Unreasonable Disk Usage

when you installed did you create seperate "/" "/boot" "/home" partitions? that could be one thing to look into. if you created a "/" partition using 10GB and you have 9.2GB space used youd be near full. another thing to keep in mind is the disk usage analyzer does not show individual files. say you have a 4GB iso in root the usage analyzer will only show root getting full and not what was making it full. try running "bleachbit" (its in the repo's) and selecting all of the "APT" boxes and run bleachbit as root. i would also check in synaptic under "status?" you might see something like "residual config" you can remove all of those

In doubt you may rely on:
df -h

btw. 5% are reserved for system itself.

In addition to suggestions, options to look at:
Backup files or logs (/var, /tmp)
VM Ware
Empty trash #~/.local/share/Trash/files + ~/.local/share/Trash/info
Cleanup package cache
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AptGet/Howto

i.p. older kernel images (/boot)
they don't get removed automatically
(over a year can be a long time when no cleanup of package cache happened)
e.g.
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+question/93412

Lucid and Units.
http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/03/ubuntu-1004-reads-file-sizes.html
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UnitsPolicy

It looks like I may have older kernel images in my /boot.
I am running Release 9.10 (karmic)
   Kernel Linux 2.6.31-20-generic
   GNOME 2.28.1

Here are the contents of my /boot..
Linux dell-desktop 2.6.31-20-generic #58-Ubuntu SMP Fri Mar 12 05:23:09 UTC 2010 i686 GNU/Linux
rc linux-image-2.6.22-14-generic 2.6.22-14.52 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.22 on x86
rc linux-image-2.6.22-15-generic 2.6.22-15.54 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.22 on x86
rc linux-image-2.6.24-18-generic 2.6.24-18.32 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.24 on x86
rc linux-image-2.6.24-19-generic 2.6.24-19.41 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.24 on x86
rc linux-image-2.6.24-21-generic 2.6.24-21.43 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.24 on x86
rc linux-image-2.6.27-11-generic 2.6.27-11.31 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.27 on x86
rc linux-image-2.6.27-7-generic 2.6.27-7.16 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.27 on x86
rc linux-image-2.6.27-9-generic 2.6.27-9.19 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.27 on x86
rc linux-image-2.6.28-11-generic 2.6.28-11.42 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.28 on x86
rc linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic 2.6.28-13.45 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.28 on x86
rc linux-image-2.6.28-14-generic 2.6.28-14.47 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.28 on x86
rc linux-image-2.6.28-15-generic 2.6.28-15.52 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.28 on x86
rc linux-image-2.6.28-16-generic 2.6.28-16.55 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.28 on x86
ii linux-image-2.6.31-14-generic 2.6.31-14.48 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.31 on x86
ii linux-image-2.6.31-15-generic 2.6.31-15.50 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.31 on x86
ii linux-image-2.6.31-16-generic 2.6.31-16.53 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.31 on x86
ii linux-image-2.6.31-17-generic 2.6.31-17.54 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.31 on x86
ii linux-image-2.6.31-19-generic 2.6.31-19.56 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.31 on x86
ii linux-image-2.6.31-20-generic 2.6.31-20.58 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.31 on x86
ii linux-image-generic 2.6.31.20.33 Generic Linux kernel image

Can someone tell me how to get rid of old kernel versions I don't need? Thanks so much.

bump

Suggest to keep
2.6.31-19.56
2.6.31-20.58
2.6.31.20.33

and remove the rest; e.g. with Synaptic. (Afterwards it will update Grub automatically, this can be monitored in the popup window under details)
System administration -> Synaptic
Search for: linux-image
Mark each image number, e.g. linux-image-2.6.22-14-generic, for removal
with right click (context menu) -> remove completely
## Note: please be meticulously about not removing the current kernel image you're booting with.

When finished, also take a loot at the side menu -> Status
Look for someting like 'local/can be removed'.
If you click on it, on the right hand side more packages will appear, you may remove them also.

In case you miss something afterwards it can be reinstalled any time, depending on repositories.
btw. Intrepid is EOL end of April.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes

Also there is a history about when and which packages were installed-removed.
File -> history

Finally reload package list and in case update new incoming packages.
Reboot is an option too.

http://www.debianadmin.com/simple-package-management-with-synaptic-package-manager-in-ubuntu.html
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SynapticHowto#How%20to%20free%20disk%20space

Still not resolved. Synaptic only had 3 of the listed packages in it. I was able to remove those, but I'm left with still MUCH disk space taken up by old files. Any other ideas, anyone?

> Synaptic only had 3 of the listed packages

?
Please give the output of:
dpkg -l linux-image* | grep ii

ii linux-image-2.6.31-19-generic 2.6.31-19.56 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.31 on x86
ii linux-image-2.6.31-20-generic 2.6.31-20.58 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.31 on x86
ii linux-image-generic 2.6.31.20.33 Generic Linux kernel image

Ok, then I'd say according to
>> Here are the contents of my /boot..

you may remove the rest of obsolete images, left in /boot, manually.

How do I do that? I guess that's always been the question.

Not sure what you mean, like you would remove any other file.

Sam, you wrote:
you may remove the rest of obsolete images, left in /boot, manually.

That's what I'm saying I don't know know to do.. manually remove the rest of the images. Can you help with that? I guess it sounds simple enough. I just don't know how.

Open Nautilus as root, navigate to your /boot directory, highlight for example everything with number 2.6.22-14, then press shift+del and it will be gone for good.

OK. I'm done here. No more time to take making this work.

Wilhelm, can you please tell at which point it stops you to proceed and which steps you've tried, thanks.