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var is full...

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  var is full... Whit Hansell <skipper44@comcast.net> - 2015-11-18 15:20 +0100
    Re: var is full... Brad Rogers <brad@fineby.me.uk> - 2015-11-18 15:40 +0100
      Re: var is full... Chris Bannister <cbannister@slingshot.co.nz> - 2015-11-20 09:10 +0100
    Re: var is full... Hans <hans.ullrich@loop.de> - 2015-11-18 15:50 +0100
      Re: var is full... Renaud (Ron) OLGIATI <renaud@olgiati-in-paraguay.org> - 2015-11-18 16:30 +0100
        Re: var is full... Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2015-11-18 16:40 +0100
          Re: var is full... David Baron <d_baron@012.net.il> - 2015-11-18 17:00 +0100
      Re: var is full... David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2015-11-18 16:50 +0100
        Re: var is full... "Hans-J. Ullrich" <hans.ullrich@loop.de> - 2015-11-18 17:00 +0100
          Re: var is full...(Solved) Whit Hansell <skipper44@comcast.net> - 2015-11-18 23:40 +0100
    Re: var is full... Jörg-Volker Peetz <jvpeetz@web.de> - 2015-11-18 16:10 +0100
    Re: var is full... Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2015-11-18 16:10 +0100
      Re: var is full... Jochen Spieker <ml@well-adjusted.de> - 2015-11-19 06:50 +0100
        Re: apt  WAS:var is full... Whit Hansell <skipper44@comcast.net> - 2015-11-19 13:40 +0100
        Re: var is full... Chris Bannister <cbannister@slingshot.co.nz> - 2015-11-20 09:30 +0100
          Re: var is full... Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2015-11-20 09:50 +0100
            Re: var is full... Chris Bannister <cbannister@slingshot.co.nz> - 2015-11-20 10:50 +0100

#160735 — var is full...

Hey y'all,
my Var directory is 100% full.  I have googled abouit it and reallly 
haven't gotten a decent idea of what I can safely delete from var. I 
have bot tmp and cache subdirectories and can easily fump the tmp but it 
is very small and won't really give me much room.  Can anyone with 
knowledge give me the subdirectories in var/cache that I can empty to 
get a reasonable amount of free space?  Running Jessie on an amd64 box.

I have run into this problem for the last three installs.  I always use 
the basic linuc installer recommends for var size and it is always too 
darn small.  In the past I have enlarged the partidtion/directory using 
gparted to move free space but it is a total pita and the last time it 
left the drive w. some open space just hanging out that I could not get 
put into the directoies.  That did not affect the operation but left the 
drive in a way that was sloppily set up.

And how much of the var/log files can I adjust?  Those files are pretty 
large and would give me more time before I woulod have to do it agian.

Thanks in advance.  i'm really frustrated with this situation and really 
appreciate any help.

Sincerelly,
Whit

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#160736

[Multipart message — attachments visible in raw view] — view raw

On Wed, 18 Nov 2015 09:08:35 -0500
Whit Hansell <skipper44@comcast.net> wrote:

Hello Whit,

>is very small and won't really give me much room.  Can anyone with 
>knowledge give me the subdirectories in var/cache that I can empty to 
>get a reasonable amount of free space?  Running Jessie on an amd64 box.

Look at /var/cache/apt - that may well have lots of Debian packages in
it.  IIRC, default settings is to keep them forever, once d/l'd from the
repos.  Personally, I change this to delete after successful
installation.  However, flushing that directory may gain a huge amount
of space.

-- 
 Regards  _
         / )           "The blindingly obvious is
        / _)rad        never immediately apparent"
Drums quite good, bass is too loud, and I can't hear the words
Sound Of The Suburbs - Members

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#160841

On Wed, Nov 18, 2015 at 02:33:50PM +0000, Brad Rogers wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Nov 2015 09:08:35 -0500
> Whit Hansell <skipper44@comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> Hello Whit,
> 
> >is very small and won't really give me much room.  Can anyone with 
> >knowledge give me the subdirectories in var/cache that I can empty to 
> >get a reasonable amount of free space?  Running Jessie on an amd64 box.
> 
> Look at /var/cache/apt - that may well have lots of Debian packages in
> it.  IIRC, default settings is to keep them forever, once d/l'd from the
> repos.  Personally, I change this to delete after successful
> installation.  However, flushing that directory may gain a huge amount
> of space.

