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kernel
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dependencies
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URL:
https://askubuntu.com/q/1038748
Title:
Can't remove old kernels due to unmet dependencies
ID:
/2018/05/21/Can_t-remove-old-kernels-due-to-unmet-dependencies
Created:
May 21, 2018
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November 23, 2025
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You need to free up space in your /boot directory first. You have four 4.4.13.0 chain kernels: -36, -37, -38 and -39. You only need -38 and -39. So you need to remove -36 and -37. I don’t have them installed but to give you an idea of what they would look like I used this command:
$ ll /boot/*4.4.0-124*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1251054 May 2 08:58 /boot/abi-4.4.0-124-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190654 May 2 08:58 /boot/config-4.4.0-124-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 43369621 May 17 06:00 /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-124-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 255 May 2 08:58 /boot/retpoline-4.4.0-124-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3898100 May 2 08:58 /boot/System.map-4.4.0-124-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7143952 May 2 08:58 /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-124-generic
Repeat this command on your system by substituting 4.4.0-124 with 4.13.0-36 and 4.13.0-37. As you will see each kernel takes about 450 MB in /boot.
Then very carefully type these commands (but not the comments #):
sudo rm -f /boot/*4.13.0-36*
sudo rm -f /boot/*4.13.0-37*
sudo apt install -f # Ensure all dependency errors are now fixed.
sudo apt update # There should be no errors reported.
sudo apt autoremove # This will finish removing kernels -36 & -37.
sudo apt upgrade # This should install new kernel 4.13.0-41
sudo reboot # You will now boot into kernel 4.13.0-41
After rebooting, and any other time after booting a new kernel update run:
sudo apt autoremove # This will keep you at current kernel plus previous version (4.13.0-39) and remove all others
If you have the slightest doubt or uncertainty post a comment below.