34

I know this question is asked many times before, however with me it is just a bit different I guess.

# df -h
Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda3       224G  5.2G  208G   3% /
udev            1.9G  4.0K  1.9G   1% /dev
tmpfs           777M  260K  777M   1% /run
none            5.0M     0  5.0M   0% /run/lock
none            1.9G     0  1.9G   0% /run/shm
/dev/sda2        90M   88M     0 100% /boot
/dev/sda6       1.9G  514M  1.3G  29% /tmp

My boot partition is full.

Current Kernel:

# uname -r
3.2.0-35-generic

All Kernels:

# dpkg --list | grep linux-image
ii  linux-image-3.2.0-32-generic    3.2.0-32.51                         Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-image-3.2.0-34-generic    3.2.0-34.53                         Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-image-3.2.0-35-generic    3.2.0-35.55                         Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
iF  linux-image-3.2.0-37-generic    3.2.0-37.58                         Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
iF  linux-image-3.2.0-38-generic    3.2.0-38.60                         Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
iU  linux-image-generic             3.2.0.37.45                         Generic Linux kernel image

So I thought of removing the 3.2.0.32-generic kernel with:

# sudo apt-get purge linux-image-3.2.0-32-generic
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run 'apt-get -f install' to correct these:
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 linux-generic : Depends: linux-headers-generic (= 3.2.0.37.45) but 3.2.0.38.46 is to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).

No success.

When I try apt-get -f install it also fails:

# apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  linux-headers-3.2.0-34 linux-headers-3.2.0-35 linux-headers-3.2.0-34-generic linux-headers-3.2.0-35-generic
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
The following extra packages will be installed:
  linux-generic linux-image-generic
The following packages will be upgraded:
  linux-generic linux-image-generic
2 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 9 not upgraded.
5 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/4,334 B of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Setting up initramfs-tools (0.99ubuntu13.1) ...
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
Setting up linux-image-3.2.0-37-generic (3.2.0-37.58) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: deferring update (hook will be called later)
The link /initrd.img is a dangling linkto /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-38-generic
Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 3.2.0-37-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-37-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-37-generic

gzip: stdout: No space left on device
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 gzip 1
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-37-generic with 1.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-3.2.0-37-generic.postinst line 1010.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-3.2.0-37-generic (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Setting up linux-image-3.2.0-38-generic (3.2.0-38.60) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: deferring update (hook will be called later)
The link /initrd.img is a dangling linkto /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-37-generic
Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 3.2.0-38-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-38-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-38-generic

gzip: stdout: No space left on device
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 gzip 1
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-38-generic with 1.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-3.2.0-38-generic.postinst line 1010.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-3.2.0-38-generic (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-image-generic:
 linux-image-generic depends on linux-image-3.2.0-37-generic; however:
  Package linux-image-3.2.0-37-generic is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-generic (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-generic:
 linux-generic depends on linux-image-generic (= 3.2.0.37.45); however:
  Package linux-image-generic is not configured yet.
 linux-generic depends on linux-headers-generic (= 3.2.0.37.45); however:
  Version of linux-headers-generic on system is 3.2.0.38.46.
dpkg: error processing linux-generic (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Processing triggers for initramfs-tools ...
No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a previous failure.
No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
  update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-35-generic

gzip: stdout: No space left on device
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 gzip 1
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-35-generic with 1.
dpkg: error processing initramfs-tools (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-3.2.0-37-generic
 linux-image-3.2.0-38-generic
 linux-image-generic
 linux-generic
 initramfs-tools
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Any help would really be appreciated.

Update: I did:

sudo rm /boot/*-3.2.0-32-generic /boot/*-3.2.0-34-generic

After that the following problem with apt-get -f install:

root@localhost:/# apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  linux-generic
The following packages will be upgraded:
  linux-generic
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 9 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/1,722 B of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-generic:
 linux-generic depends on linux-image-generic (= 3.2.0.37.45); however:
  Version of linux-image-generic on system is 3.2.0.38.46.
 linux-generic depends on linux-headers-generic (= 3.2.0.37.45); however:
  Version of linux-headers-generic on system is 3.2.0.38.46.
dpkg: error processing linux-generic (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error     from a previous failure.
                      Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
Braiam
  • 69,112
Marcel
  • 341

7 Answers7

24

You cannot use apt-get when your kernel is outdated.

cd /boot
sudo rm *-2.6.35-6.9-generic
sudo rm *-3.16.0-23-generic

use ls to see what is in the folder remove the oldest one or two then

sudo apt-get -f install

Then you cen either apt-get purge as in 

sudo apt-get purge linux-image-3.2.0-32-generic linux-image-3.2.0-34-generic

or just continue with rm.

you should also sudo update-grub when you are finsihed

wlraider70
  • 1,683
10

Apparently, this works:

sudo apt-get autoremove

According to apt-get man-page:

autoremove is used to remove packages that were automatically installed to satisfy dependencies for other packages and are now no longer needed.

