Mr N

Tried to upgrade my Ubuntu 16 LTS to Ubuntu 18 LTS but it failed because the /boot partition filled up with initrd.img files that had been generated for kernel versions that I didn't think were installed.

root@dev:/boot# update-initramfs -c -k all
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.15.0-20-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-109-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-103-generic
WARNING: missing /lib/modules/4.4.0-103-generic
Ensure all necessary drivers are built into the linux image!
depmod: ERROR: could not open directory /lib/modules/4.4.0-103-generic: No such file or directory
depmod: FATAL: could not search modules: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_eei2l3/lib/modules/4.4.0-103-generic/modules.order: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_eei2l3/lib/modules/4.4.0-103-generic/modules.builtin: No such file or directory
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-103
WARNING: missing /lib/modules/4.4.0-103
Ensure all necessary drivers are built into the linux image!
depmod: ERROR: could not open directory /lib/modules/4.4.0-103: No such file or directory
depmod: FATAL: could not search modules: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_q0vF5s/lib/modules/4.4.0-103/modules.order: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_q0vF5s/lib/modules/4.4.0-103/modules.builtin: No such file or directory
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-101-generic
WARNING: missing /lib/modules/4.4.0-101-generic
Ensure all necessary drivers are built into the linux image!
depmod: ERROR: could not open directory /lib/modules/4.4.0-101-generic: No such file or directory
depmod: FATAL: could not search modules: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_tDkeUj/lib/modules/4.4.0-101-generic/modules.order: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_tDkeUj/lib/modules/4.4.0-101-generic/modules.builtin: No such file or directory
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-96-generic
WARNING: missing /lib/modules/4.4.0-96-generic
Ensure all necessary drivers are built into the linux image!
depmod: ERROR: could not open directory /lib/modules/4.4.0-96-generic: No such file or directory
depmod: FATAL: could not search modules: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_a2Zhim/lib/modules/4.4.0-96-generic/modules.order: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_a2Zhim/lib/modules/4.4.0-96-generic/modules.builtin: No such file or directory
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-93-generic
WARNING: missing /lib/modules/4.4.0-93-generic
Ensure all necessary drivers are built into the linux image!
depmod: ERROR: could not open directory /lib/modules/4.4.0-93-generic: No such file or directory
depmod: FATAL: could not search modules: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_EiUcxL/lib/modules/4.4.0-93-generic/modules.order: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_EiUcxL/lib/modules/4.4.0-93-generic/modules.builtin: No such file or directory
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-92-generic
WARNING: missing /lib/modules/4.4.0-92-generic
Ensure all necessary drivers are built into the linux image!
depmod: ERROR: could not open directory /lib/modules/4.4.0-92-generic: No such file or directory
depmod: FATAL: could not search modules: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_0XOK8O/lib/modules/4.4.0-92-generic/modules.order: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_0XOK8O/lib/modules/4.4.0-92-generic/modules.builtin: No such file or directory
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-89-generic
WARNING: missing /lib/modules/4.4.0-89-generic
Ensure all necessary drivers are built into the linux image!
depmod: ERROR: could not open directory /lib/modules/4.4.0-89-generic: No such file or directory
depmod: FATAL: could not search modules: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_NZip6q/lib/modules/4.4.0-89-generic/modules.order: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_NZip6q/lib/modules/4.4.0-89-generic/modules.builtin: No such file or directory
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-83-generic
WARNING: missing /lib/modules/4.4.0-83-generic
Ensure all necessary drivers are built into the linux image!
depmod: ERROR: could not open directory /lib/modules/4.4.0-83-generic: No such file or directory
depmod: FATAL: could not search modules: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_kWvqp9/lib/modules/4.4.0-83-generic/modules.order: No such file or directory
depmod: WARNING: could not open /var/tmp/mkinitramfs_kWvqp9/lib/modules/4.4.0-83-generic/modules.builtin: No such file or directory

gzip: stdout: No space left on device
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 gzip 1
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-83-generic with 1.
root@dev:/boot# 

Strangely, most of the older kernel versions were no longer installed so I couldn't understand why their ram disks were being created. The package list shows the my last 2 16LTS versions and the 18LTS version from the upgrade and nothing about the other kernel versions.

