Comment 29 for bug 798414

This is still happening.

I can't stress enough what an incredible hinderance it is to the working day when your system starts crashing and you have to do the updates but the updates won't work because you have first to remove old kernel images your OS has not cleaned up.

So I go trapsing after the instructions to do this manually again.

It looks like I have to manually remove 19 kernel images before I can install my updates and get back on with my work.

Here's the kernel images Xubuntu has left me to clean up:

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~$ dpkg --list | grep linux-image
rc linux-image-3.5.0-27-generic 3.5.0-27.46 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.5.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
rc linux-image-3.5.0-28-generic 3.5.0-28.48 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.5.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
rc linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic 3.8.0-19.30 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
rc linux-image-3.8.0-23-generic 3.8.0-23.34 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
rc linux-image-3.8.0-25-generic 3.8.0-25.37 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-3.8.0-26-generic 3.8.0-26.38 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-3.8.0-27-generic 3.8.0-27.40 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-3.8.0-29-generic 3.8.0-29.42 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-3.8.0-30-generic 3.8.0-30.44 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-3.8.0-31-generic 3.8.0-31.46 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
rc linux-image-extra-3.5.0-27-generic 3.5.0-27.46 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.5.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
rc linux-image-extra-3.5.0-28-generic 3.5.0-28.48 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.5.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
rc linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic 3.8.0-19.30 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
rc linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic 3.8.0-25.37 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-3.8.0-26-generic 3.8.0-26.38 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-3.8.0-27-generic 3.8.0-27.40 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-3.8.0-29-generic 3.8.0-29.42 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-3.8.0-30-generic 3.8.0-30.44 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
iF linux-image-extra-3.8.0-31-generic 3.8.0-31.46 amd64 Linux kernel image for version 3.8.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
iU linux-image-generic 3.8.0.31.49 amd64 Generic Linux kernel image
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When you follow the instructions to remove excess kernel images, you get an error:

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sudo apt-get purge linux-image-3.5.0-28-generic
[sudo] password for mark:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED
  linux-image-3.5.0-28-generic*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
3 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
(Reading database ... 351416 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-image-3.5.0-28-generic ...
Purging configuration files for linux-image-3.5.0-28-generic ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.5.0-28-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-28-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.5.0-28-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-28-generic
Setting up linux-image-extra-3.8.0-31-generic (3.8.0-31.46) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: deferring update (hook will be called later)
Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 3.8.0-31-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-31-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 3.8.0-31-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-31-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-31-generic

gzip: stdout: No space left on device
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 gzip 1
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-31-generic with 1.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-extra-3.8.0-31-generic.postinst line 1010.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-extra-3.8.0-31-generic (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-image-generic:
 linux-image-generic depends on linux-image-extra-3.8.0-31-generic; however:
  Package linux-image-extra-3.8.0-31-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing linux-image-generic (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-generic:
 linux-generic depends on linux-image-generic (= 3.8.0.31.49); however:
  Package linux-image-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing linux-generic (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
No apport report written because the error message indicates it's a follow-up error from a previous failure.
                            No apport report written because the error message indicates it's a follow-up error from a previous failure.
                                                        Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-extra-3.8.0-31-generic
 linux-image-generic
 linux-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

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Agghhhhhhhh!