3.16.0-39 is the one I tried to install, but failed because /boot was full. 3.16.0-38 is my current version. You can see that -38 was skipped.

server:~$ uname -r
3.16.0-38-generic
server:~$ sudo apt-get autoremove 
[sudo] password for mikeb: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  linux-headers-3.16.0-30 linux-headers-3.16.0-30-generic
  linux-headers-3.16.0-31 linux-headers-3.16.0-31-generic
  linux-headers-3.16.0-33 linux-headers-3.16.0-33-generic
  linux-headers-3.16.0-34 linux-headers-3.16.0-34-generic
  linux-headers-3.16.0-36 linux-headers-3.16.0-36-generic
  linux-headers-3.16.0-39 linux-headers-3.16.0-39-generic
  linux-image-3.16.0-30-generic linux-image-3.16.0-31-generic
  linux-image-3.16.0-33-generic linux-image-3.16.0-34-generic
  linux-image-3.16.0-36-generic linux-image-3.16.0-39-generic
  linux-image-extra-3.16.0-30-generic linux-image-extra-3.16.0-31-generic
  linux-image-extra-3.16.0-33-generic linux-image-extra-3.16.0-34-generic
  linux-image-extra-3.16.0-36-generic linux-image-extra-3.16.0-39-generic
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 24 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
botchniaque
  • 163
ChePazzo
  • 209
8

In a terminal, execute the following command:

dpkg -l 'linux-*' | sed '/^ii/!d;/'"$(uname -r | sed "s/\(.*\)-\([^0-9]\+\)/\1/")"'/d;s/^[^ ]* [^ ]* \([^ ]*\).*/\1/;/[0-9]/!d' | xargs sudo apt-get purge

This command lists all currently installed Linux kernels, then selects all of the ones that are currently not used and removes them.

Zanna
  • 72,312
Django23
  • 81
  • 1
  • 3
2
dpkg -l 'linux-*' | sed '/^ii/!d;/'"$(uname -r | sed "s/\(.*\)-\([^0-9]\+\)/\1/")"'/d;s/^[^ ]* [^ ]* \([^ ]*\).*/\1/;/[0-9]/!d' | xargs sudo apt-get -y purge

If running the above command without the "sudo apt-get -y purge" matches your linux-libc-dev:amd64 you can add a semicolon to the regex to not include it: 

dpkg -l 'linux-*' | sed '/^ii/!d;/'"$(uname -r | sed "s/\(.*\)-\([^0-9]\+\)/\1/")"'/d;s/^[^ ]* [^ ]* \([^ :]*\).*/\1/;/[0-9]/!d' | xargs

Now just make sure it looks good and add the "sudo apt-get -y purge"

Cory W
  • 21
1

For Ubuntu 12.04 try this sudo apt-get purge linux-image-[kernel version]

This will delete any kernel version. If your boot folder has many kernels don't forget updating grub and rebooting your system

ex. sudo apt-get purge linux-image-3.11.6*

Community
  • 1
alisaleh
  • 35
  • 2
0

Many answers say to use "apt autoremove" but that may not work when /boot is full because apt tries to add kernels before removing. Next apt autoremove won't remove any kernels mentioned in /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/01autoremove-kernels so we need to fix that. Here is the process that worked for me.

Remove unwanted kernel config files.

sudo dpkg --purge $(COLUMNS=200 dpkg -l | grep "linux-image-extra" | grep "^rc" | tr -s ' ' | cut -d ' ' -f 2)

Update /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/01autoremove-kernels by running ...

sudo /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal

Hopefully apt autoremove will work.

sudo apt autoremove --purge

If not you should be able to manually remove very old and unused kernels from /boot.

First find out what kernel you are running.

uname -r

Don't remove you current kernel, or previous kernel.

sudo rm /boot/initrd.img-V.XX.Y-ZZ-generic

Now you should have enough room to try the apt autoremove again. If not, remove another very old kernel. Of course, keep current and next oldest.

Pablo Bianchi
  • 17,371
null
  • 1,423
-2

I hope this can help:

i usually delete old kernels using ubuntu-tweak janitor, nice GUI and easy :)

click on 'system' and there will be list of old kernels, just click it and clean

mohur
  • 269
  • 1
  • 7