Q4OS Forum

radko

Member

Registered: 2026-04-21

Posts: 15

Remove old kernels, how?

How to uninstall older Linux kernels and dependencies to save space?

bin

Member

From: U.K.

Registered: 2016-01-28

Posts: 1,604

Re: Remove old kernels, how?

sudo apt search linux-image-* | grep installed

This is mine.

linux-headers-6.12.101+deb13-amd64/stable-security,now 6.12.101-1 amd64 [installed,auto-removable]
linux-headers-6.12.105+deb13-amd64/stable-security,now 6.12.105-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-amd64/stable-security,now 6.12.107-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-headers-6.12.74+deb13+1-amd64/now 6.12.74-2 amd64 [installed,local]
linux-image-6.12.101+deb13-amd64/stable-security,now 6.12.101-1 amd64 [installed,auto-removable]
linux-image-6.12.105+deb13-amd64/stable-security,now 6.12.105-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-image-6.12.107+deb13-amd64/stable-security,now 6.12.107-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
linux-image-6.12.48+deb13-amd64/now 6.12.48-1 amd64 [installed,local]
linux-image-6.12.74+deb13+1-amd64/now 6.12.74-2 amd64 [installed,local]
linux-image-amd64/stable-security,now 6.12.107-1 amd64 [installed]

I then just step through the list one by one using sudo apt remove to just leave 2 kernels followed by sudo apt autoremove to clear any kbuild and header files

sudo apt remove linux-image-6.12.101+deb13-amd64
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  linux-headers-6.12.101+deb13-common   linux-kbuild-6.12.101+deb13
  linux-headers-6.12.74+deb13+1-common  linux-kbuild-6.12.74+deb13+1
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.

REMOVING:
  linux-headers-6.12.101+deb13-amd64  linux-image-6.12.101+deb13-amd64

If you have Synaptic installed you can just use that and pick all the ones you want to remove in one go.

radko

Member

Registered: 2026-04-21

Posts: 15

Re: Remove old kernels, how?

Thanks a lot
For me working solution is Synaptic.

Midas

Member

Registered: 2017-12-15

Posts: 271

Re: Remove old kernels, how?

Anything wrong with this? 

$ sudo apt-get autoremove

Taige

Member

Registered: 2025-08-19

Posts: 74

Re: Remove old kernels, how?

Does removing old kernels have the advantage of saving disk space, or does it also affect performance?

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,378

Website

Re: Remove old kernels, how?

... or does it also affect performance?

No performance impact.

Taige

Member

Registered: 2025-08-19

Posts: 74

Re: Remove old kernels, how?

... or does it also affect performance?

No performance impact.

Some time ago I read that an ssd that is not full can help keep it in excellent health because a drive with free space certainly reduces wear and tear and this consequently improves its performance.
I think that the removal of old kernels also has a positive impact on this aspect even if it does so indirectly.

If the reasoning is wrong, explain to me how it is, I'm trying to understand.