In this situation, what Steps to upgrade kernel?

[ross4]

I installed Xubuntu 14.04.3 LTS on two computers, a Toshiba notebook and a Toshiba laptop, about a year and a half ago (see below for system details). Just this week I discovered that the notebook is using 3.13.0-65-generic but the laptop is using 3.16.-0-52-generic. I am pretty sure the difference is because /boot on the notebook filled up with old kernels. When I do ls /boot | grep vmlinuz && df -m I get over 20 different vmlinuz-3.13.0. After doing a lot of searching, I figure I know how to clear out most (all but two most recent) of these but I am wondering what my next step(s) should be. Do I slowly upgrade step-by-step, from 3.13.0-65 to 3.16.-0-52 or can I jump, somehow, directly to 3.16.-0-52.

If it the latter is an option, how would I go about this?

I am asking this because I THINK that when the last software updates icon appeared and I clicked on it, it was trying to load 13.13-(something) and not 13-16-(something) so I inferred that software updates wants to install the next version not the latest. Could be wrong about this since installation screen disappeared rather quickly.
Regards,
Ross


Systems:
Notebook: Toshiba NB200-002, Intel Atom CPU N280 @1.66GHz, .99GB of RAM

Laptop: Toshiba Satellite P100, Intel core two CPU T5500, 1.67 GHz, 2.00 GB of RAM

[Bashing-om]

ross4; Hello;

I expect, not something to fret about.
HardeWare Enablement stack :
http://askubuntu.com/questions/248914/what-is-hwe-hardware-enablement
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/LTSEnablementStack

To remove the old kernels:


sudo apt-get autoremove


For your reference:
My system:


sysop@1404mini:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS
Release: 14.04
Codename: trusty
sysop@1404mini:~$

sysop@1404mini:~$ uname -r
3.13.0-67-generic
sysop@1404mini:~$


But do need to address getting the 3.16 kernel upgraded to that of vivid.



my bit to try and help

[ross4]

I removed the old kernels on the notebook using Synaptic as I couldn't figure out how to use apt-get autoremove. The removal of most of the old kernels freed up lots of space in /boot. In fact, "Softwear Updater" was able to install vmlinuz-3-13.0-67-generic. Having done that, my notebook system info is the same as yours above, Bashing-om. So I guess my next question is should I bother to try to bring it up to 3.13.0-65-generic? And then, of course, if this is a good idea, how do I do it?

[Bashing-om]

ross4; Well ..

Just cheap - real cheap - insurance to have a backup kernel .
What now is installed on the box:


dpkg -l | grep linux-
then we can better address the need to install the -65 version of the kernel .



no biggy to do so

[ross4]

After removing more images and headers, here is the output from that command:


~$ dpkg -l | grep linux-
ii linux-firmware 1.127.16 all Firmware for Linux kernel drivers
ii linux-firmware-nonfree 1.14ubuntu3 all Non-free firmware for Linux kernel drivers
ii linux-generic 3.13.0.67.73 i386 Complete Generic Linux kernel and headers
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-65 3.13.0-65.106 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-65-generic 3.13.0-65.106 i386 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-67 3.13.0-67.110 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-67-generic 3.13.0-67.110 i386 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-generic 3.13.0.67.73 i386 Generic Linux kernel headers
rc linux-image-3.13.0-24-generic 3.13.0-24.47 i386 Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-3.13.0-65-generic 3.13.0-65.106 i386 Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-3.13.0-67-generic 3.13.0-67.110 i386 Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
rc linux-image-extra-3.13.0-24-generic 3.13.0-24.47 i386 Linux kernel extra modules for version 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
rc linux-image-extra-3.13.0-29-generic 3.13.0-29.53 i386 Linux kernel extra modules for version 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-3.13.0-65-generic 3.13.0-65.106 i386 Linux kernel extra modules for version 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-3.13.0-67-generic 3.13.0-67.110 i386 Linux kernel extra modules for version 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-generic 3.13.0.67.73 i386 Generic Linux kernel image
ii linux-libc-dev:i386 3.13.0-67.110 i386 Linux Kernel Headers for development
ii linux-sound-base

Hope it fits the bill and you can make some suggestions. One particular difference I notice about this from the notebook vs the lap top is the second line: "ii linux-firmware-nonfree..." Didn't see anything like that on the lap top.
Ross

[Bashing-om]

ross4; Hey ;

Looks good so far .

As to " linux-firmware-nonfree " pertains to proprietary drivers installed .


Description-en: Non-free firmware for Linux kernel drivers
This package provides non-free firmware used by Linux kernel drivers.


Is all set now to for booting ?


ls -al /vmlinuz*
ls -al /initrd.img*


next to finish the clean up is those packages marked 'rc':


dpkg --list |grep "^rc" | cut -d " " -f 3 | xargs sudo dpkg --purge

The state is rc, the package is removed, but the config files are not removed. This little number will deal with it handily.



all over with now



not even any crying

[ross4]

Thank you. That definitely cleaned out more stuff. I'm going to keep all these examples handy to keep my /boot clean.
I now have vmlinuz-3.16.0-50-generic running on my laptop and vmlinuz-3.13.0-68-generic on the notebook.

I gathered from Synaptic that, if I want to have the same kernels running on both computers, that I "likely do not want to install" the linux-image-3.16.0-50-generic on to the notebook but that I should "install the linux-generic meta-package".

I investigated Synaptic further and I found I have linux-generic-lts-utopic version 3.16.0.53.44 on the laptop and linux-generic version 3.13.0.68.74 on the notebook. I am guessing these are the respective meta-packages. So IF I want the same kernels, I should install lts-utopic on that notebook. Am I correct or even getting close?

[Bashing-om]

ross4; Well ..

The purpose of HWE is to support newer hardware . If it ain't broke, do not fix it . IF the need for a different kernel and X does not exist, why add an additional layer of complexity ?
Now all that said .. kernel vmlinuz-3.16.0-50-generic is of utopic. And is now End_Of_Life. Need to get that box up to vivid's kernel and X stack.
http://askubuntu.com/questions/248914/what-is-hwe-hardware-enablement
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/LTSEnablementStack



I should install lts-utopic on that notebook. Am I correct or even getting close?

close but no tomatoes .. change your focus to vivid now as uptopic (3.16.XXX) is EOL .
Shortly ( January ) vivid goes EOL and next up is wily (15.10) for the HWE upgrade.




keep'n the ducks



all in a row

[Bucky Ball]

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade


... should get you to .65. In fact, that will probably get you to .67, as that is where it is currently at. 3.13.0-67

[ross4]

Bashing-om, thanks very much for your on-going help, and Buck Ball for your added note. I will be away from the computers for a while so I won't try any updating or upgrading until I come back. I'll mark this as solved and then if I need further help later, I'll start another, similar thread. Thanks again.