[Bug 1914278] Re: apt autoremove is not removing unused kernels

[Erich Eickmeyer ]

TJ:

linux-image-5.4.0-40-generic/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.4.0-40.44 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-image-5.4.0-40-lowlatency/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.4.0-40.44 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.4.0-42.46 amd64 [installed,auto-removable]
linux-image-5.4.0-42-lowlatency/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.4.0-42.46 amd64 [installed,auto-removable]
linux-image-5.4.0-65-generic/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.4.0-65.73 amd64 [installed]
linux-image-5.4.0-65-lowlatency/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.4.0-65.73 amd64 [installed]
linux-image-5.8.0-34-generic/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.8.0-34.37~20.04.2 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-image-5.8.0-34-lowlatency/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.8.0-34.37~20.04.2 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-image-5.8.0-41-generic/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.8.0-41.46~20.04.1 amd64 [installed]
linux-image-5.8.0-41-lowlatency/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.8.0-41.46~20.04.1 amd64 [installed]
linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.8.0.41.46~20.04.27 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-image-generic/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.4.0.65.68 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-image-lowlatency-hwe-20.04/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.8.0.41.46~20.04.27 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-image-lowlatency/focal-updates,focal-security,now 5.4.0.65.68 amd64 [installed,automatic]

Balint:
Result: https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/JVHZpFWBBT/

It appears as though apt and u-u are doing the job, but for some reason
the packages aren't getting marked as autoremovable when they're
upgraded? I had to manually mark these as autoremovable (apt-mark linux-
image-${version}-${generic|lowlatency} auto) to get u-u or apt to do
anything about it. If you look at the list above, even the 5.4.0-65 and
5.4.0-41 kernels are showing up as manually installed, which is not the
case (they were installed via their respective metapackages).

So, something is definitely not working as expected.

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to apt in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1914278

Title:
  apt autoremove is not removing unused kernels

Status in apt package in Ubuntu:
  Incomplete
Status in discover package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in packagekit package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in unattended-upgrades package in Ubuntu:
  Incomplete

Bug description:
  With the machines I help administer, we have been finding situations
  where the /boot directory is filling-up beyond 3 kernels on LUKS
  encrypted systems. apt autoremove is not removing old kernels as
  expected.

  This may also be an issue with unattended-upgrades since I found the
  following line commented-out by default:

  // Remove unused automatically installed kernel-related packages
  // (kernel images, kernel headers and kernel version locked tools).
  // Unattended-Upgrade::Remove-Unused-Kernel-Packages "true";

  We have had a system with as many as 15 kernel packages installed as a
  result of this not working as expected.

  The majority of these machines are using Discover to do their package
  upgrading, which uses PackageKit as its backend.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
  Package: apt 2.0.4
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.8.0-41.46~20.04.1-generic 5.8.18
  Uname: Linux 5.8.0-41-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
  ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.14
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
  CurrentDesktop: KDE
  Date: Tue Feb  2 09:29:01 2021
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-11-07 (87 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 20.04.1 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200731)
  SourcePackage: apt
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/1914278/+subscriptions