Software update doesn't run autoremove so that update fails due to no disk space in /boot

[luca moscato]

Environment: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS installed, more or less, day 1 since release

I saw this issue a couple of times on my colleagues notebook but since happens also to me I gather some additional info. I usually update my sistem with command line since I have to do other stuff before starting my job (fix routes for my vpn, store my ssh key password with ssh-add, and others); update process is part of these commands as daily activity.

Today I ran it via Software Updates, I was distracted and the Ubuntu friendly software kind reminds me to update my system, so that I proceed in that way but a pop up appears (sorry for italian) alerting me that there is no space left in /boot to update the kernel and I should have type 'sudo apt autoremove' to fix the issue. Don't know if this is related about 4 kernels I have installed

Lettura file "/etc/default/grub.d/init-select.cfg"
Generazione file di configurazione GRUB...
Trovata immagine linux: /boot/vmlinuz-5.11.0-34-generic
Trovata immagine initrd: /boot/initrd.img-5.11.0-34-generic
Trovata immagine linux: /boot/vmlinuz-5.11.0-27-generic
Trovata immagine initrd: /boot/initrd.img-5.11.0-27-generic
Trovata immagine linux: /boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-63-generic
Trovata immagine initrd: /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-63-generic
Trovata immagine linux: /boot/vmlinuz-5.4.0-58-generic
Trovata immagine initrd: /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-58-generic
Adding boot menu entry for UEFI Firmware Settings
fatto
Rimozione di linux-modules-5.11.0-25-generic (5.11.0-25.27~20.04.1)...

Obviously running the usual
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
hasn't any issue and
sudo apt autoremove
cleaned up perfeclty more or less 400MB of disk space.

Below the update details:

luca@ubuntu:~$ apt list --upgradable
Elencazione... Fatto
alsa-ucm-conf/focal-updates,focal-updates 1.2.2-1ubuntu0.10 all [aggiornabile da: 1.2.2-1ubuntu0.9]
cpio/focal-updates,focal-security 2.13+dfsg-2ubuntu0.3 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 2.13+dfsg-2]
fonts-opensymbol/focal,focal 2:102.12+LibO7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 all [aggiornabile da: 2:102.12+LibO7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libgd3/focal-updates,focal-security 2.2.5-5.2ubuntu2.1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 2.2.5-5.2ubuntu2]
libreoffice-base-core/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-calc/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-common/focal,focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 all [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-core/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-draw/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-gnome/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-gtk3/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-help-common/focal,focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 all [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-help-en-us/focal,focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 all [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-help-it/focal,focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 all [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-impress/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-l10n-it/focal,focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 all [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-math/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-ogltrans/focal,focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 all [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-pdfimport/focal,focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 all [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-style-breeze/focal,focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 all [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-style-colibre/focal,focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 all [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-style-elementary/focal,focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 all [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-style-yaru/focal,focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 all [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libreoffice-writer/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libuno-cppu3/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libuno-cppuhelpergcc3-3/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libuno-purpenvhelpergcc3-3/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libuno-sal3/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
libuno-salhelpergcc3-3/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
linux-generic-hwe-20.04/focal-updates,focal-security 5.11.0.34.36~20.04.13 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 5.11.0.27.29~20.04.11]
linux-headers-generic-hwe-20.04/focal-updates,focal-security 5.11.0.34.36~20.04.13 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 5.11.0.27.29~20.04.11]
linux-image-generic-hwe-20.04/focal-updates,focal-security 5.11.0.34.36~20.04.13 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 5.11.0.27.29~20.04.11]
linux-libc-dev/focal-updates,focal-security 5.4.0-84.94 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 5.4.0-81.91]
python-apt-common/focal-updates,focal-updates 2.0.0ubuntu0.20.04.6 all [aggiornabile da: 2.0.0ubuntu0.20.04.5]
python3-apt/focal-updates 2.0.0ubuntu0.20.04.6 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 2.0.0ubuntu0.20.04.5]
python3-uno/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
thermald/focal-updates 1.9.1-1ubuntu0.6 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1.9.1-1ubuntu0.5]
uno-libs-private/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
ure/focal 1:7.1.6~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1 amd64 [aggiornabile da: 1:7.1.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1~lo1]
luca@ubuntu:~$

IMHO this is not a trivial issue:
- very bad UX, why an Utility is not able to the the same task a single command can do without any issue?
- a lot of user rely on Software Update to manage to update his/her system and, maybe, are not so skilled in using command line (ever wonder about how many mac/windows user has ever opened command line?)
- if the user hasn't the sensibility about the importance of updating the system, a failing process could expose the system to thread since it hasn't the latest security fixes
---
ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.18
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-05-08 (489 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200423)
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
Package: update-manager 1:20.04.10.7
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=it_IT.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.11.0-34.36~20.04.1-generic 5.11.22
Tags: focal
Uname: Linux 5.11.0-34-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip libvirt lpadmin lxd plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. It seems that your bug report is not filed about a specific source package though, rather it is just filed against Ubuntu in general. It is important that bug reports be filed about source packages so that people interested in the package can find the bugs about it. You can find some hints about determining what package your bug might be about at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage. You might also ask for help in the #ubuntu-bugs irc channel on Freenode.

To change the source package that this bug is filed about visit https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1943122/+editstatus and add the package name in the text box next to the word Package.

[This is an automated message. I apologize if it reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[Julian Andres Klode (juliank)]

update-manager offers removal since bionic

update-manager (1:18.04.8) bionic; urgency=medium

  * Offer removal of unused autoremovable kernel packages
    (LP: #1624644, #1675079)

 -- Balint Reczey <email address hidden> Wed, 21 Mar 2018 14:34:05 +0000

Due to bug 1912718, the was broken for a short time in focal, in version 1:20.04.10.3 only.

[luca moscato (luca-moscato)]

If additional info are required please advise (and tell me how to retrieve it). I tried the command ubuntu-bug update-manager but it requires me to open a new bug

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

You can run 'apport-collect 1943122' and that'll gather information about your system including the release of Ubuntu you are running and the version of update-manager installed.

[luca moscato (luca-moscato)]

apport information

[luca moscato (luca-moscato)]

apport information

[luca moscato (luca-moscato)]

apport information

[luca moscato (luca-moscato)]

apport information

[luca moscato (luca-moscato)]

apport information

[luca moscato (luca-moscato)]

apport information

[luca moscato (luca-moscato)]

apport information

[luca moscato (luca-moscato)]

Still Incomplete or need other info?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for update-manager (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[luca moscato (luca-moscato)]

Same as for Comment #13:

Still Incomplete or need other info?

[Paul White (paulw2u)]

Information was provided some time ago so reverting status to 'New'.