How to clear space on a boot partition

Question

We have inherited an Ubuntu Linux server that continues to run out of space on the /boot partition and now the clean and autoclean commands are no longer working. We suspect that the problem has something to do with the old kernels never being removed. We aren't Linux experts, so are hesitant to run commands that may make this server unbootable. The version is 3.13.0-53-generic when running the uname -r command.

When running the command dpkg -l | grep linux-image- the results are:

 rc  linux-image-2.6.32-38-server                2.6.32-38.83                      Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-41-server                2.6.32-41.94                      Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-42-server                2.6.32-42.96                      Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-43-server                2.6.32-43.97                      Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-44-server                2.6.32-44.98                      Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-45-server                2.6.32-45.104                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-46-server                2.6.32-46.108                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-47-server                2.6.32-47.109                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-48-server                2.6.32-48.110                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-49-server                2.6.32-49.111                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-50-server                2.6.32-50.112                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-51-server                2.6.32-51.113                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-52-server                2.6.32-52.114                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-53-server                2.6.32-53.115                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-54-server                2.6.32-54.116                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-55-server                2.6.32-55.117                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-56-server                2.6.32-56.118                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-57-server                2.6.32-57.119                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-58-server                2.6.32-58.121                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-60-server                2.6.32-60.122                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-61-server                2.6.32-61.124                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-62-server                2.6.32-62.126                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-2.6.32-64-server                2.6.32-64.128                     Linux kernel image for version 2.6.32 on x86_64
  rc  linux-image-3.13.0-37-generic               3.13.0-37.64~precise1             Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.13.0-39-generic               3.13.0-39.66~precise1             Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.13.0-40-generic               3.13.0-40.69~precise1             Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.13.0-43-generic               3.13.0-43.72~precise1             Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  ii  linux-image-3.13.0-44-generic               3.13.0-44.73~precise1             Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  ii  linux-image-3.13.0-46-generic               3.13.0-46.79~precise1             Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  ii  linux-image-3.13.0-48-generic               3.13.0-48.80~precise1             Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  ii  linux-image-3.13.0-49-generic               3.13.0-49.81~precise1             Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  ii  linux-image-3.13.0-51-generic               3.13.0-51.84~precise1             Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  ii  linux-image-3.13.0-52-generic               3.13.0-52.85~precise1             Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.2.0-67-generic                3.2.0-67.101                      Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.2.0-68-generic                3.2.0-68.102                      Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.2.0-69-generic                3.2.0-69.103                      Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.2.0-70-generic                3.2.0-70.105                      Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.2.0-72-generic                3.2.0-72.107                      Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.2.0-74-generic                3.2.0-74.109                      Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.2.0-75-generic                3.2.0-75.110                      Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.2.0-76-generic                3.2.0-76.111                      Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.2.0-77-generic                3.2.0-77.114                      Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.2.0-79-generic                3.2.0-79.115                      Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.2.0-80-generic                3.2.0-80.116                      Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  rc  linux-image-3.2.0-82-generic                3.2.0-82.119                      Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  ii  linux-image-3.2.0-83-generic                3.2.0-83.120                      Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
  ii  linux-image-generic-lts-trusty              3.13.0.52.45                      Generic Linux kernel image
  ii  linux-image-server                          3.2.0.83.97                       Linux kernel image on Server Equipment.

Because there is so much here that doesn't make sense, I'm not sure how to run the command sudo apt-get autoremove <old kernel> with the correct syntax to assure that the current and most recent previous one are retained.

Any insight or help would be appreciated.

You need to remove old kernels. Here is a very good manual – Pilot6 May 22 '15 at 17:29 — Pilot6, May 22 '15 at 17:29
Similar thread safest way to clean up /boot partition. – BDRSuite May 22 '15 at 17:39 — BDRSuite, May 22 '15 at 17:39

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 01 '15 at 16:36

Since you know the commands uname -r and dpkg -l | grep linux-image-, you have more Linux expertise than me :)

I have historically cleaned up my old kernels with commands like this: rm /boot/*-2.6.*, rm /boot/*-3.2.*, rm /boot/*-3.13.0-37-*, and so on. And then maybe you can also run update-grub, but it does not really matter.

Nothing bad has happened to me so far (maybe I have just been lucky).

How to clear space on a boot partition

1 Answers1