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

[Steve Holton]

IMPACT:

Some systems report the problem detected (requesting a bug report andtriggering a visit to this page)  even when /boot has available free space:
 
sholton at sholton-VirtualBox:~$ df -H /boot
Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda1       487M  127M  330M  28% /boot

sholton at sholton-VirtualBox:~$ sudo apt autoremove --purge
[sudo] password for sholton: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

Is there a related bug which indicates a system problem even when the
original problem has been corrected?

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

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

Status in initramfs-tools:
  Confirmed
Status in Ubuntu Software Center:
  Invalid
Status in dpkg package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in initramfs-tools package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: initramfs-tools

  When installing a kernel, /boot may become full during execution of
  post-installation script typically when update-initramfs is creating
  or updating an initrd.img file. This is resulting in kernel
  installation error.  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

  Ideal behavior:

  Give a more helpful error message when this unfortunate situation
  occurs so that user can fix the broken system and keep it going.

  Workaround:

  As the bug reporting system forwards user to this bug report, such instructions can be given here:
  https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RemoveOldKernels

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