How to fix E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1) during kernel installation in APT

The most common and straightforward fix is to reconfigure the dpkg package database, which can repair corruption from interrupted operations:

sudo dpkg --configure -a

This command completes any pending configurations and clears the package manager's stuck state. Wait for it to complete fully before proceeding.

After reconfiguring dpkg, fix any broken dependencies that may remain:

sudo apt install -f

or alternatively:

sudo apt --fix-broken install

This attempts to resolve missing or conflicting packages and complete the interrupted installation.

A common cause of kernel installation failures is a full /boot partition. Check current space usage:

df -h /boot

If /boot is more than 90% full, remove old kernel versions:

sudo apt autoremove --purge

To manually remove a specific old kernel (replace VERSION with actual version):

sudo apt remove --purge linux-image-VERSION
sudo apt remove --purge linux-headers-VERSION

Clear the package cache to remove corrupted or incomplete downloaded files:

sudo apt clean
sudo apt update

Then attempt the kernel installation again:

sudo apt upgrade

If the above steps don't work, you may need to force-remove the problematic kernel package. First, identify which kernel version is causing issues by checking the error output. Then remove it:

sudo apt remove --purge linux-image-X.XX.X-XX-generic

Replace the version numbers with the actual kernel version from the error message. After removal:

sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt install -f

Verify that you have adequate free space on your root partition (at least 500MB free recommended for kernel operations):

df -h /

If disk space is critically low (less than 10% free), remove unnecessary files or applications. You can find large files with:

sudo du -sh /var/cache/*
sudo du -sh /tmp/*

Then clean up cache directories:

sudo apt clean
sudo apt autoclean
sudo rm -rf /tmp/*

If you have VirtualBox, Anbox, or other software that compiles kernel modules, these may fail to compile during kernel updates. As a temporary measure, uninstall them:

sudo apt remove --purge virtualbox-dkms
sudo apt remove --purge anbox-modules-dkms

Then retry the kernel installation. After the kernel is successfully installed, you can reinstall these packages if needed.

If the above steps don't resolve the issue, attempt a clean installation. First, check the dpkg log for the exact error:

tail -100 /var/log/dpkg.log

If you see a specific package name failing (e.g., linux-image-5.10.0-18), remove all related packages:

sudo apt remove --purge linux-image-5.10.0-18-generic
sudo apt remove --purge linux-headers-5.10.0-18
sudo apt remove --purge linux-headers-5.10.0-18-generic

Then clean and update:

sudo apt clean
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade