Boot problem after update - missing 'lowerdir'

My Ubuntu 18.04 updated last night and now when I boot the system up it shows this message:

aufs aufs_fill_super:912:mount[1089]: no arg
overlayfs: missing 'lowerdir'

Any clues?

Solution 1:

I had the same issue. I booted in recovery mode and open the shell prompt. Then discovered that no free space left in my device (with df command). So I cleaned up space (menu in recovery mode has this item). And after that, the issue was resolved

Solution 2:

I had the same problem.

I solved it by removing Docker.

snap remove docker

Solution 3:

Problem

I guess it was after an update when I have had the same issue. In my case it was related to the Xorg / Nvidia graphics card driver, I guess. How this is connected to the corresponding error message, still is a mystery to me.

Past the passphrase-prompt for the decryption of the drive, I got the same error message.

aufs aufs_fill_super:912:mount[1089]: no arg
overlayfs: missing 'lowerdir'

Booting in verbose mode, I noticed an error somewhat like this where it hang:

Failed to connect to lvmetad.
Falling back to device scanning.
/dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg--root: clean, 500699/15081472 files, 9150222/60315648 blocks

I tried the following without success:

Freeing diskspace
rebuilding / updating initramfs and grub
/etc/lvm/lvm.conf: change use_lvmetad=1 to use_lvmetad=0

Solution:

Booting / login via recovery-mode was still possible so I could make the following changes. If the usual logging-in had not been possible I would have had to make the changes via chroot:

I had to change the driver: X.Org-X-Server to the proprietary NVIDIA driver
Not sure if that was necessary: sudo apt-get install --reinstall linux-image-4.15.0-54-generic (adjust to current version)

res: Failed to connect to lvmetad - Stuck on boot

Info / side-effects:

The driver swap also solved and other odd issue (gnome-shell high cpu) that I was experiencing: My gnome-shell-process constantly was using about 30-50% CPU(!) now it is on 1-2%.

Lastly, the constantly noisy fan:

There may be a way to manually change the fan-speed (http://www.upubuntu.com/2015/05/how-to-controladjust-gpu-fan-speed-for.html) or you can simply use the integrated GPU.

NVIDIA X Server Settings -> PRIME Profiles -> select Intel. (You have to logout and login again for this to take effect).

Solution 4:

Maybe it will be useful for someone ... On Ubuntu 20.04 after installing lightdm and choosing lightdm and uninstalling reboot displayed also this message. I was unable to log in to the system. Solution is as always: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCdRecovery Mounting disks like described in section: Update Failure. Then installing again lightdm: sudo apt-get install lightdm but choose gdm And the Ubuntu system booted normally this time.