HELP, NOW, before I do something rash!! Out of disk space message!!

[Daniel~]

I have 100 gigs free on my main Linux disk...so what's going on?

 

[ThunderRd]

Show us:

ls -la /boot

Also:

df -h /boot

 

[booman]

Why would the EFI partition run out of space?
Isn't that a static partition just for booting and UEFI configurations?

In fact, most EFI partitions are really small to start with: 500MB or less

 

[Daniel~]

daniel@daniel-Sabertooth-Mint-18-DaVoid ~ $ ls -la /boot
total 428302
drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 3072 Feb 22 19:56 .
drwxr-xr-x 24 root root 4096 Feb 22 19:55 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1443962 Oct 6 17:35 abi-4.10.0-37-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1501359 Feb 16 17:19 abi-4.13.0-36-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1239577 Apr 18 2016 abi-4.4.0-21-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1240018 Jun 24 2016 abi-4.4.0-28-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1240067 Jul 12 2016 abi-4.4.0-31-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1241623 Jul 27 2016 abi-4.4.0-34-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1246511 Jun 26 2017 abi-4.4.0-83-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1408605 May 15 2017 abi-4.8.0-53-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 204970 Oct 6 17:35 config-4.10.0-37-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 213220 Feb 16 17:19 config-4.13.0-36-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 189412 Apr 18 2016 config-4.4.0-21-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 189533 Jun 24 2016 config-4.4.0-28-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 189558 Jul 12 2016 config-4.4.0-31-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 189676 Jul 27 2016 config-4.4.0-34-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190356 Jun 26 2017 config-4.4.0-83-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 199564 May 15 2017 config-4.8.0-53-generic
drwx------ 4 root root 4096 Dec 31 1969 efi
drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 1024 Feb 22 19:56 grub
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 43754437 Feb 22 19:51 initrd.img-4.10.0-37-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 51070287 Feb 22 19:56 initrd.img-4.13.0-36-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 39525837 Feb 22 19:46 initrd.img-4.4.0-21-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 39556743 Feb 22 19:45 initrd.img-4.4.0-28-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 39528096 Feb 22 19:45 initrd.img-4.4.0-31-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 39610425 Feb 22 19:45 initrd.img-4.4.0-34-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 40082359 Feb 22 19:45 initrd.img-4.4.0-83-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 42316175 Feb 22 19:45 initrd.img-4.8.0-53-generic
drwx------ 2 root root 12288 Jul 6 2016 lost+found
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 182704 Jan 28 2016 memtest86+.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 184380 Jan 28 2016 memtest86+.elf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 184840 Jan 28 2016 memtest86+_multiboot.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2850 Feb 16 17:19 retpoline-4.13.0-36-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3722003 Oct 6 17:35 System.map-4.10.0-37-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3879946 Feb 16 17:19 System.map-4.13.0-36-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3853719 Apr 18 2016 System.map-4.4.0-21-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3859655 Jun 24 2016 System.map-4.4.0-28-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3866473 Jul 12 2016 System.map-4.4.0-31-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3866644 Jul 27 2016 System.map-4.4.0-34-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3883887 Jun 26 2017 System.map-4.4.0-83-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 4066743 May 15 2017 System.map-4.8.0-53-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7405184 Oct 6 17:35 vmlinuz-4.10.0-37-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7710896 Feb 16 17:19 vmlinuz-4.13.0-36-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 7013968 Jun 28 2016 vmlinuz-4.4.0-21-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7026864 Jun 24 2016 vmlinuz-4.4.0-28-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7047504 Jul 12 2016 vmlinuz-4.4.0-31-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7046160 Jul 27 2016 vmlinuz-4.4.0-34-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7092720 Jun 26 2017 vmlinuz-4.4.0-83-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7308416 May 15 2017 vmlinuz-4.8.0-53-generic
daniel@daniel-Sabertooth-Mint-18-DaVoid ~ $

 

[Daniel~]

daniel@daniel-Sabertooth-Mint-18-DaVoid ~ $ df -h /boot
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda2 473M 429M 21M 96% /boot
daniel@daniel-Sabertooth-Mint-18-DaVoid ~ $

 

[Daniel~]

Why would the EFI partition run out of space?
Isn't that a static partition just for booting and UEFI configurations?