root@dev:~/tmp# dpkg -l | grep linux
ii  linux-headers-4.15.0-20               4.15.0-20.21                                all          Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.15.0
ii  linux-headers-4.15.0-20-generic       4.15.0-20.21                                amd64        Linux kernel headers for version 4.15.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-headers-4.4.0-109               4.4.0-109.132                               all          Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.4.0
ii  linux-headers-4.4.0-109-generic       4.4.0-109.132                               amd64        Linux kernel headers for version 4.4.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-headers-4.4.0-116               4.4.0-116.140                               all          Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.4.0
ii  linux-headers-4.4.0-116-generic       4.4.0-116.140                               amd64        Linux kernel headers for version 4.4.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-headers-generic                 4.15.0.20.23                                amd64        Generic Linux kernel headers
ii  linux-headers-generic-lts-vivid       4.4.0.124.130                               amd64        Generic Linux kernel headers (dummy transitional package)
ii  linux-image-4.15.0-20-generic         4.15.0-20.21                                amd64        Signed kernel image generic
ii  linux-image-4.4.0-109-generic         4.4.0-109.132                               amd64        Linux kernel image for version 4.4.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-image-4.4.0-116-generic         4.4.0-116.140                               amd64        Linux kernel image for version 4.4.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-image-extra-4.4.0-109-generic   4.4.0-109.132                               amd64        Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.4.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-image-generic                   4.15.0.20.23                                amd64        Generic Linux kernel image
ii  linux-libc-dev:amd64                  4.15.0-20.21                                amd64        Linux Kernel Headers for development
ii  linux-modules-4.15.0-20-generic       4.15.0-20.21                                amd64        Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.15.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP
ii  linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-20-generic 4.15.0-20.21                                amd64        Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.15.0 on 64 bit x86 SMP

update-initramfs is a shell script so I checked how it found its list of initramfs files to create. The program reads the directory /var/lib/initramfs-toolsa ($STATEDIR) and gets a list of versions:

root@dev:/var/lib/initramfs-tools# ls -l
total 48
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 77 May 13 14:36 4.15.0-20-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 77 May 13 14:36 4.4.0-101-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 69 May 13 14:36 4.4.0-103
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 77 May 13 14:36 4.4.0-103-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 77 May 13 14:36 4.4.0-109-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 76 May 12 11:07 4.4.0-78-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 76 May 12 11:07 4.4.0-81-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 76 May 12 11:07 4.4.0-83-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 76 May 13 14:36 4.4.0-89-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 76 May 13 14:36 4.4.0-92-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 76 May 13 14:36 4.4.0-93-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 76 May 13 14:36 4.4.0-96-generic

I deleted all the versions I didn't want and ran the update again. All fixed!

root@dev:/boot# update-initramfs -c -k all
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.15.0-20-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-109-generic

This was how I got the Bluetooth USB dongle working on Sony Viao PCG-Z600HEK.

First, plug in USB doggle.

Unfortunately, I never found the time to convert this into a proper article so you'll have to settle for what I have:

[root@z600hek root]# hciconfig
hci0:   Type: USB
        BD Address: 00:20:ED:36:D7:54 ACL MTU: 192:8  SCO MTU: 64:8
        UP RUNNING PSCAN ISCAN
        RX bytes:135 acl:0 sco:0 events:19 errors:0
        TX bytes:569 acl:0 sco:0 commands:18 errors:0
[root@z600hek root]# hcitool scan
Scanning ...
        00:02:EE:38:DB:DE       DavidMob
[root@z600hek root]# ls -l /dev/rfcomm0
crw-r--r--    1 root     root     216,   0 Sep  5 21:51 /dev/rfcomm0
[root@z600hek root]# vi /etc/bluetooth/rfcomm.conf
#
# RFCOMM configuration file.
#
# $Id: rfcomm.conf,v 1.1 2002/10/07 05:58:18 maxk Exp $
#

rfcomm0 {
        # Automatically bind the device at startup
        #bind no;
        bind yes;

        # Bluetooth address of the device
        #device 11:22:33:44:55:66;
        device 00:02:EE:38:DB:DE;

        # RFCOMM channel for the connection
        channel 1;

        # Description of the connection
        #comment "Example Bluetooth device";
        comment "Nokia 7650";
}
:wq
[root@z600hek root]# vi /etc/ppp/peers/gprs
# File:
# gprs
#
# Description:
# Serial cable, IrDA, Bluetooth and USB pppd options for GPRS phones.

