[Bug 1678187] Re: Removing a linux-image-extra package fails, if /boot is about full

[Hayden Clark]

I've not yet found a way to make a USB boot that would allow me to start
the machine in the event of something going wrong. Without a plan to
revert the change, I'm a bit nervous. I know it *should* work fine - but
I don't want to suddenly have an unbootable laptop I can't rescue.

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Title:
  Removing a linux-image-extra package fails, if /boot is about full

Status in initramfs-tools package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  System calls /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools when
  purging/removing a linux-image-extra package. That calls "update-
  initramfs -c" which needs significant amount of additional disk space
  in /boot temporarily. But there is no space left, if /boot is full.

  Likewise /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms may call "update-initramfs -u".

  The fix could be to create the new initrg.img file in different partition before replacing the old one by it in update-initramfs. So the update-initramfs script should be fixed. But there may not be such a partition..
  Anyway the likely case when space runs out is when there is a separate /boot partition.

  Alternatively the init scripts should remove the respective /boot/initrd.img-<version> file when removing/installing the linux-image-extra package. That could also be done by
  update-initramfs -d -k <version>
  That may be worse way, as then initrd.img file is missing for longer period of time and system integrity may suffer in case of e.g. power cut.

  Related question: http://askubuntu.com/q/898499/21005
  The output of 'dpkg --purge' presented there shows that corresponding linux-image package may get successfully removed while the linux-image-extra is left broken. If the linux-image-extra package will be removed later, the post-installation script will create an initrd.img file for a non-installed kernel! Same would happen, if removing would be done by apt-get purge.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
  Package: initramfs-tools 0.103ubuntu4.7
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-71.92~14.04.1-generic 4.4.49
  Uname: Linux 4.4.0-71-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.23
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: XFCE
  Date: Fri Mar 31 17:42:35 2017
  EcryptfsInUse: Yes
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-09-21 (922 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Studio 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140722.1)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  SourcePackage: initramfs-tools
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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