Can't Update Using YUM Because /boot Partion Needs To Be Increased

JustinK101 · 12-15-2008, 03:25 PM

Running CentOS and doing a standard update:

sudo yum update

And it wants to install a big set of updates, 249 in all. I download them, but then the yum update fails with a mesage about /boot not having enough storage.

How do I increase the size of the /boot partition to allow the updates to install? Below is the details on my /boot partion:

Code:

Filesystem    SIZE   USED    AVAIL   USE%   Mounted On
/dev/sda1    99M     92M     1.9M     99%     /boot

jailbait · 12-15-2008, 03:34 PM

99M is plenty of space for a CentOS /boot partition. My CentOS directory takes up 15M. Take a look in your /boot and see if it is filled up with old kernels. If so go into yum or rpm and delete all of the old kernel packages.

-------------------
Steve Stites

x_terminat_or_3 · 12-15-2008, 04:57 PM

I recommend only using yum to remove old kernels. rpm does not show what dependent packages it removes at the same time, and does not ask for confirmation.

JustinK101 · 12-15-2008, 05:19 PM

So there are a bunch of files in /boot. Most of the begin with somethings like:

config-2.6.9*
initrd-2.6.9*
sysvers-2.6.9*
System.map-2.6.9*
vmlinuz-2.6.9*

What are safe to delete? How do I clean /boot up?

The output of yum list kernel lists like 12.

Thanks.

x_terminat_or_3 · 12-15-2008, 05:23 PM

can you do a

Code:

yum list kernel

please

and paste the output here.

jailbait · 12-15-2008, 05:26 PM

Each kernel package installs several files in /boot. The files you listed look like a group of files installed by a single kernel package.

Find out what kernel you are using with the uname command:

uname -a

Then use yum or rpm to list all of your kernel rpm packages and remove all kernels other than the one you are using.

-------------------
Steve Stites

JustinK101 · 12-15-2008, 05:26 PM

Sure here is the output:

Code:

yum list kernel
Setting up repositories
Reading repository metadata in from local files
Installed Packages
kernel.i686                              2.6.9-67.0.22.EL       installed
kernel.i686                              2.6.9-67.0.7.EL        installed
kernel.i686                              2.6.9-67.0.15.EL       installed
kernel.i686                              2.6.9-55.0.2.EL        installed
kernel.i686                              2.6.9-67.0.1.EL        installed
kernel.i686                              2.6.9-42.0.10.EL       installed
kernel.i686                              2.6.9-42.0.3.plus.c4   installed
kernel.i686                              2.6.9-55.0.9.EL        installed
kernel.i686                              2.6.9-55.0.12.EL       installed
kernel.i686                              2.6.9-42.0.8.EL        installed
kernel.i686                              2.6.9-67.0.20.EL       installed
kernel.i686                              2.6.9-42.EL            installed
Available Packages
kernel.i686                              2.6.9-78.0.8.EL        update
kernel.i586                              2.6.9-78.0.8.EL        update

And the output of uname -a

Code:

2.6.9-67.0.22.ELsmp #1 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

How do I remove certain kernals? I tried yum remove kernel.i686 but it wanted to remove all?

x_terminat_or_3 · 12-15-2008, 05:30 PM

ok you should be safe to remove a few of those.

Try this command

Code:

yum remove kernel-2.6.9-55.0.2.EL kernel-2.6.9-67.0.1.EL kernel-2.6.9-42.0.10.EL kernel-2.6.9-42.0.3.plus.c4 kernel-2.6.9-55.0.9.EL  kernel-2.6.9-55.0.12.EL kernel-2.6.9-42.0.8.EL kernel-2.6.9-67.0.20.EL kernel-2.6.9-42.EL

To remove all but the three newest kernels.

After that, you should have enough space on your boot partition to complete the update.