the linux-image .postrm script is (through some mechanism) invoking /sbin/update-grub.
/sbin/update-grub gives a warning now: You shouldn't call /sbin/update-grub. Please call /usr/sbin/update-grub instead! except that warning is sent on stdout. stdout in the .postrm script is hooked up through some pipe for some sort of parent/child communication and the result is that this /sbin/update-grub warning ends up being sent to the parent, and the parent doesn't like it: 21891 write(1, "You shouldn\'t call /sbin/update-"..., 81) = 81 21884 <... read resumed> "You shouldn\'t call /sbin/update-"..., 4096) = 81 21884 write(7, "20 Unsupported command \"you\" (fu"..., 154) = 154 this is what eventually causes the exit 128. the real problem is the kernel .postrm mechanisms which are spawning a zillion children with stdout still hooked up to the IPC mechanism. please dup stderr ontop of stdout and reopen stdin from /dev/null for children. so why is the .postrm invoking /sbin/update-grub? in my case it's because of the contents of my /etc/kernel-img.conf: postinst_hook = update-grub postrm_hook = update-grub despite the fact that /sbin trails /usr/sbin in my PATH there's code in .postrm which overrides the PATH: for my $path ('/bin', '/sbin', '/usr/bin', '/usr/sbin') { if (-x "$path/$script") { &exec_script($type, "$path/$script"); return 0; } } thus ensuring that the silly /sbin/update-grub wrapper is invoked. the grub package suggests those hooks should refer to /usr/sbin/update-grub -- which would stop the kernel .postrm from screwing up (but would hide the stdin/out IPC bug). my most recently freshly installed box (from etch beta3 installer) has a kernel-img.conf without the full pathnames on update-grub... i'm not sure who is responsible for messing those up. maybe this is fixed in rc1 installer? dunno. anyhow, to summarize: - kernel .postrm script needs to be more careful with its spawned children so as to not screw up its IPC mechanism - something messed up /etc/kernel-img.conf and didn't put the /usr/sbin paths on the hooks... if someone has a rc1-installed box please take a peek in there to see if it has been fixed. -dean -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]