"gzip: stdout: No space left on device"

Question

After the recent updates I've installed I got the following error when installing or uninstalling apps from Ubuntu Software center on Ubuntu 13.04:

installArchives() failed: (Reading database ... 
(Reading database ... 5%
(Reading database ... 10%
(Reading database ... 15%
(Reading database ... 20%
(Reading database ... 25%
(Reading database ... 30%
(Reading database ... 35%
(Reading database ... 40%
(Reading database ... 45%
(Reading database ... 50%
(Reading database ... 55%
(Reading database ... 60%
(Reading database ... 65%
(Reading database ... 70%
(Reading database ... 75%
(Reading database ... 80%
(Reading database ... 85%
(Reading database ... 90%
(Reading database ... 95%
(Reading database ... 100%
(Reading database ... 332535 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing gelemental ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme ...
Processing triggers for menu ...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf-2.index...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic (3.8.0-25.37) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: deferring update (hook will be called later)
Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 3.8.0-25-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-25-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 3.8.0-25-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-25-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-25-generic

gzip: stdout: No space left on device
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 gzip 1
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-25-generic with 1.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic.postinst line 1010.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-image-generic:
linux-image-generic depends on linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic; however:
Package linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing linux-image-generic (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-generic:
linux-generic depends on linux-image-generic (= 3.8.0.25.43); however:
Package linux-image-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing linux-generic (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
No 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.
Errors were encountered while processing:
linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic
linux-image-generic
linux-generic
Error in function: 
Setting up linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic (3.8.0-25.37) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: deferring update (hook will be called later)
Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 3.8.0-25-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-25-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 3.8.0-25-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-25-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-25-generic

gzip: stdout: No space left on device
cpio: write error: Broken pipe
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 1 gzip 1
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-25-generic with 1.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic.postinst line 1010.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 2
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-image-generic:
linux-image-generic depends on linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic; however:
Package linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing linux-image-generic (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured

It says there is not space left on the device, but I actually have plenty of space, the only partition that has 24 MB free is the boot partition, but how to access is it and what to do there if this is the problem?

possible duplicate http://askubuntu.com/questions/89710/free-up-more-space-on-boot — Braiam, Jan 09 '14 at 15:47

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 20 '13 at 05:18

Disclaimer: this answer contains information from a comment to another answer.

It was also failing for me to install the latest kernel via Muon Package Manager. Then i did:

vic@vic-X202E ~ $ sudo apt-get install -f
[sudo] password for vic: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  libkdcraw22 linux-headers-3.8.0-19 linux-headers-3.8.0-19-generic linux-headers-3.8.0-21
  linux-headers-3.8.0-21-generic linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic linux-image-3.8.0-21-generic
  linux-image-extra-3.8.0-19-generic linux-image-extra-3.8.0-21-generic
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
5 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up linux-image-3.8.0-27-generic (3.8.0-27.40) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: deferring update (hook will be called later)
Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 3.8.0-27-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-27-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms 3.8.0-27-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-27-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 3.8.0-27-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-27-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-27-generic

gzip: stdout: No space left on device
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 gzip 1
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-27-generic with 1.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1

I did sudo apt-get autoremove which removed old kernels for me, after that the new kernel could be installed.

I guess, the boot partition which has no more space left is the Efi partition.

no help from autoremove, and I have many GB free on the system. — Scott Porter, Jul 26 '15 at 19:59
@ScottPorter > I have many GB free on the system < In my case the problem was in EFI partition which was very small. When you say you have many GB free, check your EFI partition. — warvariuc, Jul 27 '15 at 02:49
Thanks, if it happens again I will try that, now it got fixed with a clean by "Ubuntu Tweak", it found things I missed in my frantic searching. I was trying to follow the ideas and must have misunderstood or mistyped. — Scott Porter, Jul 27 '15 at 05:22

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 17 '13 at 15:19

1

What worked for me is:

sudo apt-get install plymouth

answered Aug 17 '13 at 15:19

Oleg

143

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 16 '13 at 09:12

0

you need to reconfigure the kernel package

sudo dpkg-reconfigure linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic

or try fix the depencies by

sudo apt-get install -f

answered Jun 16 '13 at 09:12

herrhansen

251
1
6

This did not work. Here is what I got:
~$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic /usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure: linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic is broken or not fully installed
– todorakiggg Jun 16 '13 at 09:18
did you try sudo apt-get install -f? – herrhansen Jun 16 '13 at 09:18
Yes, it returned the same error:
gzip: stdout: No space left on device E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 gzip 1 update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-25-generic with 1. run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1 Failed to process /etc/kernel/postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic.postinst line 1010. dpkg: error processing linux-image-extra-3.8.0-25-generic (--configure):
– todorakiggg Jun 16 '13 at 09:21
There is no space u on device E. That's the problem. You need to free some space first. – herrhansen Jun 16 '13 at 09:25
2

How to find which is device E? dev/sda1 (boot) has 25 MB free dev/sda2 has 70GB free space dev/sdb has 550GB free space – todorakiggg Jun 16 '13 at 09:26
your boot partition has too less space left. Perhaps you could try to remove older kernel versions. You can get a list of installed Kernels by dpkg --list | grep linux-image – herrhansen Jun 16 '13 at 09:29
Ok, How could I remove old version? – todorakiggg Jun 16 '13 at 09:31
http://www.liberiangeek.net/2011/11/remove-old-kernels-in-ubuntu-11-10-oneiric-ocelot/ - i can't explain better – herrhansen Jun 16 '13 at 09:31

"gzip: stdout: No space left on device"

3 Answers3

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