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

[Hobson Lane]

REALLY disappointed in Canonical and Ubuntu. Why isn't a bug like this
the very top priority of Canonical's development team and the open
source community? The bug potentially affects all users and prevents
those users from upgrading the kernel, even to plug security holes.
Aren't security and kernel problems that affect all users of concern to
anyone with the power and skills to fix them?

I'm now stuck with having to manually remove kernel files (seriously?)
on an expensive laptop with a factory installed Ubuntu 14.04 OS. Even
`autoremove` fails for me because gzip has no room to extract the files
that it wants to delete? And of course the bug is silently ignored by
appreport and consequently Ubuntu and Canonical. Shame on you...

(tp)hobson at hobs-dell:/boot$ sudo apt-get autoremove -y
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 69 not upgraded.
5 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up linux-image-extra-4.2.0-36-generic (4.2.0-36.41) ...
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 4.2.0-36-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-36-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms 4.2.0-36-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-36-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 4.2.0-36-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.2.0-36-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.2.0-36-generic

gzip: stdout: No space left on device
E: mkinitramfs failure find 141 cpio 141 gzip 1
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-4.2.0-36-generic with 1.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-extra-4.2.0-36-generic (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-image-generic:
 linux-image-generic depends on linux-image-extra-4.2.0-36-generic; however:
  Package linux-image-extra-4.2.0-36-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-image-generic (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-generic:
 linux-generic depends on linux-image-generic (= 4.2.0.36.39); however:
  Package linux-image-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-generic (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-signed-image-generic:
 linux-signed-image-generic depends on linux-image-extra-4.2.0-36-generic; however:
  Package linux-image-extra-4.2.0-36-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-signed-image-generic (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems preventNo apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a previous failure.
                                                                                                                                           No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a previous failure.
                                                                                  No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                                                                                                                                                No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                                            configuration of linux-signed-generic:
 linux-signed-generic depends on linux-signed-image-generic (= 4.2.0.36.39); however:
  Package linux-signed-image-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-signed-generic (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-extra-4.2.0-36-generic
 linux-image-generic
 linux-generic
 linux-signed-image-generic
 linux-signed-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
(tp)hobson at hobs-del:/boot$

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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:
  Confirmed
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 (not in repositories for
  14.04 or later) or manually free space on your partition containing
  the /boot file system.

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