16.04 LTS Partition /boot fills up with Kernel images, gets underwear in a twist
Affects | Status | Importance | Assigned to | Milestone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
unattended-upgrades (Ubuntu) |
Fix Released
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
Xenial |
Fix Released
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
Artful |
Won't Fix
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
update-manager (Ubuntu) |
Fix Released
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
Xenial |
Fix Released
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
Artful |
Fix Released
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned |
Bug Description
[Impact]
* Update-manager and unattended-upgrades install many kernel packages during the lifetime of a release but does not remove them automatically leading to those packages filling disk space potentially completely filling /boot and making the system unable to install updates or even boot.
* Stable release users are impacted by this bug for years and their systems already collected many autoremovable unused kernel packages, thus they would benefit from backporting the fix greatly.
* The bug is fixed by removing autoremovable (not currently booted) kernel packages when running unattended-upgrades or update-manager. Update manager offers the kernel removals when there are other updates to be installed.
[Test Case]
1. Install kernel packages to be removed, mark them auto-installed and run apt's kernel hook script to make apt consider them autoremovable:
sudo apt install -y linux-image-
sudo apt-mark auto linux-image-
sudo /etc/kernel/
2. Also downgrade a package to be upgraded:
sudo apt-get install -y --allow-downgrades ca-certificates
3. (update-manager). Run update-manager and observe that kernel packages are offered for removal in Details of updates.
sudo update-manager
4. (update-manager) Click on Install Now and observe that the kernel packages are removed.
3. (unattended-
sudo unattended-upgrade -v
[Regression Potential]
The change may cause update-manager or unattanded-upgrades to remove used kernel packages or fail to install other package updates.
[Other Info]
The unattended-upgrades fix is uploaded with many other fixes and those may cause regressions in other areas in unattended-
[Original bug text]
On a 16.04LTS system, the /boot partition will eventually fill with Kernel images, until the point where "apt-get autoremove" can't complete.
This issue has previously been reported as fixed, but it is not fixed:
https:/
Generally what I see is the final kernel image that fills the drive is incompletely installed (the header package does not make it). "apt-get autoremove" tries to work, but fails. I must manually remove kernel images to free enough space.
I see this on a machine used by my elderly parents, where 'Download and install updates automatically' is set. And on my home machines, where the setting is elsewhere.
tags: | added: xenial |
tags: | added: pecise trusty |
tags: | removed: pecise trusty |
tags: | added: full-boot |
Changed in unattended-upgrades (Ubuntu Artful): | |
status: | New → Won't Fix |
Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.