... which can be done with (as root):

apt-get clean

-- 
"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people
who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the 
oppressing." --- Malcolm X

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#160737

Hi Whit,

try to boot from a live system like Knoppix or any other live-cd.

Then mount the partition, where /var resides and you can delete files you do 
not need (for example old packages).

If your filesystem is not encrypted, then youz might want to enlarge the 
partition without any loss. You can do this with the famous gparted-live-cd 
for example.

Maybe you have enough space on a partition on another computer (filesystem must 
be ext3 or ext4), then you can sync all data from /var to this computer and 
after enlarging the /var partition back to it. 

With live-systems like Knoppix or TRK you can do many nice things, resueing 
the system or just get access to filesystems when the operating system does not 
start any more.

Feel free to ask for more information.

Hope this helps, good luck!  

Best regards

Hans

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#160744

On Wed, 18 Nov 2015 15:42:29 +0100
Hans <hans.ullrich@loop.de> wrote:

> try to boot from a live system like Knoppix or any other live-cd.
> 
> Then mount the partition, where /var resides and you can delete files you do 
> not need (for example old packages).

Or just su to root in a console, cd to /var/cache/apt/archive and rm -f *.deb to remove all the old packages. 
 
Cheers,
 
Ron.
-- 
                       Pourquoi contredire une femme ?
       Il est tellement plus simple d' attendre qu'elle change d'avis.
                                                    -- Georges Feydeau
                                    
                   -- http://www.olgiati-in-paraguay.org --
 

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#160746

On Wed 18 Nov 2015 at 12:20:51 -0300, Renaud OLGIATI wrote:

> On Wed, 18 Nov 2015 15:42:29 +0100
> Hans <hans.ullrich@loop.de> wrote:
> 
> > try to boot from a live system like Knoppix or any other live-cd.
> > 
> > Then mount the partition, where /var resides and you can delete files you do 
> > not need (for example old packages).
> 
> Or just su to root in a console, cd to /var/cache/apt/archive and rm
> -f *.deb to remove all the old packages. 

Why have a dog and bark yourself?

  apt-get autoclean

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#160754

On Wednesday 18 November 2015 15:36:47 Brian wrote:
> On Wed 18 Nov 2015 at 12:20:51 -0300, Renaud OLGIATI wrote:
> > On Wed, 18 Nov 2015 15:42:29 +0100
> > 
> > Hans <hans.ullrich@loop.de> wrote:
> > > try to boot from a live system like Knoppix or any other live-cd.
> > > 
> > > Then mount the partition, where /var resides and you can delete files
> > > you do not need (for example old packages).
> > 
> > Or just su to root in a console, cd to /var/cache/apt/archive and rm
> > -f *.deb to remove all the old packages.
> 
> Why have a dog and bark yourself?
> 
>   apt-get autoclean
  
Not enough. Apt-get clean/autoclean just goes so far.
I have that /var/cache/apt on the oversized home that the installation 
partitions and I symlink that back to /var/cache. 

Would be better to mount --bind. This is what I did to have /opt and 
/usr/local. Also not enough room. When I get another disk, can stop all this 
trickery, but until then, it is OK.

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#160748

On Wed 18 Nov 2015 at 15:42:29 (+0100), Hans wrote:
> try to boot from a live system like Knoppix or any other live-cd.
> 
> Then mount the partition, where /var resides and you can delete files you do 
> not need (for example old packages).

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought that one could delete anything
in /var/cache with impunity, or else it has no business being there.
(It might be wise to pick one's moment; boot into single user, for example.)

Cheers,
David.

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#160753

Am Mittwoch, 18. November 2015, 09:41:38 schrieb David Wright:
> On Wed 18 Nov 2015 at 15:42:29 (+0100), Hans wrote:
> > try to boot from a live system like Knoppix or any other live-cd.
> > 
> > Then mount the partition, where /var resides and you can delete files you
> > do not need (for example old packages).
> 
> Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought that one could delete anything
> in /var/cache with impunity, or else it has no business being there.
> (It might be wise to pick one's moment; boot into single user, for example.)
> 
> Cheers,
> David.
Of course, he can. My idea behind, was that if the user cannot start the 
system any more, this might be an alternative way.

