remove old linux versions

[liquid]

How to effectively remove the older versions of Linux kernels? Each time I upgrade distribution (apt-get dist-upgrade) it adds to grub configuration new version of headers. Even if I do apt-get autoremove it does not remove them. Is there a way to do it in the same way as I add a new one?

[SteveRiley]

Found this...

Ubuntu Cleanup: How to Remove All Unused Linux Kernel Headers, Images and Modules

[JontheEchidna]

Alternately, you can install kde-config-grub2 which provides a System Settings module that can do this for you.
Afterwards, you will need to navigate to the Startup and Shutdown settings in System Settings.


If you go to the "GRUB2 Bootloader" section in the Startup section, you'll see a button that says "Remove Old Entries". After clicking this, it will find all kernel entries. You should then mark all but the one you're using, and it'll remove them for you. (Be careful, the list includes the kernel currently in use also)

[liquid]

Thanks but that did not succeed. After I installed kde-config-grub2 it keeps showing in the combo box several old versions of system and "Remove Old Entries" shows only the current one. Similarly grub detects them after each distribution upgrade.

[OneLine]

Working at here: http://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthr...grub-menu-list

[vinnywright]

well installing the kde-config-grub2 and using it @hear worked just fine I had kernels from 2.6.28-3.0.0.17 in /boot along with the configs and stuff .
clicking remove old entry's gave me a list of all the kernels on the system ......I selected all but the 2 newest and then clicked ok ......it then asked if I wanted to remove the headers as well so I clicked ok and it did ...all thats left in /boot is the 2 I left and thare config's and stuff

vinny@Vinnys-HP-G62:~$ ls /boot
abi-3.0.0-16-generic config-3.0.0-17-generic initrd.img-3.0.0-17-generic System.map-3.0.0-16-generic vmcoreinfo-3.0.0-17-generic
abi-3.0.0-17-generic grub memtest86+.bin System.map-3.0.0-17-generic vmlinuz-3.0.0-16-generic
config-3.0.0-16-generic initrd.img-3.0.0-16-generic memtest86+_multiboot.bin vmcoreinfo-3.0.0-16-generic vmlinuz-3.0.0-17-generic

NOW I have 2 other systems on this box as well and it dose nothing to those kernels or systems ........as it shouldent.

all in all a nice config module I think

VINNY

[liquid]

Now, look at this:
ls -l /boot/config*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 122627 2011-02-23 01:53 /boot/config-2.6.35-27-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 122616 2011-03-18 20:33 /boot/config-2.6.35-28-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 135132 2012-03-09 02:17 /boot/config-3.0.0-17-generic
sudo apt-get purge linux-image-2.6.35-27-generic
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package linux-image-2.6.35-27-generic
E: Couldn't find any package by regex 'linux-image-2.6.35-27-generic'

That's a real linux ghost
Anyone to solve this mess? I'll be grateful.

[OneLine]

...
E: Unable to locate package linux-image-2.6.35-27-generic
E: Couldn't find any package by regex 'linux-image-2.6.35-27-generic'

That's a real linux ghost
Anyone to solve this mess? I'll be grateful.

I think that - If the package doesn't exist then you could manually move/remove the:

/boot/abi-2.6.35-27...
/boot/config-2.6.35-27...
/boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-27...
/boot/vmcoreinfo-2.6.35-27...
/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-27...

and run the

sudo update-grub

afterwards.

[liquid]

That helped, thanks. Does this mean there is no binaries of old versions as well?

[SteveRiley]

A typical kernel image package will place:

* firmware modules in subdirectories beneath /lib/firmware/kernel-version
* driver modules in subdirectories beneath /lib/modules/kernel-version
* the kernel and support files in /boot

Manually deleting the files from /boot won't remove the associated firmware and driver modules. You might want to check in those subdirectories, too.

