Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 14

Thread: [unsolvable] Cannot update, /boot would be too small? Why is PAE installed

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Beans
    193

    [unsolvable] Cannot update, /boot would be too small? Why is PAE installed

    I just tried to do an update, but the updater say:

    The upgrade needs a total of 117 M free space on disk '/boot'. Please free at least an additional 82.2 M of disk space on '/boot'. Empty your trash and remove temporary packages of former installations using 'sudo apt-get clean'.
    Thats unusual, and /boot would only contain boot related files ! And secondly my space;

    Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
    /dev/sdc3 23070676 16780024 5118712 77% /
    /dev/sdc1 124427 84360 33643 72% /boot ( 33 MB free )

    What can cause this ugly error?

    Its about ubuntu 12.04
    Last edited by kuifje09; April 13th, 2013 at 04:25 PM. Reason: forgot ubuntu vesison

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Catalunya, Spain
    Beans
    14,558
    Distro
    Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver

    Re: Cannot update, /boot would be too small?

    As it says, it wants 117MB free in /boot and you have only 33MB. That's why it's saying you need approx 82MB free more.

    Depending how the upgrade process works, it can't replace all kernels in /boot. And I don't think it replaces any kernel at all, it leaves all old kernels and installs new ones. You made a very small /boot, only 124MB. Either leave it within / or if creating separate /boot make sure it has at least 300MB or better 500MB size.
    Darko.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 64bit

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Beans
    193

    Re: Cannot update, /boot would be too small?

    Okay, thats what I read too, but I have never had such huge new kernel. I usualy had 4 or 5 kernel versions.
    That not needed, so i deleted then a few, kept 2 or 3 kernels at a time.

    Only thing that can cause the problem... Since I took Nvidia-96 driver in use, I now have a kernel and a sam kernel-pae.
    That consumes twice the space. Whats that pae kernel for, its build after the videodriver installation.

    If I get 2 new kernels then I know why I would have just too less space in /boot but else I dont underrstand.
    1 kernel comsumes about 25 MB not 117 MB, You understand my problem I hope...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Squidbilly-Land
    Beans
    Hidden!
    Distro
    Ubuntu

    Re: Cannot update, /boot would be too small?

    You have old kernels in /boot and not enough space for a new kernel. Remove some of the older kernels until there is enough space available.
    This article might help: http://blog.jdpfu.com/2013/02/23/cle...rnels-from-apt
    If you don't use encryption or special file systems, having / and /boot on the same file system might be a good alternative going forward.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Beans
    193

    Re: Cannot update, /boot would be too small?

    No its not solved. I have no clear answer why a new kernel would take up 117 MB in /boot.
    Thats the space needed for normally 3 kernels !

    I add 1 example
    Code:
     du -skc *3.0.0-31*
    752     abi-3.0.0-31-generic
    140     config-3.0.0-31-generic
    13328   initrd.img-3.0.0-31-generic
    2092    System.map-3.0.0-31-generic
    4       vmcoreinfo-3.0.0-31-generic
    4548    vmlinuz-3.0.0-31-generic
    20864   totaal
    Last edited by kuifje09; April 9th, 2013 at 10:56 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Beans
    193

    Re: Cannot update, /boot would be too small?

    Noone else any suggestion?

    The old 2.6 kernel only used 19MB in /boot

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Beans
    193

    Re: Cannot update, /boot would be too small?

    Would a few of you post please the kernel sizes as I did in the post #5 but for the kernels 3.2.* and 3.5.* That would help me a lot.
    Thanks in advance.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    I think I'm here! Maybe?
    Beans
    Hidden!
    Distro
    Xubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish

    Re: Cannot update, /boot would be too small?

    Can you show the output of command
    Code:
    grep "menuentry " /boot/grub/grub.cfg | cut -c 1-100
    which will show us exactly how many kernels you have still installed.
    I always remove old kernels using synaptic, but leaving the most recent plus the previous one as a backup.

