System reporting low on root space [SOLVED]

[BillyLinux]

During update LM Vera showed a popup window indicating low space available on root.
I let updates continue and autoremoved the older kernel.
The popup returned and pressing the examine button disk analyser has run.
From the display it looks as if timeshift is taking up the lions share - 16.7GB.

Should I just delete the older timeshare?

Placeholder to paste some result from inxi

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System:
  Kernel: 5.15.0-67-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 11.3.0
    Desktop: Cinnamon 5.6.8 tk: GTK 3.24.33 wm: muffin vt: 7 dm: LightDM 1.30.0
    Distro: Linux Mint 21.1 Vera base: Ubuntu 22.04 jammy
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: LENOVO product: 2537WKH v: ThinkPad T410
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: LENOVO model: 2537WKH serial: <superuser required> BIOS: LENOVO
    v: 6IET74WW (1.34 ) date: 10/25/2010
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 16.1 Wh (100.0%) condition: 16.1/31.7 Wh (50.7%)
    volts: 16.7 min: 14.4 model: SANYO 42T4763 type: Li-ion serial: <filter>
    status: Full
CPU:
  Info: dual core model: Intel Core i5 M 520 bits: 64 type: MT MCP
    smt: enabled arch: Westmere rev: 5 cache: L1: 128 KiB L2: 512 KiB L3: 3 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1463 min/max: 1199/2400 boost: enabled cores: 1: 1463
    2: 1463 3: 1463 4: 1463 bogomips: 19152
  Flags: ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Core Processor Integrated Graphics vendor: Lenovo
    driver: i915 v: kernel ports: active: LVDS-1
    empty: DP-1, DP-2, DP-3, HDMI-A-1, HDMI-A-2, HDMI-A-3, VGA-1
    bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0046 class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.3 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1280x800 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 338x211mm (13.3x8.3")
    s-diag: 398mm (15.7")
  Monitor-1: LVDS-1 model: Lenovo res: 1280x800 hz: 60 dpi: 107
    size: 304x190mm (12.0x7.5") diag: 358mm (14.1") modes: 1280x800
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics (ILK) v: 2.1 Mesa 22.2.5
    direct render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 5 Series/3400 Series High Definition Audio vendor: Lenovo
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:3b56
    class-ID: 0403
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-67-generic running: yes
  Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
  Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes
Network:
  Device-1: Intel 82577LM Gigabit Network vendor: Lenovo driver: e1000e
    v: kernel port: 1820 bus-ID: 00:19.0 chip-ID: 8086:10ea class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp0s25 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel pcie:
    speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 8086:4239 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlp3s0 state: up mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Broadcom BCM2045B (BDC-2.1) type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8
    bus-ID: 1-1.4:4 chip-ID: 0a5c:217f class-ID: fe01 serial: <filter>
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 2 state: up address: <filter>
    bt-v: 1.2 lmp-v: 2.1 sub-v: 4203 hci-v: 2.1 rev: 168
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 223.57 GiB used: 40.25 GiB (18.0%)
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Crucial model: CT240BX500SSD1 size: 223.57 GiB
    speed: 3.0 Gb/s type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 041 scheme: MBR
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 40.45 GiB used: 40.23 GiB (99.5%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda6
  ID-2: /boot/efi size: 511 MiB used: 11.7 MiB (2.3%) fs: vfat
    dev: /dev/sda5
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 1.92 GiB used: 405.2 MiB (20.6%) priority: -2
    file: /swapfile
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 39.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): fan-1: 0
Repos:
  Packages: 2270 apt: 2263 flatpak: 7
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
    1: deb https://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/packages.linuxmint.com/packages vera main upstream import backport
    2: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy main restricted universe multiverse
    3: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
    4: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
    5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jammy-security main restricted universe multiverse
Info:
  Processes: 240 Uptime: 1h 5m wakeups: 1 Memory: 3.63 GiB
  used: 930.8 MiB (25.0%) Init: systemd v: 249 runlevel: 5 Compilers:
  gcc: 11.3.0 alt: 11/12 Shell: Bash v: 5.1.16 running-in: gnome-terminal
  inxi: 3.3.13

[gittiest personITW]

Yes, and get rid of any other snapshots you don't really want.
Make sure you change the schedule to less snapshots than the settings are on at the moment.
Better still, point Timeshift to another drive if you can. That way fixes the problem you're getting and, if your disk breaks down (which sometimes they do), at least you have a snapshot to get back to.

[Pjotr]

As gittiest says. Some more tips about safe cleaning:
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... -mint.html

[BillyLinux]

Thanks for the responses.
Would you know it?! "A Timeshift system snapshot is being created"
I guess I just wait it out?

The Timeshift process is still showing

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root       64462     839  0 15:00 ?        00:00:00 /usr/sbin/CRON -f -P
root       64463   64462  0 15:00 ?        00:00:08 timeshift --check --scripted

Surely, by now it should have finished its check. Do I just reboot and hope?


I updated details of my system in original post - longer term do I need to change partition sizes?????

