[Bug 1183692] Re: Not enough disk space for kernel security update on /boot

[Not Martin Wimpress]

*** This bug is a duplicate of bug 1357093 ***
    https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1357093

Apparently, according to this page:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RemoveOldKernels -- you're ultimately
responsible for keeping /boot clean because there's no "automatic"
mechanism by which old kernels are purged. I've found in my Lubuntu
16.04 installation that the easiest way of doing this is simply "sudo
apt autoremove" but in other distros like LM, I would simulate a run
first by doing a "sudo apt-get -s autoremove" to ensure nothing odd will
get removed (such as VLC if xplayer is removed as VLC will act as an
orphan dependency in that situation.) Many "unneeded dependency"
packages can get marked as "auto removable" -- not just old kernels.

Btw, that Ubuntu article mentions autoremove not "purging" the old
kernels...in my own testing on Lubuntu 16.04, the old kernels were
indeed marked as "auto removable"...I simply did "sudo apt autoremove"
and that freed up /boot to 25% used (a "freshly-normal" size with LVM),
so I'm assuming that was an error (or someone else can correct me here.)
The "unattended-upgrades" package was NOT installed by default...that's
apparently another error in the article, as it says, "The unattended-
upgrades package, included with the default install of all Ubuntu
flavors..."

If you're on LM, then do the byobu -> "purge old kernels" method
described here:
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?p=1242953#p1242953 -- for
whatever reason, the devs there don't mark old kernels as "auto
removable" so you need to jump these extra hoops on Mint.

Personally, I think a clear warning message should appear in the
Ubiquity installer when choosing to select LVM encryption about how
/boot needs to be *manually* cleaned after 3-4 kernel installs. That
shouldn't be too hard to do right? It seems like there's a new kernel
every 2 weeks these days -- which only compounds the problem.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1183692

Title:
  Not enough disk space for kernel security update on /boot

Status in update-manager package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Hi all

  I am using Ubuntu 12.10 and have just received the newest update
  notification from the update-manager marked as security updates. (This
  is NOT a release upgrade, but the regular security update)

  The update-manager tells me now that there is insufficient space on /boot to install these updates.
  The problem obviously is that too many kernels are installed: 3.5.0-17, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 30

  Which leaves 27MB space:
  Filesystem               Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
  /dev/sda1                228M  190M   27M  88% /boot

  Update Manager reports that it needs at least 33.2MB space for this
  update:

  "The upgrade needs a total of 33.2 M free space on disk '/boot'.
  Please free at least an additional 5,520 k of disk space on '/boot'.
  Empty your trash and remove temporary packages of former installations
  using 'sudo apt-get clean'."

  The hint in the message does not help for /boot.
  While I can fix this myself, I believe that this is not acceptable for an average end user to research and fix.
  Update-Manager should at least offer the option to remove old kernels (which it installed itself by security updates) in order for the security updates to proceed.

  
  I found an answer on AskUbuntu.com (http://askubuntu.com/questions/142926/cant-upgrade-due-to-low-disk-space-on-boot) which will help fix the issue. 

  TL;DR:

  -- 1 -- Release: 12.10
  -- 2 -- Installed Version of update-manager: 1:0.174.4
  -- 3 -- Expected:
  Security update should be installed. 
  -- 4 -- Happened:
  Failed because of insufficient disk space on /boot
  (Too many old kernels previously installed and not removed by update-manager)

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