Describe the bug
When removing old kernels through mintupdate's gui, the hwe kernel headers are not removed and stay present in /usr/src.
This can accumulate a decent amount of space over time. For example, I only have the 6.17.0-14-generic and 6.17.0-22-generic kernels installed through the mintupdate gui, but the following are hwe header folders are still present:
$ du -sh /usr/src/*
31M /usr/src/linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic
31M /usr/src/linux-headers-6.17.0-22-generic
133M /usr/src/linux-hwe-6.14-headers-6.14.0-32
133M /usr/src/linux-hwe-6.14-headers-6.14.0-33
133M /usr/src/linux-hwe-6.14-headers-6.14.0-34
133M /usr/src/linux-hwe-6.14-headers-6.14.0-35
133M /usr/src/linux-hwe-6.14-headers-6.14.0-36
133M /usr/src/linux-hwe-6.14-headers-6.14.0-37
136M /usr/src/linux-hwe-6.17-headers-6.17.0-14
136M /usr/src/linux-hwe-6.17-headers-6.17.0-19
136M /usr/src/linux-hwe-6.17-headers-6.17.0-20
136M /usr/src/linux-hwe-6.17-headers-6.17.0-22
Screenshots

(Doesn't remove hwe header)
To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:
- Go to 'View -> Linux Kernels'
- Click on an old kernel and click 'Remove'
- Note that hwe header is not listed in removal gui
- Continue with removal
- See that hwe header is still present in /usr/src
Expected behavior
Expected old hwe header to be removed and no longer present / taking up space in /usr/src
Distribution:
Linux Mint 22.3
Software version:
7.1.4
Logs:
Probably not relevant but...
2026.04.20@10:43 ++ Launching Update Manager
2026.04.20@10:43 ++ Initial refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 0 hour(s) and 10 minute(s)
2026.04.20@10:43 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.20@10:43 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.20@12:28 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.20@12:28 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.20@12:28 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.20@12:37 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing initial refresh
2026.04.20@12:37 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 0 hour(s) and 1 minute(s)
2026.04.20@12:37 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.20@12:37 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.20@12:37 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.20@12:37 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.20@12:38 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.20@12:38 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.20@12:38 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.20@12:38 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.20@12:38 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing auto refresh
2026.04.20@12:38 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 1 hour(s) and 59 minute(s)
2026.04.20@12:38 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.20@12:38 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.20@12:38 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.20@12:38 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.20@12:39 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.20@12:39 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.20@12:39 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.20@12:39 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.20@16:07 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing auto refresh
2026.04.20@16:07 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 0 hour(s) and 1 minute(s)
2026.04.20@16:07 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.20@16:07 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.20@16:07 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.20@16:07 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.20@16:07 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.20@16:07 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.20@16:07 ++ Found 1 software updates
2026.04.20@16:07 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.20@16:08 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing auto refresh
2026.04.20@16:08 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 1 hour(s) and 59 minute(s)
2026.04.20@16:08 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.20@16:08 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.20@16:08 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.20@16:08 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.20@16:08 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.20@16:08 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.20@16:08 ++ Found 1 software updates
2026.04.20@16:08 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.20@16:18 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.20@16:18 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.20@16:18 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.20@16:18 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.20@16:19 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.20@16:19 ++ Found 1 software updates
2026.04.20@16:19 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.20@16:19 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.20@16:19 ++ Will install flatpak com.discordapp.Discord
2026.04.20@16:19 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.20@16:19 ++ Install requested by user
2026.04.20@16:19 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.20@16:19 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.20@16:19 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.20@16:19 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.20@16:19 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.20@16:19 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.21@16:30 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing auto refresh
2026.04.21@16:30 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 0 hour(s) and 1 minute(s)
2026.04.21@16:30 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.21@16:30 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.21@16:30 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.21@16:30 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.21@16:31 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.21@16:31 ++ Found 4 software updates
