[Bug 798414] Re: update-initramfs should produce a more helpful error when there isn't enough free space

[Redoubts]

Note that the autoremove trick won't work for kernels installed before a fix was released.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/precise/+source/aptitude/+bug/923876/comments/45

You can make the tedium of manual removal slightly easier with curly-braces. The following would expand into several packages:
apt-get remove  linux-image-extra-3.8.0-{19,23,24,25,etc.}-generic  # please verify numbers before running

Also note that you have a few 3.5 kernels (eg 3.5.0-28-generic) along
with your 3.8 kernels, which may appear to be newer, even thought they
are less relevant now.

It's a shame they placed your carburetor behind the timing belt.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/798414

Title:
  update-initramfs should produce a more helpful error when there isn't
  enough  free space

Status in tools for generating an initramfs:
  New
Status in “initramfs-tools” package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: initramfs-tools

  When generating a new initramfs there is no check for available free
  space, subsequently its possible for update-initramfs to fail due to a
  lack of free space.  This is resulting in package installation
  failures for initramfs-tools.  For example:

  Setting up initramfs-tools (0.98.8ubuntu3) ...
  update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
  Processing triggers for initramfs-tools ...
  update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic

  gzip: stdout: No space left on device
  E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 gzip 1
  update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic
  dpkg: error processing initramfs-tools (--configure):
   subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

  WORKAROUND:

  Remove unused kernels using computer janitor or manually free space on
  your partition containing the /boot file system.

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