Tool to remove unused kernels that were installed automatically in Debian/Ubuntu.
This tool removes those kernel packages marked as candidate for autoremoval. Those packages are generally installed via Unattended upgrade or meta-packages. By default the latest kernel and manual installations are marked to Never Auto Remove.
thresher - A device that first separates the head of a stalk of grain from the straw, and then further separates the kernel from the rest of the head.
Table of Contents
- Debian (Tested on Version(s))
- Ubuntu (Tested on Version(s))
wget -O kthresher https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rackerlabs/kthresher/master/kthresher/kthresher.py
chmod u+x kthresher
pip install kthresher
or
pip install git+https://github.com/rackerlabs/kthresher.git
git clone https://https://github.com/rackerlabs/kthresher.git
cd kthresher && python setup.py install
$ kthresher -h usage: kthresher [-h] [-c FILE] [-d] [-H] [-k [N]] [-p] [-s] [-v] [-V] Purge Unused Kernels. optional arguments: -h, --help show this help message and exit -c FILE, --config FILE Config file, default is /etc/kthresher.conf -d, --dry-run List unused kernel images available to purge(dry run). Is always verbose. -H, --headers Include the search for kernel headers. -k [N], --keep [N] Number of kernels to keep, default 1. -p, --purge Purge Unused Kernels. -s, --show-autoremoval Show kernel packages available for autoremoval. -v, --verbose Be verbose. -V, --version Print version.
# kthresher -d INFO: Attempting to read /etc/kthresher.conf. INFO: Config file /etc/kthresher.conf is empty or does not exist, ignoring. INFO: Options: {'purge': False, 'verbose': False, 'dry_run': True, 'keep': 1} INFO: ----- DRY RUN ----- INFO: Running kernel is linux-image-3.13.0-83-generic v[3.13.0-83.127] INFO: Attempting to keep 1 kernel package(s) INFO: Found 4 kernel image(s) installed and available for autoremoval INFO: Pre-sorting: ['3.16.0-60.80~14.04.1', '3.13.0-77.121', '3.13.0-63.103', '3.16.0-33.44~14.04.1'] INFO: Post-sorting: ['3.13.0-63.103', '3.13.0-77.121', '3.16.0-33.44~14.04.1', '3.16.0-60.80~14.04.1'] INFO: Purging packages from version: 3.13.0-63.103 INFO: Purging: linux-image-extra-3.13.0-63-generic INFO: Purging: linux-image-3.13.0-63-generic INFO: Purging packages from version: 3.13.0-77.121 INFO: Purging: linux-image-3.13.0-77-generic INFO: Purging: linux-image-extra-3.13.0-77-generic INFO: Purging packages from version: 3.16.0-33.44~14.04.1 INFO: Purging: linux-image-3.16.0-33-generic
# kthresher -s List of kernel packages available for autoremoval: Version Package 3.13.0.83.89 linux-generic 3.13.0-51.84 linux-headers-3.13.0-51 3.13.0-51.84 linux-headers-3.13.0-51-generic 3.13.0-71.114 linux-headers-3.13.0-71 3.13.0-71.114 linux-headers-3.13.0-71-generic 3.13.0-77.121 linux-headers-3.13.0-77 3.13.0-77.121 linux-headers-3.13.0-77-generic 3.13.0-79.123 linux-headers-3.13.0-79 3.13.0-79.123 linux-headers-3.13.0-79-generic 3.13.0-63.103 linux-image-3.13.0-63-generic 3.13.0-77.121 linux-image-3.13.0-77-generic 3.16.0-33.44~14.04.1 linux-image-3.16.0-33-generic 3.16.0-60.80~14.04.1 linux-image-3.16.0-60-generic 3.13.0-63.103 linux-image-extra-3.13.0-63-generic 3.13.0-77.121 linux-image-extra-3.13.0-77-generic 3.13.0.83.89 linux-image-generic
# kthresher -p -k3 v INFO: Attempting to read /etc/kthresher.conf. INFO: Config file /etc/kthresher.conf is empty or does not exist, ignoring. INFO: Options: {'purge': True, 'verbose': True, 'dry_run': False, 'keep': 3} INFO: Running kernel is linux-image-3.13.0-83-generic v[3.13.0-83.127] INFO: Attempting to keep 3 kernel package(s) INFO: Found 4 kernel image(s) installed and available for autoremoval INFO: Pre-sorting: ['3.16.0-60.80~14.04.1', '3.13.0-77.121', '3.13.0-63.103', '3.16.0-33.44~14.04.1'] INFO: Post-sorting: ['3.13.0-63.103', '3.13.0-77.121', '3.16.0-33.44~14.04.1', '3.16.0-60.80~14.04.1'] INFO: Purging packages from version: 3.13.0-63.103 INFO: Purging: linux-image-extra-3.13.0-63-generic INFO: Purging: linux-image-3.13.0-63-generic Fetched 0 B in 0s (0 B/s) (Reading database ... 169514 files and directories currently installed.) Removing linux-image-extra-3.13.0-63-generic (3.13.0-63.103) ... run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 3.13.0-63-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-63-generic run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 3.13.0-63-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-63-generic update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-63-generic run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-update-grub 3.13.0-63-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-63-generic Generating grub configuration file ... Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.16.0-60-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.16.0-60-generic Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.16.0-33-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.16.0-33-generic Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-83-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-83-generic Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-77-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-77-generic Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-63-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-63-generic done Purging configuration files for linux-image-extra-3.13.0-63-generic (3.13.0-63.103) ... Removing linux-image-3.13.0-63-generic (3.13.0-63.103) ... Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d . run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.13.0-63-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-63-generic update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-63-generic run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.13.0-63-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-63-generic Generating grub configuration file ... Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.16.0-60-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.16.0-60-generic Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.16.0-33-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.16.0-33-generic Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-83-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-83-generic Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-77-generic Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-77-generic done Purging configuration files for linux-image-3.13.0-63-generic (3.13.0-63.103) ... Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d . run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.13.0-63-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-63-generic run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.13.0-63-generic /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-63-generic
# kthresher -c myconf.conf INFO: Attempting to read myconf.conf. INFO: Options found: ['keep', 'dry_run']. INFO: Valid setting found "keep" INFO: keep = 1 INFO: Valid setting found "dry_run" INFO: dry_run = True INFO: Options: {'purge': False, 'verbose': True, 'dry_run': True, 'keep': 1} INFO: ----- DRY RUN ----- INFO: Running kernel is linux-image-3.13.0-83-generic v[3.13.0-83.127] INFO: Attempting to keep 1 kernel package(s) INFO: Found 2 kernel image(s) installed and available for autoremoval INFO: Pre-sorting: ['3.16.0-60.80~14.04.1', '3.16.0-33.44~14.04.1'] INFO: Post-sorting: ['3.16.0-33.44~14.04.1', '3.16.0-60.80~14.04.1'] INFO: Purging packages from version: 3.16.0-33.44~14.04.1 INFO: Purging: linux-image-3.16.0-33-generic
Content of myconf.conf is: .. code-block:
[main] keep = 1 dry_run = yes #purge = yes
# kthresher -v -d -H INFO: Attempting to read /etc/kthresher.conf. INFO: Options found: ['keep', 'dry_run', 'purge', 'verbose']. INFO: Valid setting found "keep" INFO: keep = 2 INFO: Valid setting found "dry_run" INFO: dry_run = False INFO: Valid setting found "purge" INFO: purge = True INFO: Valid setting found "verbose" INFO: verbose = True INFO: Options: {'verbose': True, 'dry_run': True, 'keep': 2, 'purge': True, 'headers': True} INFO: ----- DRY RUN ----- INFO: Running kernel is linux-image-3.13.0-83-generic v[3.13.0-83.127] INFO: Attempting to keep 2 kernel package(s) INFO: Found 4 kernel image(s) installed and available for autoremoval INFO: Pre-sorting: ['3.16.0-60.80~14.04.1', '3.16.0-33.44~14.04.1', '3.13.0-85.129', '3.13.0-79.123'] INFO: Post-sorting: ['3.13.0-79.123', '3.13.0-85.129', '3.16.0-33.44~14.04.1', '3.16.0-60.80~14.04.1'] INFO: Purging packages from version: 3.13.0-79.123 INFO: Purging: linux-image-3.13.0-79-generic INFO: Purging: linux-headers-3.13.0-79-generic INFO: Purging: linux-headers-3.13.0-79 INFO: Purging packages from version: 3.13.0-85.129 INFO: Purging: linux-image-3.13.0-85-generic INFO: Purging: linux-headers-3.13.0-85 INFO: Purging: linux-headers-3.13.0-85-generic
Python3 support is currently broken due to a known disutils.LooseVersion issue.
Submit Bug reports, feature requests via issues.