2026.04.21@16:31 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.21@16:31 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.21@16:31 ++ Tracker: Mintupdate update button was pressed recently: 1 days ago
2026.04.21@16:31 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing auto refresh
2026.04.21@16:31 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 1 hour(s) and 59 minute(s)
2026.04.21@16:31 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.21@16:31 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.21@16:31 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.21@16:31 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.21@16:32 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.21@16:32 ++ Found 4 software updates
2026.04.21@16:32 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.21@16:32 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.21@16:41 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.21@16:41 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.21@16:41 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.21@16:41 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.21@16:42 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.21@16:42 ++ Found 4 software updates
2026.04.21@16:42 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.21@16:42 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.21@16:51 ++ Will install libcap2-bin
2026.04.21@16:51 ++ Will install libcap2
2026.04.21@16:51 ++ Will install libpam-cap
2026.04.21@16:51 ++ Will install ntfs-3g
2026.04.21@16:51 ++ Will install libntfs-3g89t64
2026.04.21@16:51 ++ Will install flatpak com.obsproject.Studio
2026.04.21@16:51 ++ Will install spice copy-path-to-clipboard@claudiux
2026.04.21@16:51 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.21@16:51 ++ Install requested by user
2026.04.21@16:51 ++ Ready to launch aptkit
2026.04.21@16:52 ++ Install finished successfully
2026.04.21@16:52 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.21@16:52 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.21@16:52 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.21@16:52 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.21@16:52 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.21@16:52 ++ Could not uninhibit power management: GDBus.Error:org.gnome.SessionManager.GeneralError: Unable to uninhibit: Invalid cookie
2026.04.21@18:30 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing auto refresh
2026.04.21@18:30 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 0 hour(s) and 10 minute(s)
2026.04.21@18:30 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.21@18:30 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.21@18:30 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.21@18:31 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.21@18:31 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.21@18:31 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.21@18:31 ++ Could not uninhibit power management: GDBus.Error:org.gnome.SessionManager.GeneralError: Unable to uninhibit: Invalid cookie
2026.04.21@21:46 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing auto refresh
2026.04.21@21:46 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 0 hour(s) and 1 minute(s)
2026.04.21@21:46 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.21@21:46 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.21@21:46 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.21@21:47 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.21@21:47 ++ Found 1 software updates
2026.04.21@21:47 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.21@21:47 ++ Could not uninhibit power management: GDBus.Error:org.gnome.SessionManager.GeneralError: Unable to uninhibit: Invalid cookie
2026.04.21@21:47 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing auto refresh
2026.04.21@21:47 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 1 hour(s) and 59 minute(s)
2026.04.21@21:47 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.21@21:47 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.21@21:47 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Found 1 software updates
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Could not uninhibit power management: GDBus.Error:org.gnome.SessionManager.GeneralError: Unable to uninhibit: Invalid cookie
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Found 1 software updates
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Could not uninhibit power management: GDBus.Error:org.gnome.SessionManager.GeneralError: Unable to uninhibit: Invalid cookie
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Will install python3.12
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Will install libpython3.12-minimal
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Will install python3.12-venv
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Will install libpython3.12t64
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Will install python3.12-minimal
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Will install libpython3.12-stdlib
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Install requested by user
2026.04.21@21:48 ++ Ready to launch aptkit
2026.04.21@21:49 ++ Install finished successfully
2026.04.21@21:49 ++ Could not uninhibit power management: GDBus.Error:org.gnome.SessionManager.GeneralError: Unable to uninhibit: Invalid cookie
2026.04.21@21:49 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.21@21:49 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.21@21:49 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.21@21:49 ++ Could not uninhibit power management: GDBus.Error:org.gnome.SessionManager.GeneralError: Unable to uninhibit: Invalid cookie
Describe the bug
When removing old kernels through mintupdate's gui, the hwe kernel headers are not removed and stay present in /usr/src.
This can accumulate a decent amount of space over time. For example, I only have the 6.17.0-14-generic and 6.17.0-22-generic kernels installed through the mintupdate gui, but the following are hwe header folders are still present:
Screenshots

(Doesn't remove hwe header)
To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:
Expected behavior
Expected old hwe header to be removed and no longer present / taking up space in /usr/src
Distribution:
Linux Mint 22.3
Software version:
7.1.4
Logs:
Probably not relevant but...