Unable to autoremove files from /boot

[dossvanda]

Hi,
i have an issue cleaning up /boot on a Ubuntu 14.04.4 LTS installation which is at 100% full. I suspect that someone's tried to manually delete old kernel files and now I'm unable to use autoremove:
* sudo apt-get autoremove:
E: Unmet dependencies. Try using -f.
* sudo apt-get -f install:
This tries to install linux-headers-3.13.0-132 but gives the following error:
'dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-headers-3.13.0-132_3.13.0-132.181_all.deb (--unpack): unable to open '/usr/src/linux-headers-3.13.0-132/include/linux/amba/pl022.h.dpkg-new': Operation not permitted
Errors were encountered while processing:
/var/cache/apt/archives/linux-headers-3.13.0-132_3.13.0-132.181_all.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)'

Any help greatly appreciated
Thanks
Paul

[ian-weisser]

'Operation not permitted' seems different from a file-not-found problem.

[Impavidus]

'Operation not permitted' is an unexpected error. Not sure what could cause that.

Anyway, to learn a bit more about the state your system is in, try these and show us the output:
ls /boot
dpkg -l | grep linux
uname -r

[dossvanda]

Thanks Impavidus - I'm pretty sure it's not a permissions issue. Here's the requested output:

ls /boot

abi-4.2.0-38-generic config-4.2.0-42-generic initrd.img-4.2.0-35-generic lost+found System.map-4.2.0-30-generic System.map-4.2.0-41-generic
abi-4.2.0-41-generic grub initrd.img-4.2.0-36-generic memtest86+.bin System.map-4.2.0-34-generic System.map-4.2.0-42-generic
abi-4.2.0-42-generic initrd.img-4.2.0-27-generic initrd.img-4.2.0-38-generic memtest86+.elf System.map-4.2.0-35-generic vmlinuz-4.2.0-38-generic
config-4.2.0-38-generic initrd.img-4.2.0-30-generic initrd.img-4.2.0-41-generic memtest86+_multiboot.bin System.map-4.2.0-36-generic vmlinuz-4.2.0-41-generic
config-4.2.0-41-generic initrd.img-4.2.0-34-generic initrd.img-4.2.0-42-generic System.map-4.2.0-27-generic System.map-4.2.0-38-generic vmlinuz-4.2.0-42-generic

dpkg -l | grep

ii libselinux1:amd64 2.2.2-1ubuntu0.1 amd64 SELinux runtime shared libraries
ii linux-firmware 1.127.23 all Firmware for Linux kernel drivers
ii linux-generic-lts-wily 4.2.0.42.34 amd64 Complete Generic Linux kernel and headers
iU linux-headers-3.13.0-132-generic 3.13.0-132.181 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-79 3.13.0-79.123 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-79-generic 3.13.0-79.123 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-83 3.13.0-83.127 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-83-generic 3.13.0-83.127 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-85 3.13.0-85.129 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-85-generic 3.13.0-85.129 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-86 3.13.0-86.131 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-86-generic 3.13.0-86.131 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-87 3.13.0-87.133 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-87-generic 3.13.0-87.133 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-88 3.13.0-88.135 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-88-generic 3.13.0-88.135 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-91 3.13.0-91.138 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-91-generic 3.13.0-91.138 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-92 3.13.0-92.139 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-92-generic 3.13.0-92.139 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-27 4.2.0-27.32~14.04.1 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.2.0
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-27-generic 4.2.0-27.32~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-30 4.2.0-30.36~14.04.1 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.2.0
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-30-generic 4.2.0-30.36~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-34 4.2.0-34.39~14.04.1 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.2.0
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-34-generic 4.2.0-34.39~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-35 4.2.0-35.40~14.04.1 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.2.0
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-35-generic 4.2.0-35.40~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-36 4.2.0-36.42~14.04.1 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.2.0
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-36-generic 4.2.0-36.42~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-38 4.2.0-38.45~14.04.1 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.2.0
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-38-generic 4.2.0-38.45~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-41 4.2.0-41.48~14.04.1 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.2.0
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-41-generic 4.2.0-41.48~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-42 4.2.0-42.49~14.04.1 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.2.0
ii linux-headers-4.2.0-42-generic 4.2.0-42.49~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel headers for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
iU linux-headers-generic 3.13.0.132.141 amd64 Generic Linux kernel headers
ii linux-headers-generic-lts-wily 4.2.0.42.34 amd64 Generic Linux kernel headers
iU linux-headers-server 3.13.0.132.141 amd64 Transitional package.
ii linux-image-4.2.0-27-generic 4.2.0-27.32~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-4.2.0-30-generic 4.2.0-30.36~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-4.2.0-34-generic 4.2.0-34.39~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-4.2.0-35-generic 4.2.0-35.40~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-4.2.0-36-generic 4.2.0-36.42~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-4.2.0-38-generic 4.2.0-38.45~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-4.2.0-41-generic 4.2.0-41.48~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-4.2.0-42-generic 4.2.0-42.49~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-4.2.0-27-generic 4.2.0-27.32~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-4.2.0-30-generic 4.2.0-30.36~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-4.2.0-34-generic 4.2.0-34.39~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-4.2.0-35-generic 4.2.0-35.40~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-4.2.0-36-generic 4.2.0-36.42~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-4.2.0-38-generic 4.2.0-38.45~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-4.2.0-41-generic 4.2.0-41.48~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-4.2.0-42-generic 4.2.0-42.49~14.04.1 amd64 Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-generic-lts-wily 4.2.0.42.34 amd64 Generic Linux kernel image
ii linux-libc-dev:amd64 3.13.0-132.181 amd64 Linux Kernel Headers for development
ii util-linux 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu20.7 amd64 Miscellaneous system utilities




uname -r:
4.2.0-42-generic

Thanks for your help

[ian-weisser]

What you see in /boot seems to match dpkg's reckoning. Nobody appears to have cleaned out /boot the wrong way.

All those linux-headers-* packages are stored in /usr/src, not in /boot. and /usr/src is where you seem to be encountering the error.

Can you use dpkg (not apt) to remove some of those old header packages?
What are the permissions of the offending file: /usr/src/linux-headers-3.13.0-132/include/linux/amba/pl022.h.dpkg-new
Do you have enough inodes? (df -i)

[Impavidus]

What you see in /boot seems to match dpkg's reckoning. Nobody appears to have cleaned out /boot the wrong way.

Not entirely. Although the System.map-* and initrd.img-* files of all old versions are present, the abi-* and config-* files are not.

Try removing old versions of header packages and kernel packages with dpkg.
sudo dpkg -P linux-headers-4.2.0-27 linux-headers-4.2.0-27-generic
sudo dpkg -P linux-image-4.2.0-27-generic linux-image-extra-4.2.0-27-genericAnd the same for the other old versions, including the 3.13 header packages. Keep 4.2.0-41 and 4.2.0-42 for a while.

Kernel 4.2.0 for Ubuntu 14.04 is no longer supported. You should upgrade to kernel 4.4.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/LTSEnablementStack

[dossvanda]

Ian-Weisser/Impavidus,
Thanks so much for your help. Getting rid of the old kernels using dpkg seems to have done the trick and I'm now updating OK again.
Hats off to you guys.
Regards
Paul

[oldos2er]

Would you please mark your thread 'Solved' under Thread Tools at the top of the page? It will help others who may be having the same problem.

Thanks.