Bug#525072: initramfs-tools: update-initramfs failure resulted in broken dpkg and presumably unbootable system

[maximilian attems <max@stro.at>]

On Tue, Apr 21, 2009 at 10:49:25PM +0100, Jon Dowland wrote:
> 
> ~# dpkg --configure -a
> Setting up initramfs-tools (0.93.2) ...
> update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
> Setting up linux-image-2.6.26-1-686 (2.6.26-13) ...
> Running depmod.
> Running mkinitramfs-kpkg.
> Deprecation WARNING: use update-initramfs(8)
> cpio: ./etc/modprobe.d/arch-aliases.conf: Cannot stat: No such file or directory
> mkinitramfs-kpkg failed to create initrd image.
> Failed to create initrd image.
> dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.26-1-686 (--configure):
>  subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 9
> dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-image-2.6-686:
>  linux-image-2.6-686 depends on linux-image-2.6.26-2-686; however:
>   Package linux-image-2.6.26-2-686 is not installed.
> dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6-686 (--configure):
>  dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
> Processing triggers for initramfs-tools ...
> update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-1-686
> cpio: ./etc/modprobe.d/arch-aliases.conf: Cannot stat: No such file or directory
> update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-1-686
> dpkg: subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
> 
> 
> 
> I'm a bit stumped how to get myself out of this one. At the
> moment I cannot do any dpkg operations and I'm not too
> confident my system will boot this kernel if I restart it.

please post the output of those commands:
sh -x mkinitramfs -o /tmp/foo
ls -l /etc/modprobe.d/arch-aliases.conf
cat /etc/kernel-img.conf