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Thread: Boot Partition is Full

  1. #1
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    Arrow Boot Partition is Full

    I have a total of four partitions on my Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic) system:

    sda1 = /boot
    sda2 = /
    sda3 = swap
    sda4 = /home

    My boot partition is 94 MiB which I was recommended would be more than enough space. Turns out my /boot partition is full and I now get a message every time I log into Ubuntu saying, 'The volume "boot" has only 0 bytes disk space remaining.' Also after installing GParted to check up on my partitions I got the following error in apt-get:

    Code:
    Setting up gparted (0.4.5-2ubuntu1) ...
    
    Setting up kpartx (0.4.8-14ubuntu2) ...
    
    Processing triggers for libc-bin ...
    ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
    Processing triggers for initramfs-tools ...
    update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-19-generic
    
    gzip: stdout: No space left on device
    update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-19-generic
    dpkg: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
    E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (2)
    I have no experience messing around in my /boot partition besides modifying GRUB. I think most likely I just have too many kernel versions installed in the /boot partition? Can anyone advise me on what to do here?

    Thanks!
    Last edited by 1awesomeguy; February 8th, 2010 at 11:02 PM.

  2. #2
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    Re: Boot Partition is Full

    Quote Originally Posted by 1awesomeguy View Post
    I have no experience messing around in my /boot partition besides modifying GRUB. I think most likely I just have too many kernel versions installed in the /boot partition? Can anyone advise me on what to do here?

    Thanks!
    If you give us the contents of your boot folder we can tell you what you can remove to free up some space. The second command will tell us which kernel you are currently using:
    Code:
    ls -lah /boot
    uname -r
    Back to Xorg...

    Retired.

  3. #3
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    Re: Boot Partition is Full

    Try removing kernel images that you no longer use. Open Synaptic and search for linux-image-2, the ones with the box checked are the installed ones, remove all of them but the one you are using (uname -r) and the previous one (just in case). I have 1 kernel only and my /boot is around 14MB, so doing this may solve your problem.

  4. #4
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    Re: Boot Partition is Full

    Thanks for the help so far, guys!

