kernel - Why does `make install` fail with "gzip: stdout: No space left on device" when the disk is not full? - Ask Ubuntu

i have compiled new kernel , set of modules base on linux-headers , linux-source packages within ubuntu. carious compilation steps have gone until attempt make install fails in following manner:

root@thorne-ul-dt:/usr/src/linux-source-4.4.0# make install sh ./arch/x86/boot/install.sh 4.4.21 arch/x86/boot/bzimage \     system.map "/boot" run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 4.4.21 /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.21 run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 4.4.21 /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.21 update-initramfs: generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.21  gzip: stdout: no space left on device e: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 gzip 1 update-initramfs: failed /boot/initrd.img-4.4.21 1. run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools exited return code 1 arch/x86/boot/makefile:191: recipe target 'install' failed make[1]: *** [install] error 1 arch/x86/makefile:260: recipe target 'install' failed make: *** [install] error 2 

now have read far has suggested or ended being down full filesystem. /boot or /tmp , if not space inodes. checked pc , looks me.

root@thorne-ul-dt:/usr/src/linux-source-4.4.0# df -h filesystem                   size  used avail use% mounted on udev                         7.7g     0  7.7g   0% /dev tmpfs                        1.6g   19m  1.6g   2% /run /dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-root  1.8t  1.4t  398g  78% / tmpfs                        7.7g  2.4m  7.7g   1% /dev/shm tmpfs                        5.0m  4.0k  5.0m   1% /run/lock tmpfs                        7.7g     0  7.7g   0% /sys/fs/cgroup /dev/sda2                    237m  100m  125m  45% /boot /dev/sda1                    511m   12m  500m   3% /boot/efi cgmfs                        100k     0  100k   0% /run/cgmanager/fs tmpfs                        1.6g   64k  1.6g   1% /run/user/1000 root@thorne-ul-dt:/usr/src/linux-source-4.4.0# df -i filesystem                     inodes    iused     ifree iuse% mounted on udev                          1994762      656   1994106    1% /dev tmpfs                         1999935     1078   1998857    1% /run /dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-root 121274368 17644654 103629714   15% / tmpfs                         1999935       21   1999914    1% /dev/shm tmpfs                         1999935       13   1999922    1% /run/lock tmpfs                         1999935       18   1999917    1% /sys/fs/cgroup /dev/sda2                       62496      304     62192    1% /boot /dev/sda1                           0        0         0     - /boot/efi cgmfs                         1999935       14   1999921    1% /run/cgmanager/fs tmpfs                         1999935       35   1999900    1% /run/user/1000 

just how space or number of inodes kernel image need?

i tried doing purge-old-kernels , apt-get update && apt-get auto-remove` in case did not help.

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what causes make install of kernel fail gzip: stdout: no space left on device when filesystem seems have free space , free inodes?