In fact, most EFI partitions are really small to start with: 500MB or less

Ya got me Boo...I'e never seen this before. All partitions are made by Mint at install, nothing custom here!!
at lest three year on this setup!

I have a back up from before this started so I won't be totally screw if I have to start over.

 

[Daniel~]

Now I receive this every time I reboot. I think the number is getting smaller with each reboot...That's some scary shit is it not?

 

[ThunderRd]

You're running out of space in /boot because it's loaded up with remnants of old kernels.

You really should uninstall all the old kernel versions, except for the last, say, two. Check your package manager first.

To check what your current running kernel is,

uname -r

And don't do anything silly, like reinstalling; there's nothing broken here, it's just unmaintained.

 

[Kaitain]

Mint's update manager makes this even easier - under one of the menu items (3rd from the left, forgot its name) has the submenu "kernels". The list that brings up shows "installed" and "running" check marks against kernel versions. The list is sortable by clicking the header, so you can sort by installed kernel and remove all the kernels that aren't running.

 

[ThunderRd]

You'd think the package manager would automatically offer to uninstall old versions, and leave it up to the user. It's easy for a typical user to forget he's got 8 old kernels installed.

 

[Kaitain]

The risk there is when the new kernel version breaks something - fails to support a piece of hardware or introduces a regression, especially when you move away from the LTS revisions to something more recent. If the package manager could keep the most recent successfully-booted kernel before the current one, and discard the others that would work. Alternatively, have a /boot_backup directory on / and move old kernels into that. Kernels don't have to sit in /boot, they just traditionally do.

 

[Daniel~]

You're running out of space in /boot because it's loaded up with remnants of old kernels.

You really should uninstall all the old kernel versions, except for the last, say, two. Check your package manager first.

To check what your current running kernel is,

uname -r

And don't do anything silly, like reinstalling; there's nothing broken here, it's just unmaintained.

As this seems to have begun when I stopped installing new Mint releases from scratch and began just updating and upgrading. This is clearly something the French let loose i the world!

 

[Daniel~]

Now that I have been blessed by your collective knowledge and support this has come clear for me, many thanks one and all.
To increase your satisfaction in the help you've given me I offer the following:

 

[Daniel~]

Lol...this is going to take me a while!

 

[Daniel~]

HMMMM

Removed all but the active Kernel and rebooted.
And this came up again!

(How could the French have penetrated my defenses so easily!?

 

[Daniel~]

I ran a search of ELF in my home folder
Here's the entire contents:

/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/config/elf
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/config/arch/has/elf
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/config/core/dump/default/elf
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/config/modules/use/elf
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/config/touchscreen/melfas
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/config/binfmt/elf.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/config/compat/binfmt/elf.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/linux/elf.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/uapi/linux/elf.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/config/elfcore.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/linux/elfcore.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/uapi/linux/elfcore.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/linux/elfcore-compat.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/uapi/linux/elf-em.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/linux/elf-fdpic.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/uapi/linux/elf-fdpic.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/linux/elfnote.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/xen/interface/elfnote.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/linux/elf-randomize.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/config/xen/selfballooning.h
/home/daniel/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/furmark/dosdevices/z:/usr/src/linux-headers-4.13.0-36-generic/include/config/lnet/selftest.h

 

[Daniel~]

Does this offer us anything?

 

[Kaitain]

Um... that's a very roundabout way of looking at things, and I'm a little concerned about wine being able to see /boot... but anyway

sudo mount /boot
sudo ls /boot

What are the results?

 

[ThunderRd]

I think /boot is always mounted in Mint/Debian, etc; it's not like Gentoo where you have to mount first.

I'm pretty sure ls will show us that the package manager didn't COMPLETELY remove the kernel files in /boot for some reason. See post #4 above. We'll probably have to delete the old stuff manually.

Daniel~, are you sure you deleted all but the current running kernel? Remember for the future, it's a good idea to keep the running kernel *+1* as I said in an earlier post...

 

[ThunderRd]

Show us this as well as 'ls /boot':

sudo dpkg -l linux* | grep ^ii | awk '{ print $2 }'