrupted or has some incorrect settings, it may not be able to load the initrd image correctly.
Depending on the cause of the error, there are different ways to fix it. Here are some of the most common solutions:
Solution 1: Reinstall or Remove the Problematic Package
If the error is caused by a specific package that has a faulty kernel module or hook script, you can try to reinstall or remove that package to fix the error. For example, if the error message mentions plymouth as the culprit, you can run these commands to reinstall it:
sudo apt update sudo apt install --reinstall plymouth
Alternatively, you can remove it if you don’t need it:
sudo apt update sudo apt remove plymouth
After reinstalling or removing the problematic package, you can run this command to update the initrd image:
sudo update-initramfs -u
If everything goes well, you should see a message like this:
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-42-generic
Solution 2: Free Up Some Space in the /boot Partition
If the error is caused by a lack of disk space in the /boot partition, you can free up some space by removing some old kernel and initrd images that you don’t need anymore. To do this, you can use a tool called purge-old-kernels, which is part of the byobu package. You can install it by running this command:
sudo apt update sudo apt install byobu
Then, you can run this command to remove all but the latest two kernel and initrd images:
sudo purge-old-kernels --keep 2
You can change the number 2 to any number you want, depending on how many kernel versions you want to keep. After removing the old images, you can run this command to update the initrd image:
sudo update-initramfs -u
Solution 3: Repair or Reinstall GRUB
If the error is caused by a corrupted or misconfigured GRUB bootloader, you can try to repair or reinstall it using a bootable Ubuntu USB drive. To do this, follow these steps:
- Create a bootable Ubuntu USB drive using another computer. You can use a tool like Rufus or Etcher to create it.
- Insert the USB drive into your computer and boot from it. You may need to change the boot order in your BIOS or UEFI settings to do this.
- When you see the Ubuntu installation menu, choose “Try Ubuntu without installing”.
- Once you are in the Ubuntu live environment, open a terminal window and run this command to find out which partition your Ubuntu system is installed on:
sudo fdisk -l
You should see something like this:
Disk /dev/sda: 465.8 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors Disk model: ST500LT012-1DG14 Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes Disklabel type: gpt Disk identifier: C5E4B7C9-2F4A-4C8E-BE7C-3F8C8AEBD6F9 Device Start End Sectors Size Type /dev/sda1 2048 534527 532480 260M EFI System /dev/sda2 534528 567295 32768 16M Microsoft reserved /dev/sda3 567296 487118847 486551552 232.1G Microsoft basic data /dev/sda4 487118848 488392703 1273856 622M Windows recovery environment /dev/sda5 488392704 976771071 488378368 233G Linux filesystem
In this example, the Ubuntu system is installed on /dev/sda5, which is a Linux filesystem partition. Note down the partition name for your system.
Next, run this command to mount the Ubuntu partition:
sudo mount /dev/sda5 /mnt
Replace /dev/sda5 with your partition name.
Then, run this command to install GRUB on the mounted partition:
sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sda
Replace /dev/sda with your disk name. This is usually the same as your partition name, but without the number at the end.
Finally, run this command to update GRUB:
sudo update-grub
After the commands finish running, reboot your computer and remove the USB drive. You should be able to boot into your Ubuntu system normally.
The initramfs error on Ubuntu can be annoying and frustrating, but it can be fixed with some simple commands or tools. In this article, we showed you how to fix the initramfs error by reinstalling or removing problematic packages, freeing up disk space in the /boot partition, or repairing or reinstalling GRUB.