# Keep pppd attached to the terminal:
# Comment this to get daemon mode pppd
nodetach

# Debug info from pppd:
# Comment this off, if you don't need more info
debug

# Show password in debug messages
show-password

# Connect script:
# scripts to initialize the GPRS modem and start the connection,
# wvdial command is for Orange SPV while other phones should work with chat
connect /etc/ppp/peers/gprs-connect-chat
#connect "/usr/bin/wvdial --chat --config /etc/ppp/peers/gprs-wvdial.conf radiolinja_usb_orange_spv"

# Disconnect script:
# AT commands used to 'hangup' the GPRS connection.
disconnect /etc/ppp/peers/gprs-disconnect-chat

# Serial device to which the GPRS phone is connected:
# /dev/ttyS0 for serial port (COM1 in Windows),
# /dev/ircomm0 for IrDA,
# /dev/ttyUB0 for Bluetooth (Bluez with rfcomm running) and
# /dev/ttyUSB0 for USB
#/dev/ttyS0     # serial port one
#/dev/ttyS1     # serial port two
#/dev/ircomm0   # IrDA serial port one
/dev/rfcomm0    # Bluetooth serial port one
#/dev/ttyUSB0   # USB serial device, for example Orange SPV

# Serial port line speed
115200  # fast enough
#57600  # perhaps usefull with IrDA

# Hardware flow control:
# Use hardware flow control with cable, Bluetooth and USB but not with IrDA.
crtscts  # serial cable, Bluetooth and USB
#nocrtscts # IrDA

# Ignore carrier detect signal from the modem:
local

# IP addresses:
# - accept peers idea of our local address and set address peer as 10.0.0.1
# (any address would do, since IPCP gives 0.0.0.0 to it)
# - if you use the 10. network at home or something and pppd rejects it,
# change the address to something else
:10.0.0.1

# pppd must not propose any IP address to the peer!
noipdefault

# Accept peers idea of our local address
ipcp-accept-local

# Add the ppp interface as default route to the IP routing table
defaultroute
# DNS servers from the phone:
# some phones support this, some don't.
usepeerdns

# ppp compression:
# ppp compression may be used between the phone and the pppd, but the
# serial connection is usually not the bottleneck in GPRS, so the
# compression is useless (and with some phones need to disabled before
# the LCP negotiations succeed).
novj
nobsdcomp
novjccomp
nopcomp
noaccomp

# The phone is not required to authenticate:
noauth

# Username and password:
# If username and password are required by the APN, put here the username
# and put the username-password combination to the secrets file:
# /etc/ppp/pap-secrets for PAP and /etc/ppp/chap-secrets for CHAP
# authentication. See pppd man pages for details.
# Example, Radiolinja operator pap-secrets:
# "rlnet"         *       "internet"    *
#user "rlnet"
#user "Orange"

# Asyncmap:
# some phones may require this option.
#asyncmap 0xa0000

# No magic:
# some phones may require this option.
nomagic

# Require PAP authentication:
# some phones may require this option.
#require-pap
:wq
[root@z600hek root]# vi /etc/ppp/peers/gprs-connect-chat
#!/bin/sh
#
# File:
# gprs-connect-chat
#
# Description:
# chat script to open Radiolinjas GPRS service with GPRS phones. If ppp
# negotiation stalls, try restarting the phone. To try with other GPRS
# operator setting, change the PDP contex setting. The settings work with
# most Ericsson models, but Nokia 8310 and 30 do not support QoS parameters
# with AT commands, so just delete those lines and it'll work.
#
# Set PDP context CID=1, protocol=IP, APN=internet:
# AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","internet","",0,0
#
# Set CID=1 QoS requirements from the network, not supported by Nokia:
# AT+CGQREQ=1,0,0,0,0,0
#
# Set CID=1 minimum acceptable QoS parameters, not supported by Nokia:
# AT+CGQMIN=1,0,0,0,0,0
#
# 'Call' CID=1 (activate PDP context one, perform GPRS attach):
# ATD*99***1#
#
# Some phones like the Orange SPV (yes, the Microsoft Smartphone) use this
# dial string to start GPRS connection:
# ATD*99#
#
# The actual chat script:
exec chat                                               \
        TIMEOUT         5                               \
        ECHO            ON                              \
        ABORT           '\nBUSY\r'                      \
        ABORT           '\nERROR\r'                     \
        ABORT           '\nNO ANSWER\r'                 \
        ABORT           '\nNO CARRIER\r'                \
        ABORT           '\nNO DIALTONE\r'               \
        ABORT           '\nRINGING\r\n\r\nRINGING\r'    \
        ''              \rAT                            \
        TIMEOUT         12                              \
        SAY             "Press CTRL-C to close the connection at any stage!"   \
        SAY             "\ndefining PDP context...\n"   \
        OK              ATH                             \
        OK              ATE1                            \
        OK              'AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","orangeinternet","",0,0'     \
        OK              ATD*99#                         \
        TIMEOUT         22                              \
        SAY             "\nwaiting for connect...\n"    \
        CONNECT         ""                              \
        SAY             "\nConnected." \
        SAY             "\nIf the following ppp negotiations fail,\n"   \
        SAY             "try restarting the phone.\n"
:wq
[root@z600hek root]# vi /etc/ppp/peers/gprs-disconnect-chat
#!/bin/sh
#
# File:
# gprs-disconnect-chat
#
# send break
exec /usr/sbin/chat -V -s -S    \
ABORT           "BUSY"          \
ABORT           "ERROR"         \
ABORT           "NO DIALTONE"   \
SAY             "\nSending break to the modem\n"        \
""              "\K"            \
""              "+++ATH"        \
SAY             "\nPDP context detached\n"
:wq
[root@z600hek root]# vi /etc/resolv.conf
;  Orange UK
nameserver 193.35.131.194
nameserver 193.35.131.195
:wq
[root@z600hek root]# ifdown eth0
[root@z600hek root]# rfcomm bind all
[root@z600hek root]# pppd call gprs
Press CTRL-C to close the connection at any stage!
defining PDP context...
rAT
OK
ATH
OK
ATE1
OK
AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","orangeinternet","",0,0
OK
waiting for connect...

ATD*99#
CONNECT
Connected.
If the following ppp negotiations fail,
try restarting the phone.

Serial connection established.
using channel 3
Using interface ppp0
Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/rfcomm0
sent [LCP ConfReq id=0x1 ]
rcvd [LCP ConfAck id=0x1 ]
rcvd [LCP ConfReq id=0x0   ]
sent [LCP ConfRej id=0x0 ]
rcvd [LCP ConfReq id=0x1  ]
sent [LCP ConfAck id=0x1  ]
sent [IPCP ConfReq id=0x1   ]
sent [CCP ConfReq id=0x1  ]
rcvd [IPCP ConfReq id=0x0 ]
sent [IPCP ConfNak id=0x0 ]
rcvd [LCP ProtRej id=0x0 80 fd 01 01 00 0c 1a 04 78 00 18 04 78 00]
sent [IPCP ConfReq id=0x1   ]
rcvd [IPCP ConfNak id=0x1   ]
sent [IPCP ConfReq id=0x2   ]
rcvd [IPCP ConfReq id=0x1 ]
sent [IPCP ConfAck id=0x1 ]
rcvd [IPCP ConfAck id=0x2   ]
not replacing existing default route to eth0 [172.16.100.1]
local  IP address 172.23.164.128
remote IP address 10.0.0.1
primary   DNS address 194.33.26.135
secondary DNS address 193.35.131.194
Script /etc/ppp/ip-up started (pid 8219)
Script /etc/ppp/ip-up finished (pid 8219), status = 0x0

^C

Terminating on signal 2.
Script /etc/ppp/ip-down started (pid 8220)
sent [LCP TermReq id=0x2 "User request"]
rcvd [LCP TermAck id=0x2]
Connection terminated.
Connect time 0.6 minutes.
Sent 98 bytes, received 64 bytes.

