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I ve a problem while updating my system. I figured out that there is a problem by updating grub during the "sudo apt upgrade".

Removing linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic (5.4.0-42.46) ...
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools:
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-42-generic
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub:
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub'
/usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 11: /etc/default/grub: : Permission denied
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub exited with return code 127
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic (--remove):
 installed linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic package post-removal script subprocess returned error exit status 1
dpkg: too many errors, stopping
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic
Processing was halted because there were too many errors.
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

than I tried also "sudo update-grub" and got this

Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub'
/usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 11: /etc/default/grub: : Permission denied

The grub file (/etc/default/grub) itself looks the following:

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
# For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
#   info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden
GRUB_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX= ""

# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true                                                                                           
# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

"ls -ldh /etc/default/grub"

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1,2K Nov 30 21:41 /etc/default/grub

Does anyone have an idea?

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  • When you update-grub it is reading this file, so check the contents of sudo gedit /etc/default/grub and post that for us please. Nov 30, 2020 at 22:31
  • @steeldriver You are correct. I tested this out and got the same error so this appears to be the answer.
    – mchid
    Nov 30, 2020 at 23:22

1 Answer 1

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The error is the space in the assignment in

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX= "" 

at line 11 of the /etc/default/grub file. It causes the shell (probably /bin/sh) to parse it as "assign nothing to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX and then run a command with no name with GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX in its environment".

You can replicate the format of the error as follows:

$ sh -c 'GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX= ""'
sh: 1: : Permission denied

whereas bash reports the somewhat more helpful

$ bash -c 'GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX= ""'
bash: : command not found

The line should read

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

although GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX= should work as well.

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  • I want to add that the space between the equal sign and the double quotation mark was my downfall and this answer saved my sanity. I find the documentation for Grub very confusing and incomplete in parts. Jan 21 at 22:41

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