    Quote Originally Posted by drs305 View Post
    If you give us the contents of your boot folder we can tell you what you can remove to free up some space. The second command will tell us which kernel you are currently using:
    Code:
    ls -lah /boot
    uname -r
    Code:
    chris@jessica:~$ ls -lah /boot
    total 82M
    drwxr-xr-x  4 root root 3.0K 2010-02-08 16:50 .
    drwxr-xr-x 21 root root 4.0K 2010-02-08 16:43 ..
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 615K 2009-10-16 14:03 abi-2.6.31-14-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 615K 2009-11-10 13:52 abi-2.6.31-15-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 615K 2009-12-08 03:03 abi-2.6.31-16-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 615K 2009-12-10 14:33 abi-2.6.31-17-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 615K 2010-01-08 13:54 abi-2.6.31-18-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 615K 2010-01-27 23:39 abi-2.6.31-19-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 109K 2009-10-16 14:03 config-2.6.31-14-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 109K 2009-11-10 13:52 config-2.6.31-15-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 109K 2009-12-08 03:03 config-2.6.31-16-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 109K 2009-12-10 14:33 config-2.6.31-17-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 109K 2010-01-08 13:54 config-2.6.31-18-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 109K 2010-01-27 23:39 config-2.6.31-19-generic
    drwxr-xr-x  2 root root 5.0K 2010-02-06 12:04 grub
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 7.7M 2009-11-16 23:13 initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 7.7M 2009-11-17 00:16 initrd.img-2.6.31-15-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 7.7M 2009-12-18 00:30 initrd.img-2.6.31-16-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 7.7M 2010-01-08 21:53 initrd.img-2.6.31-17-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 7.7M 2010-01-29 00:01 initrd.img-2.6.31-18-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 7.7M 2010-02-06 12:03 initrd.img-2.6.31-19-generic
    drwx------  2 root root  12K 2009-11-16 23:04 lost+found
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 126K 2009-10-23 12:11 memtest86+.bin
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 1.6M 2009-10-16 14:03 System.map-2.6.31-14-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 1.6M 2009-11-10 13:52 System.map-2.6.31-15-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 1.6M 2009-12-08 03:03 System.map-2.6.31-16-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 1.6M 2009-12-10 14:33 System.map-2.6.31-17-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 1.6M 2010-01-08 13:54 System.map-2.6.31-18-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 1.6M 2010-01-27 23:39 System.map-2.6.31-19-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 1.2K 2009-10-16 14:06 vmcoreinfo-2.6.31-14-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 1.2K 2009-11-10 13:55 vmcoreinfo-2.6.31-15-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 1.2K 2009-12-08 03:05 vmcoreinfo-2.6.31-16-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 1.2K 2009-12-10 14:35 vmcoreinfo-2.6.31-17-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 1.2K 2010-01-08 13:56 vmcoreinfo-2.6.31-18-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 1.2K 2010-01-27 23:41 vmcoreinfo-2.6.31-19-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 3.8M 2009-11-17 02:58 vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 3.8M 2009-11-10 13:52 vmlinuz-2.6.31-15-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 3.8M 2009-12-08 03:03 vmlinuz-2.6.31-16-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 3.8M 2009-12-10 14:33 vmlinuz-2.6.31-17-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 3.8M 2010-01-08 13:54 vmlinuz-2.6.31-18-generic
    -rw-r--r--  1 root root 3.8M 2010-01-27 23:39 vmlinuz-2.6.31-19-generic
    Code:
    chris@jessica:~$ uname -r
    2.6.31-19-generic
    Quote Originally Posted by darolu View Post
    Try removing kernel images that you no longer use. Open Synaptic and search for linux-image-2, the ones with the box checked are the installed ones, remove all of them but the one you are using (uname -r) and the previous one (just in case). I have 1 kernel only and my /boot is around 14MB, so doing this may solve your problem.
    When I try to open Synaptic, I get an error:

    Code:
    E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'sudo dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem. 
    E: _cache->open() failed, please report.
    When trying to run the command:

    Code:
    chris@jessica:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
    [sudo] password for chris:
    Setting up initramfs-tools (0.92bubuntu53) ...
    update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
    
    Processing triggers for initramfs-tools ...
    update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-19-generic
    
    gzip: stdout: No space left on device
    update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-19-generic
    dpkg: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

    Should I gksu nautilus into my /boot folder and delete the kernel-looking files minus the last two? Is there any way to have the computer automatically delete old kernels without me needing to do this every so often?
    Last edited by 1awesomeguy; February 9th, 2010 at 04:34 AM.

  5. #5
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    Re: Boot Partition is Full

    It may be risky but you have no choice but to delete some kernel files manually from your /boot, delete 14 to 17 series, that should give you enough room for dpkg to work; after you deleted the files try the "sudo dpkg --configure -a" command so you can finally uninstall unnecesary kernels.

    I don't know of an automatic way to delete kernels.

  6. #6
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    Re: Boot Partition is Full

    hi
    before i'll remove the unused kernel i will try to move them to your /home and then if you got enough space on /boot move one back to /boot and them remove them via.
    apt-get remove or dpkg.
    step by step
    ciao
    "What is the robbing of a bank compared to the FOUNDING of a bank?" Berthold Brecht

  7. #7
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    Re: Boot Partition is Full

    1awesomeguy,

    Do this to get get some space in /boot. The command will move the -14 files in /boot to your Desktop. That should give you enough room for APT to work. If you need more room, change 14 to 15 and run the command again:
    Code:
    sudo mv /boot/*2.6.31-14* ~/$HOME/Desktop
    Once you get APT (Synaptic/dkpg/etc) working again, you can safely remove the 15, 16 & 17 kernels. In Synaptic, do a search for "2.6.31-" and remove the associated the linux-image and linux-headers packages.

