/ $ df -hT
Filesystem Type Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
udev devtmpfs 2.0G 0 2.0G 0% /dev
tmpfs tmpfs 395M 6.2M 389M 2% /run
/dev/sda5 ext4 28G 6.5G 20G 25% /
tmpfs tmpfs 2.0G 27M 1.9G 2% /dev/shm
tmpfs tmpfs 5.0M 4.0K 5.0M 1% /run/lock
tmpfs tmpfs 2.0G 0 2.0G 0% /sys/fs/cgroup
/dev/sda7 ext4 657G 180G 444G 29% /home
cgmfs tmpfs 100K 0 100K 0% /run/cgmanager/fs
tmpfs tmpfs 395M 36K 395M 1% /run/user/1000

Howdy.


I cannot find anything in Update Manager GUI that says anything about purging or removing old kernels. I also cannot use any automated process because my /boot is too full.


Sorry to horn in on this thread but am experiencing the same difficulty as OP, BUT that I let Mint 18 set all the partitions and install updates every time it wants to. The result is a 500mb /root that gets OVERstuffed at about 8 kernel updates. I'm here trying to find out why I cannot seem to use the proper nomenclature for the system to remove those kernels (or packages) as it shows them to me. No matter what I ask it to remove, it cannot find it.

This has fouled my whole morning, but i hope to learn something from it. (and have I shall NEVER run another kernel update without doing some removal maintenance (which can be automated but hasn't been up to this point because Mint didn't mention it.)


Thanks, I'll keep reading and pushing buttons.

If the MODS want to split this out into a separate thread, fine. I understand.

Update Manager > View > Linux Kernels (It will take a while for it to open) > scroll down to 4.4 and click on it. > at the top of that window you will see "You are currently using the following kernel:4.4.0-112" (Yours might display a different number)

You will see a lot of kernels listed. Some of them are noted as installed.

Click on the one you want to remove. Click on the remove button. Wait! Once it is removed, restart your computer, then remove the next kernel.

Do not remove more than one at a time, restarting before each kernel removal.

Scroll all the way to the bottom to make sure there are not more installed ones there.

There were a lot of not installed kernels between the most current kernel and the installed ones at the bottom. Go figure!

Remove all of them except the current one and 1 or 2 previous ones.

I am using Mint 18.0 Cinnamon. If you are using Mate or something else, the steps may be a little different.

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thanks, this is possibly the best information I've found all day. Well I quit in frustration and came back just to try it.

And it won't work. You'll never guess why. Same error as running in shell, too little space to complete. Doing a reboot now, but I'm about positive nothing happened because the /boot has no elbow room left at all.

It's going to take some really simple command-one that doesn't require space in the /boot to make this happen. And maybe that will work once I can properly identify the files or pkgs to the OS.

Wait... no low space warning on boot. Hmmm. Digging further. Maybe something got dumped after all. Despite errors to the contrary.

The column on the left in UpdateManager/Kernels shows 4.4, 4.8, 4.10, 4.11, and 4.13 with some of each of them installed. It says I'm in 4.13, SO I hope I'm safe taking out most of the rest...oh I see nothing in 4.8. Thanks. Carry on. Looks like it's working now. WHOOT zero error messages that time! (using Mate DE)

If it helps you feel more comfortable, I'm currently running 4.13.0-32 as active and -31 and -26 as installed, with no other kernels installed. As long as you were running a kernel in the 4.13 branch, as you stated, you will be fine as this means that your hardware is fine with that branch.

Do try and install new kernels as they are proposed in the immediate future since updates to try and counter Meltdown and Spectre are coming thick and fast. If you find that, perhaps due to a regression, booting off the latest kernel doesn't work, then you can revert to one of the other ones that you have installed by means of the startup grub menu.

Nice one, borgward.

Just a couple of micro adjustments to your post, if I may, for anyone in the future reading this thread. In Update Manager, the "Linux kernels" submenu option is on the "View" menu. Also, the procedure is independent of the desktop environment, so MATE, Cinnamon, Xfce and KDE all work in the same way.

To add some info, the 4.4 kernel branch is Linux Mint's LTS (long-term) branch for Mint 18. It also has a HWE branch for Mint 18 which provides improved hardware support, which is currently 4.13. So, folk should either be running the latest 4.4 or 4.13 kernel for optimal operation. A short description is contained within this post: https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=3496 . These two branches, LTS and HWE, will change as time goes on.

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Glad you saw that I left out > View. I just edited that post.

Thanks folks. I don't expect to run into -that- problem again.