Can't re-install Kernel ... No space

rickh · 12-10-2005, 12:14 PM

I installed Kernel-2.6.14 from unstable. That seems to have worked fine.

Code:

$ uname -r
2.6.14-2-amd64-k8

But ... now when I do an apt-get dist-upgrade, it comes up telling me that the kernel will be replaced (presumably to rebuild driver modules.) I say OK to that, and this happens:

Code:

The following packages will be upgraded:
  linux-image-2.6.14-2-amd64-k8
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove.
Need to get 0B/16.1MB of archives.
After unpacking 69.6kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Y
Preconfiguring packages ...
(Reading database ... 103079 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace linux-image-2.6.14-2-amd64-k8 2.6.14-4 (using .../linux-image-2.6.14-2-amd64-k8_2.6.14-5_amd64.deb) ...
The directory /lib/modules/2.6.14-2-amd64-k8 still exists. Continuing as directed.
Unpacking replacement linux-image-2.6.14-2-amd64-k8 ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-2.6.14-2-amd64-k8_2.6.14-5_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 failed in buffer_write(fd) (9, ret=-1): backend dpkg-deb during `./lib/modules/2.6.14-2-amd64-k8/kernel/drivers/block/umem.ko': No space left on device
dpkg-deb: subprocess paste killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub .
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-2.6.14-2-amd64-k8_2.6.14-5_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

I do appear to have an issue with available drive space:

Code:

debian:~# df
Filesystem           1K-blocks      Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/hdb1               255912    224626     17633  93% /
tmpfs                   223000         0    223000   0% /dev/shm
/dev/hdb9             67291032  18638120  45234684  30% /home
/dev/hdb8               369000      8252    341088   3% /tmp
/dev/hdb5              4807056   1957048   2605824  43% /usr
/dev/hdb6              2885780   1682844   1056348  62% /var

I suspect that I need to clean up the / directory rather than increase it's size, but ls -al doesn't suggest anything obvious to me that should be deleted.

Suggestions for my next step would be appreciated.

dastrike · 12-10-2005, 12:46 PM

You can execute

Code:

du -sh /*

to find out how much the subdirectorytrees of the root directory contains and see if you have some junk lying around... And a tip, use

Code:

df -h

and you'll get a bit more readable values, it is quite annoying sifting through those long bloody kilobyte values.

I'd say you have misdimensioned your root partition quite a bit. Sure you have put lots of stuff on different partitions but you still have underestimated the use of the root partition or its subdirectories that are not among those you have put on separate partitions.

rickh · 12-10-2005, 07:59 PM

Arrgh! Looks like a total reinstall. Pain in the butt, but I guess I always learn someting in doing that.

farpoint · 12-12-2005, 04:56 PM

Not to be encouraged but I've been 100% redlining,I only have a / partition, and a home partition. 93% don't sound too bad on /. You could always try running.
apt-get clean , which will get rid of all the update archives which you should not need anymore. That should clear up a bit of space in /var . Personally I only go for a / partition, and a /home partition. It's not easy to know sometimes how full various directories are going to get. At least having just a / partition for the system stuff allows the various directories a bit of freedom. Incidentally I'm just as bad in cleaning the archives.I've just looked in the Sarge/Etch install. Oops. There's 2.3GB in there, and mostly no longer needed. Nigel. aka farpoint.

rickh · 12-12-2005, 09:35 PM

I bit the bullet and reinstalled. I divide the /, /var, /usr, and /home directories into different partitions because that seems to be Debian's recommendation for a multi-user setup. I also like to have a clear separation between OS and data files ... That has saved my butt several times in Windows when the hard drive crashed, but I could still access the data partition.

My original space (280 MB) for /, was the default from Debian's installer. This time I increased that to 1 GB, and increased the space for /usr, and /var a little bit. I think I'm taken care of in that regard now. Evidently Debian does not really expect root to be an active user on a 'multi-user workstation', so they didn't allocate with that in mind.