He can do apt-get clean or aptitude clean, too, if the system is still 
booting.

Best

Hans 

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#160775 — Re: var is full...(Solved)

To all, [Brad, Hans, Jorg-Volker, Brian and David]

Thank you all for your replies.  I just got done moving free space from 
Home to my var partition, again.  <Grin>  Darn Debian installer uses too 
small a var partition as mentioned in my  OP.
Let me apologize for those who thought I meant I could not boot the 
machine.  That was not the problem.  It was that the var partition was 
full and it needs space to use apt, cups, and other programs.  I do have 
another problem I am working on that may have been cause partly because 
of the full partitioin but i will ask for help on that if I can't get it 
figured out.  I really do appreciate all your comments and am sorry I 
could not address them until now.  It took me all day to move 5 GB of 
free space from home to var on a 1T drive.

I went ahead and did the Gparted free space move over again because Hans 
mentioned it and I knew it would take some time to do it.  Just wanted 
the whole thing over with.

Again, thanks all for your answers.  I just figured that it would be 
best to upsize the partition once and for all rather than keep deleting 
files in var cache, tmp, etc.  Hopefully an almost 8 Gb var will handle 
it now.   My original one was 2.7 Gb and I had freed up 700 mb or so 
just a few weeks ago it seems and it  filled up again so quickly.

You all are great to have on hand and we all really appreciate it.

Regards and much appreciations.

Whit

PS, Someone mentioned that I could use just one partition for the drive 
and not have this problem anymore.  I use separate partitions for 
security reasons and to learn things like the big guys <chucckle> even 
tho' i'm just a putterer who has used debian since Late Woody/Early 
Sarge.  Just love Linux.


On 11/18/2015 10:52 AM, Hans-J. Ullrich wrote:
> Am Mittwoch, 18. November 2015, 09:41:38 schrieb David Wright:
>> On Wed 18 Nov 2015 at 15:42:29 (+0100), Hans wrote:
>>> try to boot from a live system like Knoppix or any other live-cd.
>>>
>>> Then mount the partition, where /var resides and you can delete files you
>>> do not need (for example old packages).
>> Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought that one could delete anything
>> in /var/cache with impunity, or else it has no business being there.
>> (It might be wise to pick one's moment; boot into single user, for example.)
>>
>> Cheers,
>> David.
> Of course, he can. My idea behind, was that if the user cannot start the
> system any more, this might be an alternative way.
>
> He can do apt-get clean or aptitude clean, too, if the system is still
> booting.
>
> Best
>
> Hans
>
>

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#160740

To see how much is used where order as super user

  du /var -hx --max-depth=1

Do you have mount points in /var ?

Regards,
jvp.

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#160741

On Wed 18 Nov 2015 at 09:08:35 -0500, Whit Hansell wrote:

> my Var directory is 100% full.  I have googled abouit it and reallly haven't
> gotten a decent idea of what I can safely delete from var. I have bot tmp
> and cache subdirectories and can easily fump the tmp but it is very small
> and won't really give me much room.  Can anyone with knowledge give me the
> subdirectories in var/cache that I can empty to get a reasonable amount of
> free space?  Running Jessie on an amd64 box.

To remove all apt/archives packages older than the present versions:

  apt-get autoclean

Add -s to see beforehand what space would be freed.

To remove every package and the package lists in apt/archives:

  apt-get clean.

The package lists will be regenerated at the next 'apt-get update'.

What is the size of /var? ('df -h' tells you this). Which directories
use most space. ('du -h /var/<dir> for that).

> I have run into this problem for the last three installs.  I always use the
> basic linuc installer recommends for var size and it is always too darn
> small.  In the past I have enlarged the partidtion/directory using gparted
> to move free space but it is a total pita and the last time it left the
> drive w. some open space just hanging out that I could not get put into the
> directoies.  That did not affect the operation but left the drive in a way
> that was sloppily set up.

Some people have very good reasons for a separate /var. Do you? If not,
go for single / partition; it makes life simpler.
 
> And how much of the var/log files can I adjust?  Those files are pretty
> large and would give me more time before I woulod have to do it agian.

