Ubuntu does not clean out old kernel module files (in /lib/modules) when old kernels are removed

[corrado venturini]

corrado@corrado-x-kinetic:~$ ls /lib/modules
5.19.0-23-generic 5.19.0-28-generic 5.19.0-29-generic 5.19.0-31-generic
corrado@corrado-x-kinetic:~$ ls /boot
config-5.19.0-29-generic memtest86+.elf
config-5.19.0-31-generic memtest86+_multiboot.bin
efi System.map-5.19.0-29-generic
grub System.map-5.19.0-31-generic
initrd.img vmlinuz
initrd.img-5.19.0-29-generic vmlinuz-5.19.0-29-generic
initrd.img-5.19.0-31-generic vmlinuz-5.19.0-31-generic
initrd.img.old vmlinuz.old
memtest86+.bin
corrado@corrado-x-kinetic:~$
see also https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-does-not-clean-out-old-kernel-module-files-in-lib-modules-when-old-kernels-are-removed/33906

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 22.10
Package: apt 2.5.3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.19.0-31.32-generic 5.19.17
Uname: Linux 5.19.0-31-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.23.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Tue Feb 14 16:23:49 2023
InstallationDate: Installed on 2022-11-28 (77 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 22.10 "Kinetic Kudu" - Release amd64 (20221020)
SourcePackage: apt
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Artur Meinild (ameinild)]

This is reproducible on both Ubuntu 20.04 and 22.04 Server, on both AMD64 and ARM64 (Raspberry Pi).

For AMD64 (Intel):

$ ls -l /lib/modules/5.4.0-xx-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 143K 2022-04-28 18:36 modules.alias
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 154K 2022-04-28 18:36 modules.alias.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 8.0K 2022-04-08 10:44 modules.builtin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 25K 2022-04-28 18:36 modules.builtin.alias.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 11K 2022-04-28 18:36 modules.builtin.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 63K 2022-04-08 10:44 modules.builtin.modinfo
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 85K 2022-04-28 18:36 modules.dep
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 123K 2022-04-28 18:36 modules.dep.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 268 2022-04-28 18:36 modules.devname
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 215K 2022-04-08 10:44 modules.order
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 489 2022-04-28 18:36 modules.softdep
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 279K 2022-04-28 18:36 modules.symbols
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 326K 2022-04-28 18:36 modules.symbols.bin

For ARM64 (RasPi):

$ ls -l /lib/modules/5.4.0-xxxx-raspi
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 859K 2022-04-25 17:31 modules.alias
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 893K 2022-04-25 17:31 modules.alias.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 11K 2022-04-04 13:33 modules.builtin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 27K 2022-04-25 17:31 modules.builtin.alias.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 14K 2022-04-25 17:31 modules.builtin.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 84K 2022-04-04 13:33 modules.builtin.modinfo
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 399K 2022-04-25 17:31 modules.dep
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 548K 2022-04-25 17:31 modules.dep.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 250 2022-04-25 17:31 modules.devname
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 209K 2022-04-04 13:33 modules.order
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 950 2022-04-25 17:31 modules.softdep
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 354K 2022-04-25 17:31 modules.symbols
-rw-r--r-- 1 root 425K 2022-04-25 17:31 modules.symbols.bin

[Julian Andres Klode (juliank)]

There can be many reasons why files remain. Did you purge the packages for those Linux versions? Did you do any dkms modules.

This is not a bug in apt, apt is not responsible for those files.

[Julian Andres Klode (juliank)]

Actually let me reassign to Linux and mark incomplete.

[corrado venturini (corradoventu)]

corrado@corrado-x-kinetic:~$ ls /lib/modules
5.19.0-23-generic 5.19.0-28-generic 5.19.0-29-generic 5.19.0-31-generic
corrado@corrado-x-kinetic:~$ sudo apt autoremove --purge
[sudo] password for corrado:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
corrado@corrado-x-kinetic:~$ ls /lib/modules
5.19.0-23-generic 5.19.0-28-generic 5.19.0-29-generic 5.19.0-31-generic
corrado@corrado-x-kinetic:~$

[Artur Meinild (ameinild)]

For the relevant kernels running:

sudo apt purge linux-image-5.15.0-xx-generic linux-modules-5.15.0-xx-generic linux-modules-extra-5.15.0-xx-generic

Or using this utility: https://git.launchpad.net/linux-purge

Then the leftover directories are correctly removed.

But I don't think you should have to rely on manual commands or 3rd party utilities to clean out after old kernels.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Marius Gedminas (mgedmin)]

AFAIU by default it's unattended-upgrades that takes care of removing old kernel (and kernel module packages). Apparently it doesn't pass --purge when it removes the old kernel packages. Should it?

[DigiAngel (jlay)]

Same here...none of these commands remove the old /lib/modules/ kernel dirs:

sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoclean
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get purge