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

[Jarno Suni]

Michael Baker, the bug report Bug #1357093 that you referred to has been
re-reported as Bug #1675079 and Bug #1624644

If you disable automatic installation of updates, and install them by
Software Updater only, it will prevent you from installing kernel
updates, retaining the system in intact state, if there is too little
space left, and let you remove extra kernels by "sudo apt autoremove
--purge" (in 16.04-), right?

Whatever front-end is used to install kernels, be it apt, unattended-
upgrades whatnot, it should check if there is enough space for the
kernel in /boot, to prevent system from becoming broken by the
installation. It might be difficult in general, as initrd.img files size
may vary depending on dkms, linux-image-extra whatnot and there may be
backup initrd.img files generated, too.

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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 Software Updater:
  New
Status in dpkg package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in initramfs-tools package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress

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.

  See instructions here
  https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RemoveOldKernels

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