/boot partition full & can't remove old kernels (xubuntu)

[Icm76]

I'm trying to fix an old (K7, 512MB RAM) PC running xubuntu 8.04 LTS, it ends up running extremely slow a few minutes after boot and it can't update any more as the package manager and dpkg won't run.

dpkg pops up with a message that the device is full. As far as I can tell the partition for /boot is full. There are four kernels listed, so I figured the obvious thing would be to delete the old ones, but dpkg is even preventing that :rolleyes: I was following the guide here:
http://tuxtweaks.com/2009/12/remove-old-kernels-in-ubuntu/
I have an idea I could try:


backup a couple of the initrd files from /boot & save elsewhere
deleting them manually to free up some space on /boot
then using the method in the link to remove 1 old kernel
restore the backup initrd files to remove the remaining old kernels

Anything different I should try first?

[Icm76]

that is the alternative I'm holding in reserve, the main thing holding me back is I remember I had to install some extra applications and packages to get various things to work e.g. you don't get digital camera integration with a default xfce/xubuntu install. But I can't remember exactly what else I had to add, because it was so piecemeal - just added things as and when my neighbour called me up with a problem.

[andyn]

It's not an elegant solution, but there's nothing stopping you from simply rming the old kernels, just make sure you pick the right ones :P.

No reason to have a small boot partition nowadays, that tradition goes back to 90's bioses which had trouble accessing data in large partitions; anything under 2TB should be fine unless you are running on some seriously ancient hardware.

[Icm76]

Well I've just been playing about with it deleting old kernel files from the /boot, it freed enough space to update to a newer kernel, but now it's thrown a hissy fit about dependencies and still won't remove the old kernels correctly.

Support for 8.04 LTS ends in April, so I decided that maybe the best thing to do is repartition and install 10.04 LTS. I'll have to do it eventually anyway.