[OneLine]

As SteveRiley told the kernel packages are installing lot of stuff. You could look what were installed by the command (http://www.cyberciti.biz/howto/quest...heat-sheet.php ) :

dpkg -L {package}

It should show the linux-image-3.0.0-17-generic files. You could use the output as a template . It may not show the 2.6.35-27-generic/2.6.35-28-generic as it is telling: "E: Couldn't find any package by regex 'linux-image-2.6.35-27-generic'".


The easiest/safest way (what I can think) is to install a package back and then remove it. The linux-image-2.6.35-27-generic is from the Maverick. Packages can be found (and downloaded) from the Ubuntu packages: http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?ke...ll&section=all

[wizard10000]

I generally just do this in synaptic.

Although the oneliner Steve linked to is kinda elegant it only leaves one kernel on the machine and being old school I prefer to keep the current and one known working kernel.

My own procedure:

Search for "linux" in synaptic.

Click on the "S" in the top left of the package window to sort by packages you have installed.

Scroll down to the "linux" entries.

There are three packages per kernel version to remove - we'll use kernel 3.0.0.16 as an example:

Hold down your Ctrl key and select

linux-headers-3.0.0-16
linux-headers-3.0.0-16-generic
linux-image-3.0.0-16-generic

Right-click while all three are selected and choose "Mark for complete removal" from the context menu.

Hit "Apply" and watch the old kernel(s) go away

[Snowhog]

This is how I do it (I'm 'old school' and prefer to use the CLI over any GUI application). Open a console and type:

dpkg --list | grep linux-image | awk '{print $2}'

As of today, on my laptop, this outputs:

linux-image-3.2.0-20-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-21-generic
linux-image-3.2.0-22-generic
linux-image-generic

I have three kernels 'installed' on my laptop. I want to completely remove the oldest one -- linux-image-3.2.0-20-generic -- so I then type:

sudo apt-get purge linux-image-3.2.0-20-generic

Which shows:

Reading package lists... DoneBuilding dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Note, selecting 'linux-image-3.2.0-20-generic' for regex '3.2.0-20-generic'
Note, selecting 'linux-headers-3.2.0-20-generic' for regex '3.2.0-20-generic'
Package linux-image is not installed, so not removed
The following packages will be REMOVED:
linux-headers-3.2.0-20-generic* linux-image-3.2.0-20-generic*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 2 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
After this operation, 160 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

Accepting the default answer (Y) results in:

(Reading database ... 201829 files and directories currently installed.)Removing linux-headers-3.2.0-20-generic ...
Removing linux-image-3.2.0-20-generic ...
Examining /etc/kernel/prerm.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/prerm.d/dkms 3.2.0-20-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-20-generic
dkms: removing: bcmwl 5.100.82.38+bdcom (3.2.0-20-generic) (x86_64)


-------- Uninstall Beginning --------
Module: bcmwl
Version: 5.100.82.38+bdcom
Kernel: 3.2.0-20-generic (x86_64)
-------------------------------------


Status: Before uninstall, this module version was ACTIVE on this kernel.


wl.ko:
- Uninstallation
- Deleting from: /lib/modules/3.2.0-20-generic/updates/dkms/
- Original module
- No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
- Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.


depmod....


DKMS: uninstall completed.
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.2.0-20-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-20-generic
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-20-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.2.0-20-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-20-generic
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found background image: /boot/grub/images/Sharks-1600x900.png
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-22-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-22-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-21-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-21-generic
done
Purging configuration files for linux-image-3.2.0-20-generic ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.2.0-20-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-20-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.2.0-20-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-20-generic

Then I update Grub with:

sudo update-grub2

Which results in:

Generating grub.cfg ...Found background image: /boot/grub/images/Sharks-1600x900.png
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-22-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-22-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-21-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-21-generic
done

The oldest kernel has been completely removed from my system and the Grub files (grub2 here) completely updated.

I have the three steps above in my .bash_aliases file. Simple. Clean. A clean system is a happy system.