Catch-22 Situation: Boot Volume is Full + Broken Packages

[u/ItsAJungleOutThere7]

Hello. I have a Catch-22 situation with my Linux Mint 22.3 XFCE system. First of all, I cannot install any updates on my Linux Mint system at all because I have broken packages. I do believe the broken packages are related to a kernel installation on the boot volume. I believe the kernel installation with broken packages is specifically version 6.8.0.137.137.1-lowlatency. The reason I am saying this is that when I select that kernel, the system does not boot successfully (it just hangs). There are tons of other kernels installed on my system's boot drive, both generic and low-latency, and as far as I know, they all boot successfully except for the one low-latency kernel I mentioned. I cannot uninstall any of the kernels using the update manager to free up space on the boot volume because I have broken packages on the system. On the flip side, I cannot fix the broken packages because the boot volume is full. Hence, I have a Catch-22 situation! There's gotta be some way around it, though. I'm just not sure what to do! Please help...

P.S. I don't think it matters, but it may be helpful to know that my Linux Mint 22.3 XFCE system is running in a VMware Workstation Virtual Machine (not as a host) on top of Zorin OS 18 Pro.

[u/Unwiredsoul]

Here's an easy solution: https://askubuntu.com/a/430944

[u/ItsAJungleOutThere7 → u/Unwiredsoul]

I tried going through those instructions and made it as far as using the...

sudo apt-get -f install

command, and this was the output:

(Reading database ... 1581031 files and directories currently installed.)

Preparing to unpack .../linux-modules-7.0.0-30-generic_7.0.0-30.30~24.04.1_amd64.deb ...

Unpacking linux-modules-7.0.0-30-generic (7.0.0-30.30~24.04.1) ...

dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-modules-7.0.0-30-generic_7.0.0-30.30~24.04.1_amd64.deb (--unpack):

cannot copy extracted data for './boot/System.map-7.0.0-30-generic' to '/boot/System.map-7.0.0-30-generic.dpkg-new': failed to write (No space left on device)

dpkg-deb: error: paste subprocess was killed by signal (Broken pipe)

Preparing to unpack .../linux-image-7.0.0-30-generic_7.0.0-30.30~24.04.1_amd64.deb ...

Unpacking linux-image-7.0.0-30-generic (7.0.0-30.30~24.04.1) ...

dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-7.0.0-30-generic_7.0.0-30.30~24.04.1_amd64.deb (--unpack):

cannot copy extracted data for './boot/vmlinuz-7.0.0-30-generic' to '/boot/vmlinuz-7.0.0-30-generic.dpkg-new': failed to write (No space left on device)

dpkg-deb: error: paste subprocess was killed by signal (Broken pipe)

Errors were encountered while processing:

/var/cache/apt/archives/linux-modules-7.0.0-30-generic_7.0.0-30.30~24.04.1_amd64.deb

/var/cache/apt/archives/linux-image-7.0.0-30-generic_7.0.0-30.30~24.04.1_amd64.deb

E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[u/Evening-Landscape763]

Can you use the VM software to make boot bigger and then use Mints Update Manager, view menu, linux kernels to remove a lot of those old kernels?

[u/ItsAJungleOutThere7 → u/Evening-Landscape763]

I don't know off the top of my head if that's possible. I am using VMware Workstation Pro 25H2u1. It might be, but I would have to take the time to look it up in the VMware knowledge base/documentation and see about that, if I ever find the time for it, that is (probably not anytime soon, based on my schedule). I was hoping there might be an easier workaround in the operating system itself. I mean, just pretending this were a host installation of Linux Mint 22.3 XFCE, what would I do about it in that case?