Can't seem to delete old Xubuntu kernels, I'm getting the error that the directory isn't empty or that I don't have permission to delete it

slowsounds

7/9/24, 8:20 PM

I'm new to Linux so I might need some help in ELI5 language. I'm out of disk space. I see lots of old kernels that I don't need anymore, but I can't seem to delete them.

When I try this:

sudo apt clean && sudo apt autoclean && sudo apt autoremove -y

I get this:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 107 not upgraded.

Many kernels still remain afterwards. When I try to remove them manually, using this command:

sudo apt-get autoremove linux-image-4.4.0-31-generic

When I do this manually instead, I get this:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  linux-image-5.15.0-41-generic*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 107 not upgraded.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database ... 260814 files and directories currently installed.)
Purging configuration files for linux-image-5.15.0-41-generic (5.15.0-41.44~20.04.1) ...
rmdir: failed to remove '/lib/modules/5.15.0-41-generic': Directory not empty

I don't think that it is true that the directory is empty though, because just this one specific directory is taking up 1.6gb. See screenshot of that here.

Can someone help me figure out how to remove these old kernels? It looks like they are taking up a lot of space, and I only have 2 GB left!

1 + 0

delete

kernel

Score:0

Ubuntu

Talaat Etman

7/9/24, 8:35 PM

sudo -i
rm -r /lib/modules/5.15.0-41-generic

command to delete:

rm [option] FileOrFolderName

Use a recursive option, represented by -r, to remove the directory and its content. The following command shows how to delete Simple-Directory and its content:

rm -r Simple-Directory

+ 3

user535733

7/9/24, 8:48 PM

Good place to mention that the system can be VERY sensitive to typographical errors, and this is one of those times. Check your spelling and spacing carefully...twice...before hitting `<enter>`.

slowsounds

7/10/24, 6:58 PM

This worked! Thank you!

Talaat Etman

7/10/24, 7:11 PM

@slowsounds good news, can you accept my answer please

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: Can't seem to delete old Xubuntu kernels, I'm getting the error that the directory isn't empty or that I don't have permission to delete it

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