EDIT: This is not a duplicate as the other questions reference removing old kernel versions, however I only have newer kernel versions that I can remove. I want to understand (a) if there will be problems removing newer kernel versions and (b) how come the system isn't using the latest installed kernel version.
EDIT 2: I am not asking how to remove kernels, I am asking what the consequence (if any) of removing newer kernels is.
I am running Ubuntu 16 and I just tried to apt-get upgrade but hit some problems due to /boot being 100% full.
I have read a number of posts about how to purge kernels, but of all the kernels in /boot, I am apparently using the oldest one!
Do I purge some of the newer kernels? Will this cause other problems? I understand I may need to truncate some of the files to create space in order to purge.
How come the system isn't using the latest kernel? Have I done something wrong in the past when apt-get upgrading?
Here is what I have:
www-server:/boot# ls -l
total 465165
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1239577 Apr 18 2017 abi-4.4.0-21-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1245659 Feb 23 2017 abi-4.4.0-65-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1245512 Mar 3 2017 abi-4.4.0-66-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1245659 Mar 22 2017 abi-4.4.0-70-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1245659 Mar 24 2017 abi-4.4.0-71-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1245659 Mar 31 2017 abi-4.4.0-72-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1246246 Apr 20 13:02 abi-4.4.0-75-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1246312 Apr 27 19:24 abi-4.4.0-78-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1246311 May 17 23:09 abi-4.4.0-79-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1246311 Jun 14 13:24 abi-4.4.0-81-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1246511 Jun 26 20:45 abi-4.4.0-83-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1246670 Jul 18 16:00 abi-4.4.0-87-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 189412 Apr 18 2017 config-4.4.0-21-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190236 Feb 23 2017 config-4.4.0-65-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190247 Mar 3 2017 config-4.4.0-66-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190236 Mar 22 2017 config-4.4.0-70-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190236 Mar 24 2017 config-4.4.0-71-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190236 Mar 31 2017 config-4.4.0-72-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190214 Apr 20 13:02 config-4.4.0-75-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190355 Apr 27 19:24 config-4.4.0-78-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190356 May 17 23:09 config-4.4.0-79-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190356 Jun 14 13:24 config-4.4.0-81-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190356 Jun 26 20:45 config-4.4.0-83-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190356 Jul 18 16:00 config-4.4.0-87-generic
drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 1024 Jun 7 12:18 grub
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 35701907 Apr 18 2017 initrd.img-4.4.0-21-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 36237310 Mar 2 2017 initrd.img-4.4.0-65-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 36226866 Mar 8 2017 initrd.img-4.4.0-66-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 36238987 Mar 28 2017 initrd.img-4.4.0-70-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 36239208 Mar 30 2017 initrd.img-4.4.0-71-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 36238449 Apr 5 2017 initrd.img-4.4.0-72-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 36239920 Apr 25 06:55 initrd.img-4.4.0-75-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 36236616 May 17 16:49 initrd.img-4.4.0-78-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 36235856 Jun 7 12:18 initrd.img-4.4.0-79-generic
drwx------ 2 root root 12288 Apr 28 2016 lost+found
-rw------- 1 root root 3853719 Apr 18 2017 System.map-4.4.0-21-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3882407 Feb 23 2017 System.map-4.4.0-65-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3883990 Mar 3 2017 System.map-4.4.0-66-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3882277 Mar 22 2017 System.map-4.4.0-70-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3882277 Mar 24 2017 System.map-4.4.0-71-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3882277 Mar 31 2017 System.map-4.4.0-72-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3883390 Apr 20 13:02 System.map-4.4.0-75-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3882872 Apr 27 19:24 System.map-4.4.0-78-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3883279 May 17 23:09 System.map-4.4.0-79-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3883391 Jun 14 13:24 System.map-4.4.0-81-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3883887 Jun 26 20:45 System.map-4.4.0-83-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3884173 Jul 18 16:00 System.map-4.4.0-87-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7013968 Apr 18 2017 vmlinuz-4.4.0-21-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7082608 Feb 23 2017 vmlinuz-4.4.0-65-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7087024 Mar 3 2017 vmlinuz-4.4.0-66-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7083344 Mar 22 2017 vmlinuz-4.4.0-70-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7083344 Mar 24 2017 vmlinuz-4.4.0-71-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7083248 Mar 31 2017 vmlinuz-4.4.0-72-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7081872 Apr 20 13:02 vmlinuz-4.4.0-75-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7089552 Apr 27 19:24 vmlinuz-4.4.0-78-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7091696 May 17 23:09 vmlinuz-4.4.0-79-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7092784 Jun 14 13:24 vmlinuz-4.4.0-81-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7092720 Jun 26 20:45 vmlinuz-4.4.0-83-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7095888 Jul 18 16:00 vmlinuz-4.4.0-87-generic
www-server:/boot# uname -r
4.4.0-21-generic
