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

Hobson Lane 798414 at bugs.launchpad.net
Sat May 14 17:58:00 UTC 2016 

For those that can no longer run autoremove (like me, above), and don't
like messing around int he /boot drive without someone else giving them
reassurance, here's what I did:

# figure out what the oldest kernel files are named (version) so you can
delete them:

(tp)hobson at hobs-dell:/boot$ ls -al
total 224219
drwxr-xr-x  5 root root     3072 May 14 10:47 .
drwxr-xr-x 23 root root     4096 May 10 08:50 ..
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  1312643 Feb 25 19:17 abi-4.2.0-30-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  1312645 Mar 10 16:11 abi-4.2.0-34-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  1313029 Mar 15 17:45 abi-4.2.0-35-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  1313407 Apr 18 12:49 abi-4.2.0-36-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   184888 Feb 25 19:17 config-4.2.0-30-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   184888 Mar 10 16:11 config-4.2.0-34-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   184888 Mar 15 17:45 config-4.2.0-35-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   184888 Apr 18 12:49 config-4.2.0-36-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root      945 Mar 15 18:07 crontab -u root
drwx------  3 root root     4096 Dec 31  1969 efi
drwxr-xr-x  5 root root     1024 May 10 08:51 grub
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  9392125 Feb 12 08:29 initrd.img-4.2.0-21-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 35759751 Feb 29 09:07 initrd.img-4.2.0-30-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 35783679 Mar 15 17:57 initrd.img-4.2.0-34-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 35807230 Apr 12 08:32 initrd.img-4.2.0-35-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 35808742 May 10 08:51 initrd.img-4.2.0-36-generic
drwx------  2 root root    12288 Nov  9  2015 lost+found
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   182704 Aug 27  2015 memtest86+.bin
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   184380 Aug 27  2015 memtest86+.elf
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   184840 Aug 27  2015 memtest86+_multiboot.bin
-rw-------  1 root root  3744565 Feb 25 19:17 System.map-4.2.0-30-generic
-rw-------  1 root root  3744589 Mar 10 16:11 System.map-4.2.0-34-generic
-rw-------  1 root root  3745312 Mar 15 17:45 System.map-4.2.0-35-generic
-rw-------  1 root root  3745958 Apr 18 12:49 System.map-4.2.0-36-generic
-rw-------  1 root root  6808720 Feb 25 19:17 vmlinuz-4.2.0-30-generic
-rw-------  1 root root  6810648 Feb 29 09:07 vmlinuz-4.2.0-30-generic.efi.signed
-rw-------  1 root root  6808528 Mar 10 16:11 vmlinuz-4.2.0-34-generic
-rw-------  1 root root  6810456 Mar 14 08:58 vmlinuz-4.2.0-34-generic.efi.signed
-rw-------  1 root root  6829104 Mar 15 17:45 vmlinuz-4.2.0-35-generic
-rw-------  1 root root  6831032 Apr  5 09:02 vmlinuz-4.2.0-35-generic.efi.signed
-rw-------  1 root root  6830512 Apr 18 12:49 vmlinuz-4.2.0-36-generic
-rw-------  1 root root  6832440 May 10 08:51 vmlinuz-4.2.0-36-generic.efi.signed

# insert your oldest kernel version number here:

(tp)hobson at hobs-del:/boot$ sudo rm *4.2.0-30*

# that should give you enough breathing room for gzip and autoremove to
operate:

(tp)hobson at hobs-del:/boot$ sudo apt-get autoremove -y
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 69 not upgraded.
5 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up linux-image-extra-4.2.0-36-generic (4.2.0-36.41) ...
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 4.2.0-36-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-36-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms 4.2.0-36-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-36-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 4.2.0-36-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-36-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.2.0-36-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/pm-utils 4.2.0-36-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-36-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/unattended-upgrades 4.2.0-36-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-36-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/update-notifier 4.2.0-36-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-36-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-update-grub 4.2.0-36-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-36-generic
Generating grub configuration file ...
Warning: Setting GRUB_TIMEOUT to a non-zero value when GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT is set is no longer supported.
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-36-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.2.0-36-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-35-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.2.0-35-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-34-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.2.0-34-generic
Adding boot menu entry for EFI firmware configuration
done
Setting up linux-image-generic (4.2.0.36.39) ...
Setting up linux-generic (4.2.0.36.39) ...
Setting up linux-signed-image-generic (4.2.0.36.39) ...
Setting up linux-signed-generic (4.2.0.36.39) ...

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to initramfs-tools in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/798414

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

Status in initramfs-tools:
  Confirmed
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 (not in repositories for
  14.04 or later) or manually free space on your partition containing
  the /boot file system.

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