    Next, move the -14 files back into /boot and again remove them via Synaptic. This will cleanly remove them and remove root files from remaining on your Desktop or in the trash bin:
    Code:
    sudo mv ~/Desktop/*2.6.31-14* /boot
    Back to Xorg...

    Retired.

  8. #8
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    Re: Boot Partition is Full

    drs305's solution seems to have solved my problems. Is there any way to get the system to automatically uninstall unused kernels?


    Here is how I solved the problem for anyone else having the same issue:

    In Terminal:
    Code:
    sudo mv /boot/*2.6.31-14* ~/Desktop
    sudo dpkg --configure -a
    Output:
    Code:
    chris@jessica:~$ sudo mv /boot/*2.6.31-14* ~/Desktop
    chris@jessica:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
    Setting up initramfs-tools (0.92bubuntu53) ...
    update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
    
    Processing triggers for initramfs-tools ...
    update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-19-generic
    In Synaptic:
    Complete Removal of the following packages:
    linux-image-2.6.31-15-generic
    linux-image-2.6.31-16-generic
    linux-image-2.6.31-17-generic
    linux-headers-2.6.31-15
    linux-headers-2.6.31-16
    linux-headers-2.6.31-17
    linux-headers-2.6.31-15-generic
    linux-headers-2.6.31-16-generic
    linux-headers-2.6.31-17-generic

    In Terminal:
    Code:
    sudo mv ~/Desktop/*2.6.31-14* /boot
    In Synaptic:
    Complete Removal of the following package:
    linux-image-2.6.31-14-generic

    Result:
    /boot partition with 55.56 MiB free space

  9. #9
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    Re: Boot Partition is Full

    Quote Originally Posted by 1awesomeguy View Post
    drs305's solution seems to have solved my problems. Is there any way to get the system to automatically uninstall unused kernels?
    There is no automatic way to remove them via an app. You could write a script that could do it.

    There are various ways to "hide" the extra kernels - StartUp-Manager for Grub legacy and editing the /etc/grub.d/10_linux script in Grub 2. These would probably not be good options for you since you would probably want to know how many kernels you have accumulating in your /boot folder.

    As far as removing kernels in the future, I recommend Ubuntu Tweak. It's an app that can make several useful changes to Ubuntu settings via a GUI interface. One of the tweaks is removing extra kernels. It is painless and won't show the kernel in use, so it is pretty safe to use.

    You may also consider moving /boot back into your normal installation. Unless you have a specific reason to have a separate /boot folder it isn't really necessary for most users. Moving it back into your / folder will eliminate the need to remove older kernels as frequently.

    Another option would be to expand your /boot partition from the LiveCD using Gparted.

    Or just keep a closer eye on your /boot folder. As you found you can accumulate 4-6 kernels before running out of room. Since you only need to keep a couple, you have a bit of a buffer now that you are aware of your disk space situation.
    Back to Xorg...

    Retired.

  10. #10
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    Re: Boot Partition is Full

    If you just delete files from your boot directory you will be leaving other related files in /lib and possibly other directories as well.

    Each upgrade seems to amount to 99-125MB so these can add up quickly.

    The best method I've found so far to clean up your boot partition as well as removing previous installed kernels is discussed on this ubuntuformums post - and that post refers here.

    I've used a modified version of the instructions (shown below) successfully on my own servers.

    1. Code:
      uname -r
    2. Code:
      dpkg --list | grep linux-image


    I then pick the oldest linux-image name from the dpkg output (e.g. linux-image-2.6.32-27-generic-pae) and then run:

    Code:
    sudo aptitude purge linux-image-2.6.32-27-generic-pae
    That's it.

    Messing with boot partitions and kernels makes me nervous, so I'd rather be conservative. I personally like this approach better as I'm only removing one kernel at a time. Also if you watch aptitude it runs "/usr/sbin/update-grub" for me so I do not run the "sudo update-grub2" as recommend in the link above.

    fyi man update-grub2:

    update-grub2 is a stub for running update-grub which itself is a stub for running grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg to
    generate a grub2 config file.

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