Sending break to the modem

PDP context detached
Serial link disconnected.
Waiting for 1 child processes...
  script /etc/ppp/ip-down, pid 8220
Script /etc/ppp/ip-down finished (pid 8220), status = 0x0
[root@z600hek root]# rfcomm release all
```

At the boot: prompt, enter:

boot: linux ide2=0x180,0x386

Otherwise the cdrom will not be recognized by the rescue kernel.

Well this year FrightFest, it looks like the scheduling fairies have been listening. There are several nice long gaps on both days. There's an hour early Friday dinner time and on Saturday there's a choice of 2 dinner time slots.

It's a lot better than last year but there is still room for improvement. The Saturday's gaps could have been shifted around to give an hour after the first film. Most people have had breakfast so by the time 12:40 rolls around everyone is starving. You could then do 20 minute gaps between the afternoon films, most people just stretch their legs, go for a pee and have a fag. That would condense the afternoon and allow for a slightly bigger gap in the evening for a proper dinner somewhere non-fast-foodie.

21:00 - 22:58 (98m / 1h 38m) Ghost Stories

22m

23:20 - 00:52 (92m / 1h 32m) UK Première - The Lodgers

13:30 - 15:16 (106m / 1h 46m) UK Première - The Wanderers: Quest Of The Demon Hunter

34m

15:50 - 17:19 (89m / 1h 29m) World Première - Attack Of The Bat Monsters

1 h 11m

18:30 - 20:10 (100m / 1h 40m) UK Première - The Ravenous / Les Affamés

35m

20:45 - 22:33 (108m / 1h 48m) UK Première - Cold Skin

42m

23:15 - 01:01 (106m / 1h 46m) European Première - Primal Rage

11:00 - 12:38 (98m / 1h 38m) UK Première - The Blacksmith And The Devil / Errementari

37m

13:15 - 14:42 (87m / 1h 27m) European Première - Pyewacket

33m

15:15 - 16:53 (98m / 1h 38m) UK Première - Friendly Beast / O Animal Cordial

1h 37m

18:30 - 19:59 (99m / 1h 29m) UK Première - Secret Santa

1h 6m

21:05 - 22:28 (83m / 1h 23m) UK Première - Tigers Are Not Afraid / Vuelven

32m

23:00 - 00:23 (83m / 1h 23m) European Première - Sixty Minutes To Midnight

Over the last year I've noticed a general decline in my Windows 10 experience. It just seems to get worse and worse. I noticed it first when it constantly ignored its settings and installed all manner of crap in the background and rebooted when ever it felt like; usually when I had just spend 2 hours setting up 3 virtual servers blar blar.

I've also noticed that my hardware suddenly seems to work or not work. Currently my external USB devices seem to randomly work depending on which socket they are plugged into!

I was thinking, only yesterday that I was tired of all the "that's because's" you have to know in order to keep a windows installation going. Maybe I've become spoiled by the MacBook Pro I bought a few years ago that I've become jaded but I've always had a horses for courses attitude to these things so I don't think it's that.

Earlier in the week, Virgin Media decided to switch off my internet connection for 30 minutes without warning which took out the router, which in turn took out the house network which in turn took out the network cards in my PC which threw Windows 10 into a total tail spin. It then refused to reconnect to the house network, I just could not get the wireless network card to work. It took about 4 reboots and about 3 hours to get it to work again. So all the time I had set aside to work on other things was totally wasted by trying to persuade Windows 10 to do that thing it was perfectly happy doing last week.

I'm an experienced man in these matters and so it can't be a coincidence. So a quick search on Google and top of this list was this very interesting article that rang a lot of bells: Why Windows 10 Sucks.

If you have the time, it is well worth a read. Some sections are technical but if you are not technically minded you can skip over those sections as there is plenty of meat around their attitude toward civil liberties and stance on privacy.

The idea that the operating system was a moving target went a long way to account for the general instabilities. I particularly like the fact that Windows 10 turns your PC into a torrent server to share windows 10 dates to other people while you are not looking! Or that it can read and send your files, most of all for me it dictates which hardware it supports removing drivers whenever it feels like, not to mention all the adverts that I now have to pay to remove.

Well I have had enough, life is too short. I used Ubuntu on the desktop while I worked with Nominet and that was pretty good, nice and quick too! It's downloading at the moment, so I'll let you know how it goes.

Ironically, I can't get my external USB drive working in order to do the backup before reinstalling :(