Ubuntu 20.04: apt upgrade installs DKMS, autoremove removes it

[Wrichik Basu]

I wouldn't call this a problem, but every time I upgrade packages via sudo apt upgrade, DKMS is installed. After that, as soon as I execute sudo apt autoremove, DKMS is uninstalled. This has started after I changed the drivers for NVIDIA GeForce MX130 from the open-source X.Org driver to proprietary NVIDIA 460 driver.

Some lines from the terminal:
[CODE lang="bash" title="sudo apt upgrade"]~$ sudo apt upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
linux-headers-5.8.0-43-generic linux-hwe-5.8-headers-5.8.0-43
linux-image-5.8.0-43-generic linux-modules-5.8.0-43-generic
linux-modules-extra-5.8.0-43-generic
The following packages will be upgraded:
firefox firefox-locale-en gdm3 gir1.2-gdm-1.0 gnome-control-center
gnome-control-center-data gnome-control-center-faces libgdm1
libgnome-autoar-0-0 libldap-2.4-2 libldap-2.4-2:i386 libldap-common
linux-generic-hwe-20.04 linux-headers-generic-hwe-20.04
linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04 snapd
16 upgraded, 5 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 166 MB of archives.
After this operation, 373 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
# <...Some lines removed...>
Setting up gnome-control-center-faces (1:3.36.5-0ubuntu1) ...
Setting up linux-headers-5.8.0-43-generic (5.8.0-43.49~20.04.1) ...
/etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms:
* dkms: running auto installation service for kernel 5.8.0-43-generic

Kernel preparation unnecessary for this kernel. Skipping...
applying patch disable_fstack-clash-protection_fcf-protection.patch...patching f
ile Kbuild
Hunk #1 succeeded at 85 (offset 14 lines).Building module:
cleaning build area...
unset ARCH; [ ! -h /usr/bin/cc ] && export CC=/usr/bin/gcc; env NV_VERBOSE=1 'ma
ke' -j8 NV_EXCLUDE_BUILD_MODULES='' KERNEL_UNAME=5.8.0-43-generic IGNORE_XEN_PRE
SENCE=1 IGNORE_CC_MISMATCH=1 SYSSRC=/lib/modules/5.8.0-43-generic/build LD=/usr/
bin/ld.bfd modules......
Signing module:
- /var/lib/dkms/nvidia/460.32.03/5.8.0-43-generic/x86_64/module/nvidia-drm.ko
- /var/lib/dkms/nvidia/460.32.03/5.8.0-43-generic/x86_64/module/nvidia.ko
- /var/lib/dkms/nvidia/460.32.03/5.8.0-43-generic/x86_64/module/nvidia-uvm.ko
- /var/lib/dkms/nvidia/460.32.03/5.8.0-43-generic/x86_64/module/nvidia-modeset.
ko
Secure Boot not enabled on this system.
cleaning build area...

DKMS: build completed.

nvidia.ko:
Running module version sanity check.
- Original module
- No original module exists within this kernel
- Installation
- Installing to /lib/modules/5.8.0-43-generic/updates/dkms/

nvidia-modeset.ko:
Running module version sanity check.
- Original module
- No original module exists within this kernel
- Installation
- Installing to /lib/modules/5.8.0-43-generic/updates/dkms/

nvidia-drm.ko:
Running module version sanity check.
- Original module
- No original module exists within this kernel
- Installation
- Installing to /lib/modules/5.8.0-43-generic/updates/dkms/

nvidia-uvm.ko:
Running module version sanity check.
- Original module
- No original module exists within this kernel
- Installation
- Installing to /lib/modules/5.8.0-43-generic/updates/dkms/

depmod...

