Ran my commands to remove unused old kernels on my new (to me) lubuntu 16.04 server and got a BIG surprise. Each kernel generation on this 64-bit system takes up nearly 300 MB. So keeping three kernel generations costs a hefty 1 GB of space. I am going to cut back my "keep margin" to 3 generations (I used to keep 5 on my old HDD based system). This system is booting from an old spare 16GB SSD that I had left over from a chromebook upgrade a while back. I've run into space issues twice already for unrelated reasons which I've already solved by moving these issues off to other non-boot partitions on other larger rotating magnetic HDD's
Here is the command line and output content (I highlighted the part that got my attention):
$ sudo apt-get purge linux-image-4.4.0-{24,22}-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-{24,22} linux-headers-4.4.0-{24,22}-generic
[sudo] password for user:
E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), is another process using it?
tim@tim-HP-Compaq-Elite-8300-SFF:~$ sudo apt-get purge linux-image-4.4.0-{24,22}-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-{24,22} linux-headers-4.4.0-{24,22}-generic
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
libclass-data-inheritable-perl libcommon-sense-perl
libcrypt-openssl-bignum-perl libcrypt-openssl-rsa-perl libdata-random-perl
libdigest-hmac-perl libextutils-depends-perl libextutils-pkgconfig-perl
libfile-basedir-perl libfile-which-perl libgd-perl libgnome2-canvas-perl
libgnome2-gconf-perl libgnome2-perl libgnome2-vfs-perl libgnome2-wnck-perl
libgoo-canvas-perl libgoocanvas-common libgoocanvas3
libgtk2-appindicator-perl libgtk2-imageview-perl libgtk2-unique-perl
libgtkimageview0 libhttp-server-simple-perl libimage-magick-perl
libimage-magick-q16-perl libipc-system-simple-perl libjson-perl
libjson-xs-perl libmouse-perl libnet-dropbox-api-perl libnet-oauth-perl
libpath-class-perl libproc-processtable-perl libproc-simple-perl
libsort-naturally-perl libtypes-serialiser-perl libunique-1.0-0
libwww-mechanize-perl linux-headers-4.4.0-28 linux-headers-4.4.0-28-generic
linux-image-4.4.0-28-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-28-generic perlmagick
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
linux-headers-4.4.0-22* linux-headers-4.4.0-22-generic*
linux-headers-4.4.0-24* linux-headers-4.4.0-24-generic*
linux-image-4.4.0-22-generic* linux-image-4.4.0-24-generic*
linux-image-extra-4.4.0-22-generic* linux-image-extra-4.4.0-24-generic*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 8 to remove and 10 not upgraded.
After this operation, 590 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
(Reading database ... 364617 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-headers-4.4.0-22-generic (4.4.0-22.40) ...
Removing linux-headers-4.4.0-22 (4.4.0-22.40) ...
Removing linux-headers-4.4.0-24-generic (4.4.0-24.43) ...
Removing linux-headers-4.4.0-24 (4.4.0-24.43) ...
Removing linux-image-extra-4.4.0-22-generic (4.4.0-22.40) ...
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 4.4.0-22-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 4.4.0-22-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-22-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/pm-utils 4.4.0-22-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/update-notifier 4.4.0-22-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-update-grub 4.4.0-22-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-34-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-34-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-31-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-31-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-28-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-28-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-24-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-22-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sdb1
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sdb2
Found Windows Recovery Environment (loader) on /dev/sdb3
done
Purging configuration files for linux-image-extra-4.4.0-22-generic (4.4.0-22.40) ...
Removing linux-image-4.4.0-22-generic (4.4.0-22.40) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 4.4.0-22-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-22-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 4.4.0-22-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-34-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-34-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-31-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-31-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-28-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-28-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-24-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sdb1
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sdb2
Found Windows Recovery Environment (loader) on /dev/sdb3
done
Purging configuration files for linux-image-4.4.0-22-generic (4.4.0-22.40) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 4.4.0-22-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 4.4.0-22-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic
Removing linux-image-extra-4.4.0-24-generic (4.4.0-24.43) ...
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 4.4.0-24-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 4.4.0-24-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-24-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/pm-utils 4.4.0-24-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/update-notifier 4.4.0-24-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-update-grub 4.4.0-24-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-34-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-34-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-31-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-31-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-28-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-28-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-24-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sdb1
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sdb2
Found Windows Recovery Environment (loader) on /dev/sdb3
done
Purging configuration files for linux-image-extra-4.4.0-24-generic (4.4.0-24.43) ...
Removing linux-image-4.4.0-24-generic (4.4.0-24.43) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 4.4.0-24-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-24-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 4.4.0-24-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-34-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-34-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-31-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-31-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-28-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-28-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sdb1
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sdb2
Found Windows Recovery Environment (loader) on /dev/sdb3
done
Purging configuration files for linux-image-4.4.0-24-generic (4.4.0-24.43) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 4.4.0-24-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 4.4.0-24-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic
$
Here is a link to my original post on removing kernels:
http://timbocephus.blogspot.com/2015/11/purging-old-kernels-and-headers-for.html