I'd leave them alone. 

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#160788

[Multipart message — attachments visible in raw view] — view raw

Brian:
> 
> To remove every package and the package lists in apt/archives:
> 
>   apt-get clean.

The package lists are unaffected by the clean operation. You do not need
to run an update afterwards.

What's not generally known is that apt comes with a cron job that can
perform house keeping. It can be configured in apt.conf like this:

APT {
        Periodic {
                // see: /etc/cron.daily/apt
                Update-Package-Lists "0";
                Download-Upgradeable-Packages "0";
                AutocleanInterval "1";
                MinAge "3";
                MaxAge "7";
                MaxSize "1024";
        }
}

See the comments in /etc/cron.daily/apt. As far as I am aware, that's
the only place where this is documented.

J.
-- 
People talking a foreign language are romantic and mysterious.
[Agree]   [Disagree]
                 <http://www.slowlydownward.com/NODATA/data_enter2.html>

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#160793 — Re: apt WAS:var is full...

Thanks for the info J.  I use autoclean instead of clean and it shows 
certain packages deleted list after the upgrade.

My normal update/upgrade regimen goes thusly:

apt-get update
apt-get dist-upgrade
apt-get autoclean
updatedb

I don't know if that is the bestest and greatest way to do it but it 
does well for me.

Thanks for the info on the cron job situation w. apt.  Going to look 
into it and see if i can understand it.

Whit

On 11/19/2015 12:41 AM, Jochen Spieker wrote:
> Brian:
>> To remove every package and the package lists in apt/archives:
>>
>>    apt-get clean.
> The package lists are unaffected by the clean operation. You do not need
> to run an update afterwards.
>
> What's not generally known is that apt comes with a cron job that can
> perform house keeping. It can be configured in apt.conf like this:
>
> APT {
>          Periodic {
>                  // see: /etc/cron.daily/apt
>                  Update-Package-Lists "0";
>                  Download-Upgradeable-Packages "0";
>                  AutocleanInterval "1";
>                  MinAge "3";
>                  MaxAge "7";
>                  MaxSize "1024";
>          }
> }
>
> See the comments in /etc/cron.daily/apt. As far as I am aware, that's
> the only place where this is documented.
>
> J.

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#160844

On Thu, Nov 19, 2015 at 06:41:50AM +0100, Jochen Spieker wrote:
> Brian:
> > 
> > To remove every package and the package lists in apt/archives:
> > 
> >   apt-get clean.
> 
> The package lists are unaffected by the clean operation. You do not need
> to run an update afterwards.

Then explain the difference between:

1) apt-get clean
apt-cache show pa<TAB><TAB>

and

2) apt-get clean
apt-get update
apt-cache show pa<TAB><TAB>

-- 
"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people
who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the 
oppressing." --- Malcolm X

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#160847

Chris Bannister a écrit :
> On Thu, Nov 19, 2015 at 06:41:50AM +0100, Jochen Spieker wrote:
>> Brian:
>>> To remove every package and the package lists in apt/archives:
>>>
>>>   apt-get clean.
>> The package lists are unaffected by the clean operation. You do not need
>> to run an update afterwards.
> 
> Then explain the difference between:
> 
> 1) apt-get clean
> apt-cache show pa<TAB><TAB>
> 
> and
> 
> 2) apt-get clean
> apt-get update
> apt-cache show pa<TAB><TAB>

Using strace, the difference seems to be that apt-get clean removes
/var/cache/apt/pkgcache.bin. However you don't need to run apt-get
update : this file seems to be rebuilt by any apt command.

apt-get clean
apt-cache show anypatternyoulike
apt-cache show pa<TAB><TAB>

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#160852

On Fri, Nov 20, 2015 at 09:45:48AM +0100, Pascal Hambourg wrote:
> Using strace, the difference seems to be that apt-get clean removes
> /var/cache/apt/pkgcache.bin. However you don't need to run apt-get
> update : this file seems to be rebuilt by any apt command.
> 
> apt-get clean
> apt-cache show anypatternyoulike
> apt-cache show pa<TAB><TAB>

Ahh! Thanks, for that.

-- 
"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people
who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the 
oppressing." --- Malcolm X

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