DKMS: install completed.
...done.
Setting up linux-modules-extra-5.8.0-43-generic (5.8.0-43.49~20.04.1) ...
Setting up libldap-2.4-2:amd64 (2.4.49+dfsg-2ubuntu1.6) ...
Setting up libldap-2.4-2:i386 (2.4.49+dfsg-2ubuntu1.6) ...
Setting up linux-headers-generic-hwe-20.04 (5.8.0.43.49~20.04.29) ...
Setting up linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04 (5.8.0.43.49~20.04.29) ...
Setting up linux-generic-hwe-20.04 (5.8.0.43.49~20.04.29) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.24-1ubuntu3) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.64ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.36.0-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for libglib2.0-0:i386 (2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.1) ...
Processing triggers for libglib2.0-0:amd64 (2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.1) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.31-0ubuntu9.2) ...
Processing triggers for systemd (245.4-4ubuntu3.4) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.9.1-1) ...
Processing triggers for dbus (1.12.16-2ubuntu2.1) ...
Setting up gir1.2-gdm-1.0:amd64 (3.36.3-0ubuntu0.20.04.3) ...
Setting up gnome-control-center (1:3.36.5-0ubuntu1) ...
Setting up gdm3 (3.36.3-0ubuntu0.20.04.3) ...
Processing triggers for linux-image-5.8.0-43-generic (5.8.0-43.49~20.04.1) ...
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms:
* dkms: running auto installation service for kernel 5.8.0-43-generic
...done.
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools:
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-43-generic
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-update-grub:
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub'
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub.d/init-select.cfg'
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-43-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-43-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-41-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-41-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-40-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-40-generic
Adding boot menu entry for UEFI Firmware Settings
done
[/CODE][CODE lang="bash" title="sudo apt autoremove"]~$ sudo apt autoremove
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
linux-headers-5.8.0-40-generic linux-hwe-5.8-headers-5.8.0-40
linux-image-5.8.0-40-generic linux-modules-5.8.0-40-generic
linux-modules-extra-5.8.0-40-generic
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 5 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 372 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database ... 287934 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-headers-5.8.0-40-generic (5.8.0-40.45~20.04.1) ...
Removing linux-hwe-5.8-headers-5.8.0-40 (5.8.0-40.45~20.04.1) ...
Removing linux-modules-extra-5.8.0-40-generic (5.8.0-40.45~20.04.1) ...
Removing linux-image-5.8.0-40-generic (5.8.0-40.45~20.04.1) ...
/etc/kernel/prerm.d/dkms:
dkms: removing: nvidia 460.32.03 (5.8.0-40-generic) (x86_64)

-------- Uninstall Beginning --------
Module: nvidia
Version: 460.32.03
Kernel: 5.8.0-40-generic (x86_64)
-------------------------------------

Status: Before uninstall, this module version was ACTIVE on this kernel.

nvidia.ko:
- Uninstallation
- Deleting from: /lib/modules/5.8.0-40-generic/updates/dkms/
- Original module
- No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
- Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.nvidia-modeset.ko:
- Uninstallation
- Deleting from: /lib/modules/5.8.0-40-generic/updates/dkms/
- Original module
- No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
- Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.nvidia-drm.ko:
- Uninstallation
- Deleting from: /lib/modules/5.8.0-40-generic/updates/dkms/
- Original module
- No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
- Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.nvidia-uvm.ko:
- Uninstallation
- Deleting from: /lib/modules/5.8.0-40-generic/updates/dkms/
- Original module
- No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
- Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

depmod...

DKMS: uninstall completed.
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools:
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-40-generic
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub:
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub'
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub.d/init-select.cfg'
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-43-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-43-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-41-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-41-generic
Adding boot menu entry for UEFI Firmware Settings
done
Removing linux-modules-5.8.0-40-generic (5.8.0-40.45~20.04.1) ...
[/CODE]
Why is Ubuntu installing DKMS if it can be removed with autoremove?

 

[pbuk]

DKMS is the package that installs and removes kernals. Read the messages logs again: DKMS is not being installed or removed, it is reporting the installation and removal of linux kernal modules.

 

[Wrichik Basu]

DKMS is the package that installs and removes kernals. Read the messages logs again: DKMS is not being installed or removed, it is reporting the installation and removal of linux kernal modules.

Oh, okay. Actually the following line lead me to believe that DKMS was being installed and uninstalled:

DKMS: uninstall completed.