    The 3.2.0 kernels plus headers each use 180MB, the 3.5.0 use 188MB.
    Last edited by ajgreeny; April 10th, 2013 at 12:45 AM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    ozarks, Arkansas, USA
    Beans
    14,189
    Distro
    Xubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish

    Re: Cannot update, /boot would be too small?

    kuifje09;
    As per your request; Here is my output.
    Code:
     du -skc *3.2.0-*
    776    abi-3.2.0-32-generic
    776    abi-3.2.0-33-generic
    776    abi-3.2.0-34-generic
    776    abi-3.2.0-35-generic
    776    abi-3.2.0-36-generic
    776    abi-3.2.0-37-generic
    776    abi-3.2.0-38-generic
    776    abi-3.2.0-39-generic
    780    abi-3.2.0-40-generic
    140    config-3.2.0-32-generic
    140    config-3.2.0-33-generic
    140    config-3.2.0-34-generic
    140    config-3.2.0-35-generic
    140    config-3.2.0-36-generic
    140    config-3.2.0-37-generic
    140    config-3.2.0-38-generic
    140    config-3.2.0-39-generic
    140    config-3.2.0-40-generic
    13872    initrd.img-3.2.0-32-generic
    13872    initrd.img-3.2.0-33-generic
    13872    initrd.img-3.2.0-34-generic
    13872    initrd.img-3.2.0-35-generic
    13880    initrd.img-3.2.0-36-generic
    13880    initrd.img-3.2.0-37-generic
    13868    initrd.img-3.2.0-38-generic
    13864    initrd.img-3.2.0-39-generic
    13904    initrd.img-3.2.0-40-generic
    2820    System.map-3.2.0-32-generic
    2820    System.map-3.2.0-33-generic
    2820    System.map-3.2.0-34-generic
    2820    System.map-3.2.0-35-generic
    2820    System.map-3.2.0-36-generic
    2820    System.map-3.2.0-37-generic
    2820    System.map-3.2.0-38-generic
    2824    System.map-3.2.0-39-generic
    2824    System.map-3.2.0-40-generic
    4852    vmlinuz-3.2.0-32-generic
    4852    vmlinuz-3.2.0-33-generic
    4852    vmlinuz-3.2.0-34-generic
    4852    vmlinuz-3.2.0-35-generic
    4856    vmlinuz-3.2.0-36-generic
    4856    vmlinuz-3.2.0-37-generic
    4856    vmlinuz-3.2.0-38-generic
    4856    vmlinuz-3.2.0-39-generic
    4860    vmlinuz-3.2.0-40-generic
    202212    total
    THE current(cy) in Documentation:
    https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PopularPages

    Happy ubuntu'n !

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Catalunya, Spain
    Beans
    14,558
    Distro
    Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver

    Re: Cannot update, /boot would be too small?

    I think you are jumping to conclusions. The way I see it, it never said the new kernel will be 117MB so comparing it to current kernel sizes is pointless. It said it needs 117MB on /boot to do the upgrade. There is a lot more going on during the upgrade than simply copying the kernel. If it was like a simple copy, you would only need free size equal to the kernel size, but what about first downloading files, making temp files maybe, compiling, making the initrd image, etc.

    At the end, the kernel will probably not be near 117MB but temporary it needs the space to finish the job. That's how I see it.

    In your palce, instead of wasting my time I would start looking into option to free space on /boot. Sorry to say this, but it's your own fault you made it only 124MB.

    After all, you have options. You have 5GB free on sdc3. Simply boot the machine in live mode with the ubuntu cd, make a boot folder on sdc3, copy the content of sdc1 making sure you keep ownership and permissions, modify fstab not to use sdc1 as /boot, and that's it. The boot folder will be integrated into / and it should boot fine.

    Unless the reason to have separate /boot is that the computer can't boot from beyond 137GB on the disk and depending where sdc3 is exactly on the disk.
    Darko.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 64bit

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •