How to fix dpkg: dependency problems prevent removal of linux-image-X.X.X-generic in APT

First, identify which kernel you are currently running so you do not accidentally remove it:

uname -r

This outputs something like 5.15.0-86-generic. Do NOT remove this kernel as it will make your system unbootable.

Try the most straightforward fix first - repair any broken dependencies and configure unconfigured packages:

sudo apt --fix-broken install

If that succeeds, your issue is resolved. If not, proceed to the next step.

If dpkg was interrupted during a previous operation, configure any unconfigured packages:

sudo dpkg --configure -a

Then try the fix again:

sudo apt --fix-broken install

If the above steps do not work, check which kernel versions are installed on your system:

dpkg -l | grep linux-image

This shows all installed kernel packages. Identify old versions that you can safely remove (anything except your current kernel from Step 1).

Once you identify an old kernel to remove, use dpkg to force-purge it:

sudo dpkg --purge --force-all linux-image-5.4.0-42-generic

Replace 5.4.0-42-generic with the actual old kernel version. The --force-all flag overrides dependency checks. After removing one or two old kernels, proceed to the next step.

After manually removing old kernels, fix any remaining broken dependencies:

sudo apt-get -f install

Then update your package cache and try to complete any pending operations:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

Finally, clean up any leftover package configuration files and perform automatic removal of unused packages:

sudo dpkg -P $(dpkg -l | grep ^rc | awk '{print $2}')
sudo apt-get autoremove

This removes packages marked for removal and cleans up the system.