Accidentally deleted current kernel [duplicate]

I've been very stupid and while trying to free space on /boot, I think I've accidentally deleted my current kernel.

How it happened:

>>uname -i linux-image-extra-4.4.0-24-generic 

now uname -i only gives:

x86_64 

I already tried freeing more space on boot: sudo apt-get autoclean sudo apt-get clean sudo apt-get autoremove

Still has 0 space available.

ls -l \boot gives:

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1271765 Dec 18 2015 abi-3.19.0-42-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1312645 Mar 11 00:11 abi-4.2.0-34-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1313029 Mar 16 00:45 abi-4.2.0-35-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1239577 Apr 18 23:21 abi-4.4.0-21-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1239612 May 13 00:55 abi-4.4.0-22-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1239732 Jun 8 22:39 abi-4.4.0-24-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1240018 Jun 24 13:03 abi-4.4.0-28-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 177800 Dec 18 2015 config-3.19.0-42-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 184888 Mar 11 00:11 config-4.2.0-34-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 184888 Mar 16 00:45 config-4.2.0-35-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 189412 Apr 18 23:21 config-4.4.0-21-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 189520 May 13 00:55 config-4.4.0-22-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 189521 Jun 8 22:39 config-4.4.0-24-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 189533 Jun 24 13:03 config-4.4.0-28-generic drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 1024 Jun 16 13:35 grub -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 12326390 Feb 28 20:40 initrd.img-3.19.0-42-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 12634086 May 3 18:44 initrd.img-4.2.0-34-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 12645647 May 23 23:23 initrd.img-4.2.0-35-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 37145299 May 3 18:38 initrd.img-4.4.0-21-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 37147186 May 29 12:11 initrd.img-4.4.0-22-generic -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 37147471 Jun 16 13:35 initrd.img-4.4.0-24-generic drwx------ 2 root root 12288 Sep 21 2015 lost+found -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 182704 Jan 28 12:44 memtest86+.bin -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 184380 Jan 28 12:44 memtest86+.elf -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 184840 Jan 28 12:44 memtest86+_multiboot.bin -rw------- 1 root root 3622861 Dec 18 2015 System.map-3.19.0-42-generic -rw------- 1 root root 3744589 Mar 11 00:11 System.map-4.2.0-34-generic -rw------- 1 root root 3745312 Mar 16 00:45 System.map-4.2.0-35-generic -rw------- 1 root root 3853719 Apr 18 23:21 System.map-4.4.0-21-generic -rw------- 1 root root 3855781 May 13 00:55 System.map-4.4.0-22-generic -rw------- 1 root root 3855383 Jun 8 22:39 System.map-4.4.0-24-generic -rw------- 1 root root 3859655 Jun 24 13:03 System.map-4.4.0-28-generic -rw------- 1 root root 6625664 Dec 18 2015 vmlinuz-3.19.0-42-generic -rw------- 1 root root 6808528 Mar 11 00:11 vmlinuz-4.2.0-34-generic -rw------- 1 root root 6829104 Mar 16 00:45 vmlinuz-4.2.0-35-generic -rw------- 1 root root 7013968 Apr 18 23:21 vmlinuz-4.4.0-21-generic -rw------- 1 root root 7015440 May 13 00:55 vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic -rw------- 1 root root 7020176 Jun 8 22:39 vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic -rw------- 1 root root 7026864 Jun 24 13:03 vmlinuz-4.4.0-28-generic 

I tried doing:

sudo apt-get upgrade 

but it keeps gettings stuck on no memory. Same with:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall linux-image-4.4.0-24-generic Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following packages will be REMOVED linux-image-extra-4.4.0-21-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-22-generic 0 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 1 reinstalled, 2 to remove and 135 not to upgrade. 8 not fully installed or removed. Need to get 0 B/18.7 MB of archives. After this operation, 324 MB disk space will be freed. Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y (Reading database ... 507715 files and directories currently installed.) Removing linux-image-extra-4.4.0-21-generic (4.4.0-21.37) ... run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 4.4.0-21-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-21-generic run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms 4.4.0-21-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-21-generic run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 4.4.0-21-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-21-generic update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-21-generic gzip: stdout: No space left on device E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 gzip 1 update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-21-generic with 1. run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1 dpkg: error processing package linux-image-extra-4.4.0-21-generic (--remove): subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1 Removing linux-image-extra-4.4.0-22-generic (4.4.0-22.40) ... run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 4.4.0-22-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms 4.4.0-22-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 4.4.0-22-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-22-generic gzip: stdout: No space left on device E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 gzip 1 update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-22-generic with 1. run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited with return code 1 dpkg: error processing package linux-image-extra-4.4.0-22-generic (--remove): subprocess installed post-removal script returned error exit status 1 Errors were encountered while processing: linux-image-extra-4.4.0-21-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-22-generic E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1) 

I don't really understand why my /boot is still full. There are no linux headers in there anymore. Are they cached somewhere?

Any help is greatly appreciated. I don't have a cd drive or something here, so hopefully I can solve this fairly simple...

Otherwise, this might be time for a fresh install. Obviously I am currently backing up my hard drive...

2 Answers

I manually deleted a few config files and initrd files with an old version number.

Then I ran:

sudo apt-get -f install linux-header... NEW VERSION 

Worked!

Then to be sure:

sudo apt-get upgrade 

Try booting from a bootable usb stick or recovery CD then try to find problems or repair disk. If you happen to be using a bootable USB then I would recommend having a look at what "disks" and "Gparted" bring up as issues. After that post what happened and any output errors so that the community can help.