[BillyLinux]

HELP!
I am now at my limits!
I killed off the Timeshift process. I was able then to start Timeshift; there were 3 present, deleted the oldest 2 and removed all reference to the monthly automatics. On rebooting there were some weird messages which suggested might be worthy of a bug but I mised them all and there was that box again suggesting low on space. Further examination suggested that the removal of the the 2 timeshifts made no difference.
I am posting this right now from a Chromebook I have and I am going to try and access stuff on the offending laptop that you helpful people might need.

[BillyLinux]

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df
Filesystem     1K-blocks     Used Available Use% Mounted on
tmpfs             381100     3208    377892   1% /run
/dev/sda6       42411392 41349428         0 100% /
tmpfs            1905496        0   1905496   0% /dev/shm
tmpfs               5120        4      5116   1% /run/lock
/dev/sda5         523244    11984    511260   3% /boot/efi
tmpfs             381096       96    381000   1% /run/user/1000

It appears I have no space at all now! If I read the above correctly. Scared to log out!

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dave@dave-ThinkPad-T410:~$ sudo sfdisk -l
Disk /dev/sda: 223.57 GiB, 240057409536 bytes, 468862128 sectors
Disk model: CT240BX500SSD1  
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x78bb98a3

Device     Boot     Start       End   Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sda1            2048   1026047   1024000   500M  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2         1026048 379291684 378265637 180.4G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3       467152896 468860927   1708032   834M 27 Hidden NTFS WinRE
/dev/sda4       379293694 467152895  87859202  41.9G  5 Extended
/dev/sda5  *    379293696 380342271   1048576   512M ef EFI (FAT-12/16/32)
/dev/sda6       380344320 467152895  86808576  41.4G 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order.
dave@dave-ThinkPad-T410:~$ sudo parted -l
Model: ATA CT240BX500SSD1 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 240GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End    Size    Type      File system  Flags
 1      1049kB  525MB  524MB   primary   ntfs
 2      525MB   194GB  194GB   primary   ntfs
 4      194GB   239GB  45.0GB  extended
 5      194GB   195GB  537MB   logical   fat32        boot, esp
 6      195GB   239GB  44.4GB  logical   ext4
 3      239GB   240GB  875MB   primary   ntfs         msftres

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lsblk
NAME   MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
sda      8:0    0 223.6G  0 disk 
├─sda1   8:1    0   500M  0 part 
├─sda2   8:2    0 180.4G  0 part 
├─sda3   8:3    0   834M  0 part 
├─sda4   8:4    0     1K  0 part 
├─sda5   8:5    0   512M  0 part /boot/efi
└─sda6   8:6    0  41.4G  0 part /
sr0     11:0    1  1024M  0 rom  

What other things do helpers need to help me solve?
Thank You

[BillyLinux]

I have 1 timeshift left - is it worth trying to restore from that?

[AndyMH]

Delete the contents of /timeshift. With only 40GB allocated for / you simply do not have the room for the system, your files and timeshift. You need to point timeshift at another ext4 partition on another drive, a usb stick is better than nothing. Then you need to allocate more space to /.

[BillyLinux]

VMT to everyone; now sorted to the point I have space on /dev/sda6

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df
Filesystem     1K-blocks     Used Available Use% Mounted on
tmpfs             381100     3216    377884   1% /run
/dev/sda6       42411392 26007564  14217232  65% /
tmpfs            1905496        0   1905496   0% /dev/shm
tmpfs               5120        4      5116   1% /run/lock
/dev/sda5         523244    11984    511260   3% /boot/efi
tmpfs             381096      108    380988   1% /run/user/1000

I did try recovering from my Timeshift remaining entry, but a complete waste of time. Did all the prelim, but when it came to actually doing anything it just crashed without any error message whatsoever. I feel certain for timeshift to restore it must need filespace; it can't simply work in and out of memory. A simple test at one point to see if it had enough space with a suitable error message would be nice.

So I did what AndyMH said and removed the whole contents of

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 /timeshift

. I double checked which directory I was on and issued the

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ls -altR

command. Boy, what rubbish in there. Even after deleting the other 2 Timeshifts the thing still retained all sorts of stuff and I get that is the way timeshift works. IMHO it needs some work even if its only compression.

Anyway after double checking once more which folder I was in I issued the command

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sudo rm -r *

. Getting rid of all that made the difference. Timeshift is now configured to do nothing automatic but I better check the cron entry.

For now I will mark this solved, and move on to increasing the space for

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/

.
Many thanks once more esp. AndyMH - thats another drink I owe you

[AndyMH]

Freeing up more space is going to be slightly fiddly. Looks like you are booting legacy, your drive has an msdos/legacy partition table and an extended partition. /, sda6, is a logical partition in the extended partition. The space will have to come by shrinking sda2, win C:, use win's disk management utilities for this (you can use gparted, but I feel more comfortable doing this inside win).

You are then going to have to shuffle stuff around:

• resize/move sda4, your extended partition, to use the space created.

• move sda5 left so the unallocated space is to the right*.

• you can then resize/move sda6 to use the space.

Use gparted to do this, but you will need to boot your mint install stick and use the copy of gparted on that. You cannot change your / partition booting normally.

Your simplest solution is buy a bigger SSD



* booting legacy you can delete this, but read this first: viewtopic.php?p=1855497&hilit=Lm20+eras ... l#p1855497, you will need to edit fstab to avoid a 90s delay on boot.