Public bug reported:
On Kubuntu 26.04 (resolute), installing or retaining virtualbox-7.2 causes
apt dist-upgrade to select unrelated kernel flavours.
virtualbox-7.2 declares:
Recommends: linux-image
The unversioned virtual package linux-image is provided by multiple Ubuntu
kernel flavours. Consequently, APT may select cloud-specific flavours rather
than the installed normal generic kernel track.
On this host, which already has linux-generic, linux-image-generic, and
linux-headers-generic installed, an apt dist-upgrade simulation proposed:
linux-base-sgx
linux-modules-7.0.0-1013-azure-fde
linux-image-7.0.0-1013-azure-fde
Earlier it also proposed a GKE kernel; after excluding that flavour it moved
on to Azure, and then Oracle, showing that the resolver is choosing arbitrary
providers of the virtual linux-image capability.
Relevant evidence:
apt-cache rdepends --installed linux-image-7.0.0-1013-azure-fde
returned:
virtualbox-7.2 Recommends linux-image
The Azure-FDE package metadata contains:
Provides: linux-image
Expected behaviour:
VirtualBox should not cause APT to install an unrelated kernel flavour when
the system already tracks the standard linux-generic kernel meta-package.
Actual behaviour:
APT selects an arbitrary provider of the broad virtual linux-image
recommendation, which can alter the GRUB default and break out-of-tree driver
availability, including NVIDIA modules.
Possible resolution:
Remove or replace the broad legacy Recommends: linux-image dependency with
modern, appropriately constrained kernel/header/DKMS packaging.
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 26.04
Package: virtualbox (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 7.0.0-34.34-generic 7.0.14
Uname: Linux 7.0.0-34-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.34.1-0ubuntu0.1
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Fri Oct 2 15:19:58 2026
InstallationDate: Installed on 2026-04-01 (184 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 25.10 "Questing Quokka" - Release amd64 (20251007)
SourcePackage: virtualbox
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to resolute on 2026-05-15 (140 days ago)
** Affects: virtualbox (Ubuntu)
Importance: Undecided
Status: New
** Tags: amd64 apport-bug resolute
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2169247
Title:
virtualbox-7.2 Recommends: linux-image causes APT to install arbitrary
cloud kernel flavours
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