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

[Jarno Suni]

sfrahm, were you installing updates by Software Updater, when this
happened? If so, you could report a bug by `ubuntu-bug update-manager`
in terminal. Tell it is likely a regression; in 14.04 it does not let
you start update, if there is not enough room for kernels (at least
always), but displays an error dialog instead. Please link the bug
report here, if you make it.

If you were not using Software Updater at the time it happened, but the
error occurred during automatic update, or during use of apt or apt-get,
you can not blame update-manager.

IIRC the default size of /boot partition has been increased somewhat
during past years. How big is your /boot (not /root) partition in 16.04
(df -H /boot --output=size)? If you want an option to choose even larger
/boot partition during installation, please report a bug against the
installer https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Ubiquity

Unfortunately removing old kernels does still not work well by default
in 16.04. You can read about some options in comment #140.

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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 initramfs-tools:
  Confirmed
Status in initramfs-tools package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress

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.

  See instructions here
  https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RemoveOldKernels

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