Stuck in login loop - how do I free-up space on /boot with only Command Line access?

[Cassandra]

I tried sudo apt autoclean, and it appears to removed above 62Mb of “linuxmint1+una”.

Should I try to reboot?

Or is there another command I should use first?

[Cassandra]

Try:

Code: Select all

 sudo apt remove --auto-remove 

That has also returned a list of all 0 (to upgrade, etc).

[sleeper12]

Ok, not sure what autoclean removed, but see if you can reboot now.

[Cassandra]

Ok, not sure what autoclean removed, but see if you can reboot now.

Hmm.
ls -la looks the same, so I don’t know what it’s removed either.

What is the correct command for shutdown?
Should I just use the power button?

[sleeper12]

Try:

Code: Select all

 poweroff 

[Cassandra]

Well, I am still stuck in the ‘login loop’

Ctrl+Alt+F3 at login has me back to a full-screen Terminal/command prompt.

Should I start using rm to remove the files associated with old kernels that I no longer want?
Or would that be dangerous?

[sleeper12]

I've never done it that way, so not sure. You might want to wait for someone else to respond.

[Cassandra]

I've never done it that way, so not sure. You might want to wait for someone else to respond.

Ok, thanks for your help anyway

[Cassandra]

I’ve now changed the name of the thread again, to reflect the fact that the problem appears to be that my /boot directory is 98% full.

If anyone is reading this, I need to re-iterate that I have ONLY got command line access (I can not log in to any GUI), and that I am a clueless new user.

I have looked at many old ‘login loop’ threads already, but have not found one that tells me how to free-up space in /boot.
I cannot get into Timeshift to delete old backups, or to change the location to which it writes backups, because I cannot access the GUI.

I don’t know how to create new partitions, re-size existing ones, or to move files between them from the CLI.

I need to know whether it is safe for me to start trying to remove files in the /boot that are related to old kernels by using the rm command from the CLI, or whether attempting to do so might banjax my system even more.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Flemur]

I have looked at many old ‘login loop’ threads already, but have not found one that tells me how to free-up space in /boot.

This will remove old kernels:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get autoremove --purge

In an emergency you could also run

Code: Select all

uname -a 

to see which kernel you using, e.g. 5.11.0-37-generic, then remove, by hand, the files for another kernel(s):

Code: Select all

sudo rm /boot/*5.4.0-96*  # a not-used kernal

If you can now boot and login with the same one uname returned, run the Update Manager and clean up the kernels there.

[Cassandra]

I have looked at many old ‘login loop’ threads already, but have not found one that tells me how to free-up space in /boot.

This will remove old kernels:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get autoremove --purge

I just tried that, and got the same response as my other attempts at autoclean and purge - a list of 0 effects

In an emergency you could also run

Code: Select all

uname -a 

to see which kernel you using, e.g. 5.11.0-37-generic, then remove, by hand, the files for another kernel(s):

Code: Select all

sudo rm /boot/*5.4.0-96*  # a not-used kernal

If you can now boot and login with the same one uname returned, run the Update Manager and clean up the kernels there.

uname -a tells me that the machine is running 5.13.0-27-generic.

Should I now start using rm to remove the files in /boot that are associated with e.g. the old 5.11 kernels?

[Cassandra]

Well, I have found out that most of the files that I want to remove are currently write-protected, and so I cannot remove them, even using sudo.

Is there a way for me to change them from read-only to read/write from the CLI?

The current ‘permissions’ string on each of them is:
- r w - - - - - -

[Cassandra]

Further information:
I have managed to get /boot down to ‘only’ 84% full, with 106Mb free space, so ought to be able to login now - but I am still stuck in the ‘Login Loop’

What should I be trying next?

[Cassandra]

Another thread suggests that I use rm .ICEauthority .Xauthority from within /home.

I am within /home/myusername/
The command ls -la returns a list that does not include the file .ICEauthority, but .Xauthority is there.
Should I just try removing .Xauthority?

[Cassandra]

Another thread suggests that I use rm .ICEauthority .Xauthority from within /home.

I am within /home/myusername/
The command ls -la returns a list that does not include the file .ICEauthority, but .Xauthority is there.
Should I just try removing .Xauthority?

Ok, so I have now done that, and yet I am still stuck in the Login Loop.
And, although .Xauthority did reappear in the list of files in my home directory, .ICEauthority is still not present

So, does anyone have any more suggestions?

Thanks again for any answers.

[t42]

if you stuck in login loop and have separate partitions, not the lack of space on the boot partition is the problem.

[Cassandra]

if you stuck in login loop and have separate partitions, not the lack of space on the boot partition is the problem.

Sorry, I don’t understand what you mean - I have two ‘user accounts’ on the machine, and have had since I bought it.

I have not re-partitioned my drive at any time since I bought the machine.

If it’s any help, the /home/‘username’ directory for each of the two user accounts (‘my username’, which is password-protected, and the ‘guest’ account, which has no password) have the same problem.
Curiously, neither folder contains a .ICEauthority file.

[SMG]

I cannot get into Timeshift to delete old backups, or to change the location to which it writes backups, because I cannot access the GUI.

If your boot partition is full, I'm not sure removing snapshots will help.

However, if you have your install usb, you can boot to a live session of Linux Mint and use Timeshift on the live session to either restore to an earlier snapshot or to remove older snapshots.

The live session also had G-Parted on it if you would need to do anything with partitions.

[Cassandra]

Further information:

I went all the way up the directory-tree to the root folder.
I tried the command sudo apt-get install -f.

That returned another list of 0 possible changes.

So I then tried sudo apt-get - -fix-broken .

That returned a slightly different message; it told me

Unable to acquire the dpkg frontend lock (/var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend)

, at the end of which was

are you root?

Then I was back to the CLI at/$

Does that suggest that a file on my laptop is corrupted?
Or is it just the folder that stores the bit of code within Mint that means that no user has root permission?

[Cassandra]

I cannot get into Timeshift to delete old backups, or to change the location to which it writes backups, because I cannot access the GUI.

If your boot partition is full, I'm not sure removing snapshots will help.

However, if you have your install usb, you can boot to a live session of Linux Mint and use Timeshift on the live session to either restore to an earlier snapshot or to remove older snapshots.

The live session also had G-Parted on it if you would need to do anything with partitions.

I did manage to remove some old files from /boot and got it down to 84% full, so it ought to now be bootable if space was the problem, shouldn’t it?
(I personally don’t know, and am going by an old thread that suggested that 92% was the threshold for boot problems.)

I bought the machine with Mint pre-installed on it. It did come with a USB though.
Should I try booting from that?