[Bug 1173468] Re: kernel-image package doesn't check free space on /boot

[Jonathan Richards]

This is the state of my boot partition immediately after the upgrade
failed:

#df /boot
Filesystem     1K-blocks      Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda1         163322    152984      1906  99% /boot

I had removed a kernel package just before the update, because this
issue has affected me in the past. When I began do-release-upgrade the
Use% for /boot was 68%, i.e. I had 52263 IK-blocks (51 MiB) free.

For comparison, 
# du -BK /boot/*3.5.0-27*
shows that the four packages  linux-headers-3.5.0-27, linux-headers-3.5.0-27-generic, linux-image-3.5.0-27-generic, and linux-image-extra-3.5.0-27-generic (my currently running kernel) consumes 37.63 MiB on /boot, so I thought I was safe.  Go figure...

My fix: since this is an upgrade, remove the *oldest* kernel package set installed, which in my case was 3.5.0-17.
# dpkg -l | grep 3.5.0-17 | cut -b5-45 | xargs apt-get -s -y purge
The following packages will be REMOVED
  linux-headers-3.5.0-17* linux-headers-3.5.0-17-generic* linux-image-3.5.0-17-generic*  linux-image-extra-3.5.0-17-generic*

** The above command includes the -s 'simulate' switch.  When you're
happy with what will happen, repeat it without the -s **

I did, and apt-get proceeded to configure the new kernel (3.8.0.-19.35).
Now /boot has 32944 available blocks.

The conclusion seems to be that the kernel package installation uses
much more space while working than when it has finished; 51 MiB free is
insufficient to install a package set which uses less than 39 MiB of
/boot.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1173468

Title:
  kernel-image package doesn't check free space on /boot

Status in “ubuntu-release-upgrader” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Hi,

  I'm upgrading from to the latest Kubuntu release and the installer
  prompted me to raise a bug report when it got to configuring the
  linux-image package.

  I know what's happend - I've only got a ~100Mb boot partition and I've
  got a couple of kernel images installed already so there just isn't
  space to install the new image.

  Further information requested:

  1) The release of Ubuntu you are using, via 'lsb_release -rd' or System -> About Ubuntu
  Ubuntu 13.04 (upgrading from latest 12.10)

  2) The version of the package you are using, via 'apt-cache policy pkgname' or by checking in Software Center
  linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic 

  3) What you expected to happen
  Expected installer to check the required disk space before beginnning the upgrade process and refuse to install or for the package installation to fail with a less serious message.  Would be even nicer if the upgrader offered to resize the boot partition to be a bit larger or if the kernel-image package didn't keep so many old versions of itself installed

  4) What happened instead
  At the moment I get a message saying something like "package failed to install, please consider raising a bug report" -- I can't see the exact message as I'm half way through the upgrade and the KDE window manager seems to have disapeared...
  --- 
  ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8
  Architecture: amd64
  CrashDB: ubuntu
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-07-05 (296 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120423)
  MarkForUpload: True
  NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
  Package: ubuntu-release-upgrader (not installed)
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-19.29-generic 3.8.8
  Tags:  raring dist-upgrade
  Uname: Linux 3.8.0-19-generic x86_64
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to raring on 2013-04-27 (0 days ago)
  UserGroups: adm cdrom davfs2 dialout dip lpadmin netdev plugdev sambashare staff sudo www-data

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