touch-packages team mailing list archive

[Martin Ueding <1437218@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Public bug reported:

I have an encrypted setup such that I need a separate `/boot` partition.
The Ubuntu installer created one such with the space of 236M on a 450G
drive. Using `unattended-upgrades`, all updates are installed
automatically in the background. Every now and then, the package
management gets stuck in a limbo state because `/boot` is full and the
new kernel cannot be configured.

This is only really noticed when I tried to install a new package
manually and the package management failes during the `initramfs` or
`depmod` step, I am not too sure about the details of that process.
Anyway, I have to read through all those errors and find the one line
which has the error about missing disk space. Then I have to figure out
which kernels are not needed any more and uninstall those.

There are really ugly `sed`-`xargs` constructs on websites which are
supposed to allow you to remove the unused kernels. I wrote a Python
script myself which justs lists the packages, I do not really like those
fragile pipe chains.

My point: Ubuntu is supposed to be a distribution that is aimed at
casual users which do not use the command line. The default installer
offers a fully encrypted setup with LVM. Those kind of people will run
out of space on `/boot` eventually and their package management seems to
be broken. They will not receive updates, which could be also a security
implication. They will probably think about reinstalling it to get it
fixed. I think leaving users with the problem is allowed on Arch Linux,
but Ubuntu should gracefully remove old kernels when it runs out of
space.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.10
Package: unattended-upgrades 0.82.8ubuntu0.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-33.44-generic 3.16.7-ckt7
Uname: Linux 3.16.0-33-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.7-0ubuntu8.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Fri Mar 27 10:06:45 2015
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-10-07 (170 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140416.1)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: unattended-upgrades
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to utopic on 2014-11-26 (120 days ago)
modified.conffile..etc.apt.apt.conf.d.10periodic: [modified]
modified.conffile..etc.apt.apt.conf.d.50unattended.upgrades: [modified]
mtime.conffile..etc.apt.apt.conf.d.10periodic: 2014-12-10T16:42:26.217212
mtime.conffile..etc.apt.apt.conf.d.50unattended.upgrades: 2014-12-18T14:19:12.837444

** Affects: unattended-upgrades (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug utopic

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
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Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1437218

Title:
  Old kernels will fill up /boot and let upgrades fail

Status in unattended-upgrades package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I have an encrypted setup such that I need a separate `/boot`
  partition. The Ubuntu installer created one such with the space of
  236M on a 450G drive. Using `unattended-upgrades`, all updates are
  installed automatically in the background. Every now and then, the
  package management gets stuck in a limbo state because `/boot` is full
  and the new kernel cannot be configured.

  This is only really noticed when I tried to install a new package
  manually and the package management failes during the `initramfs` or
  `depmod` step, I am not too sure about the details of that process.
  Anyway, I have to read through all those errors and find the one line
  which has the error about missing disk space. Then I have to figure
  out which kernels are not needed any more and uninstall those.

  There are really ugly `sed`-`xargs` constructs on websites which are
  supposed to allow you to remove the unused kernels. I wrote a Python
  script myself which justs lists the packages, I do not really like
  those fragile pipe chains.

  My point: Ubuntu is supposed to be a distribution that is aimed at
  casual users which do not use the command line. The default installer
  offers a fully encrypted setup with LVM. Those kind of people will run
  out of space on `/boot` eventually and their package management seems
  to be broken. They will not receive updates, which could be also a
  security implication. They will probably think about reinstalling it
  to get it fixed. I think leaving users with the problem is allowed on
  Arch Linux, but Ubuntu should gracefully remove old kernels when it
  runs out of space.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.10
  Package: unattended-upgrades 0.82.8ubuntu0.2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-33.44-generic 3.16.7-ckt7
  Uname: Linux 3.16.0-33-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.14.7-0ubuntu8.2
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: KDE
  Date: Fri Mar 27 10:06:45 2015
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-10-07 (170 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140416.1)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  SourcePackage: unattended-upgrades
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to utopic on 2014-11-26 (120 days ago)
  modified.conffile..etc.apt.apt.conf.d.10periodic: [modified]
  modified.conffile..etc.apt.apt.conf.d.50unattended.upgrades: [modified]
  mtime.conffile..etc.apt.apt.conf.d.10periodic: 2014-12-10T16:42:26.217212
  mtime.conffile..etc.apt.apt.conf.d.50unattended.upgrades: 2014-12-18T14:19:12.837444

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