Upgrading from LMDE 5 to LMDE 6 fails on dpkg error

[Cpyte-Engine-Developer]

Error message:
DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive DEBIAN_PRIORITY=critical apt-get install -fyq
Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
android-libcrypto-utils clangd-11 ftp gcc-13-base gcc-13-base:i386
kdevelop56-libs libcmark-gfm-extensions0 libcmark-gfm0 libgdl-3-5
libgdl-3-common libgeos-3.9.0 libgig9 libgl1-mesa-dev libgles-dev libgles1
libglvnd-core-dev libglvnd-dev libgtkspell3-3-0 libhawtjni-runtime-java
libjansi-native-java libjson-glib-1.0-0:i386 libkdecorations2private7
liblept5 liblldb-11 libprotoc23 librest-0.7-0:i386 librtmidi5 libsharpyuv0
libsoundio1 libsoup-gnome2.4-1:i386 libstk-4.6.1 libyaml-cpp0.6
linux-headers-5.10.0-22-amd64 linux-headers-5.10.0-22-common
linux-headers-5.10.0-23-amd64 linux-headers-5.10.0-23-common
linux-image-5.10.0-22-amd64 linux-image-5.10.0-23-amd64 lld-11
mint-backgrounds-vera python3-mistune python3-mock python3-neovim
python3-pbr python3-testpath steam:i386 telnet x11proto-input-dev
x11proto-randr-dev x11proto-xf86dga-dev x11proto-xinerama-dev
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
4 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up linux-image-6.1.0-26-amd64 (6.1.112-1) ...
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms:
dkms: running auto installation service for kernel 6.1.0-26-amd64.
Sign command: /usr/lib/linux-kbuild-6.1/scripts/sign-file
Signing key: /var/lib/dkms/mok.key
Public certificate (MOK): /var/lib/dkms/mok.pub
Error! The /var/lib/dkms/wireguard/1.0.20210219/6.1.0-26-amd64/x86_64/dkms.conf for module wireguard includes a BUILD_EXCLUSIVE directive which does not match this kernel/arch/config.
This indicates that it should not be built.
Error! One or more modules failed to install during autoinstall.
Refer to previous errors for more information.
dkms: autoinstall for kernel: 6.1.0-26-amd64 failed!
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms exited with return code 11
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-6.1.0-26-amd64 (--configure):
installed linux-image-6.1.0-26-amd64 package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Setting up linux-headers-6.1.0-26-amd64 (6.1.112-1) ...
/etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms:
dkms: running auto installation service for kernel 6.1.0-26-amd64.
Sign command: /usr/lib/linux-kbuild-6.1/scripts/sign-file
Signing key: /var/lib/dkms/mok.key
Public certificate (MOK): /var/lib/dkms/mok.pub
Error! The /var/lib/dkms/wireguard/1.0.20210219/6.1.0-26-amd64/x86_64/dkms.conf for module wireguard includes a BUILD_EXCLUSIVE directive which does not match this kernel/arch/config.
This indicates that it should not be built.
Error! One or more modules failed to install during autoinstall.
Refer to previous errors for more information.
dkms: autoinstall for kernel: 6.1.0-26-amd64 failed!
run-parts: /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms exited with return code 11
Failed to process /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-headers-6.1.0-26-amd64.postinst line 11.
dpkg: error processing package linux-headers-6.1.0-26-amd64 (--configure):
installed linux-headers-6.1.0-26-amd64 package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-headers-amd64:
linux-headers-amd64 depends on linux-headers-6.1.0-26-amd64 (= 6.1.112-1); however:
Package linux-headers-6.1.0-26-amd64 is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-headers-amd64 (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-image-amd64:
linux-image-amd64 depends on linux-image-6.1.0-26-amd64 (= 6.1.112-1); however:
Package linux-image-6.1.0-26-amd64 is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-image-amd64 (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
linux-image-6.1.0-26-amd64
linux-headers-6.1.0-26-amd64
linux-headers-amd64
linux-image-amd64
needrestart is being skipped since dpkg has failed
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
Error - Return code: 100

[Jeremy7701]

Running apt-get with options -f (fix broken) -y (answer yes to all prompts) -q (quiet output) seems reckless.
Hasn't LMDE5 reached end of life?
Might be a good idea to check that you aren't using LMDE6 repositories.

[Cpyte-Engine-Developer]

I want to upgrade to lmde 6 using mintupgrade but get this error.

[carlosmintfan]

Run dpkg -S /var/lib/dkms/wireguard. Maybe you should remove the package that provided that directory, but tell me which it is before; it could cause even more trouble.

[ZenAdm1n]

I was about to post a similar issue when I saw this. Here's how I fixed it.

mintupgrade 2025.10.07 fails when needrestart is installed.

needrestart appends a postinstall hook to apt. This causes mintupgrade to fail upgrading LMDE6 to LMDE7. "apt remove needrestart" and running the update again fixes the issue.