[Bug 798414] Re: update-initramfs should produce a more helpful error when there isn't enough free space

[markling]

Enrique:

"Most likely is that you have a separate boot partition because you are
using lvm or an encrypted filesystem."

True on both counts.

LVM and encryption were offered as options in the Xubuntu installer-for-
dummies. Granted, an insy bit of knowledge may be required to to summon
the courage to choose such options in the installer. But there is a
whole D-class of user who have been led, bovine-like, into such
territory with the odd sign here and passing chatter there.

"Most kernel updates add a new kernel but do not erase old versions."

That is apparenlty so.

Software Updater is still periodically, as today, giving me the message:
"The upgrade needs a total of 43.2 M free space on disk '/boot'. Please
free at least an additional 1,147 k of disk space on '/boot'. Empty your
trash and remove temporary packages of former installations using 'sudo
apt-get clean'."

It is not beyond me to look the routine to solve this problem up on the
forums again. I might even next time remember that you posted a
workaround here. It is however a great inconvenience. The last thing I
need from Xubuntu is any more minor glitches or loose ends that cause me
to have to workaround or dowithout or getlostinforumhell. Linux seems at
times like it is disappearing under a mound of minor glitches.

This one is more than an inconvenience because it stops kernel upgrades.
It is as though, if your usual morning routine was, after running out of
the front door with toast in your mouth and papers falling out of your
sachel, to jump in your car and speed off, that every now and again when
you switched the car on it would say you needed petrol but you couldn't
fill up till you cleaned the carburetter. You would speed off to work,
knowing that the car was faulty and wondering when you could find the
mental energy to pull out the Haynes manual and go over the carburetter
cleaning routine again. And all because the good person who gave you the
carborettor didn't get round to quite finishing it. It's fair enough, I
suppose. But it does rather limit the appeal of motor transport to
people who have the time and energy to clean their carburetter
periodically.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/798414

Title:
  update-initramfs should produce a more helpful error when there isn't
  enough  free space

Status in “initramfs-tools” package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: initramfs-tools

  When generating a new initramfs there is no check for available free
  space, subsequently its possible for update-initramfs to fail due to a
  lack of free space.  This is resulting in package installation
  failures for initramfs-tools.  For example:

  Setting up initramfs-tools (0.98.8ubuntu3) ...
  update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
  Processing triggers for initramfs-tools ...
  update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic

  gzip: stdout: No space left on device
  E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 gzip 1
  update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic
  dpkg: error processing initramfs-tools (--configure):
   subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1

  WORKAROUND:

  Remove unused kernels using computer janitor or manually free space on
  your partition containing the /boot file system.

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