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Re: used vs. unused packages installed

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On Thu 30 Nov 2023 at 16:06:06 (-0600), Mike McClain wrote:
>     Is there any way to determine which packages are used of the many
> that come with an install?

I don't know of one.

>     My Raspberry Pi install of bookworm has some 1800 packages
> installed many of which I know I don't use, many others I suspect I
> don't use but don't know if some program I do use depends on them at
> some point in its life.

My principal bullseye has 2064, and has no DE, but includes
*TeX, LibreOffice, and a generous number of fonts. Without
knowing this sort of information, it's difficult to judge.

An obvious method is --no-install-recommends, but don't be surprised
when some packages lack functionality that you expect to be present.

>     $ apropos editor | wc   reports 23 hits
> Six of which are various versions of VI which I don't use but pico,
> nano, mcedit, mousepad and mu-editor are also included. I only use jed
> but don't know what would break if I purged the others and am loathe
> to break a working system.

Some of these are in the same package (bits of vim ± gui) or part
of another package (mc/mcedit), and some are too small to worry about
(nano/pico). Others are too specialised to be thought of as just
editors (editres, gparted, mid3v2), and the lack of some will break
your system (sed).

>     There are 259 packages whose name starts with 'python', admittedly I
> could purge one a week and see if anything breaks, that would only take
> 5 years but I'm not quite that patient.

Only 58 here; what am I doing wrong? No, actually I thought you would
approve of the number, as it goes to show how much python has been
fragmented so that you only have to install the parts needed.

>     Suggestions?

apt-get --purge autoremove
deborphan -Ps   or orphaner
cruft-ng
debfoster

The last of these is, I think, like --no-install-recommends,
something you set up beforehand.

BTW are you seriously short of space, or just a tidy person?
(You don't have to answer.)

Cheers,
David.

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Thread

used vs. unused packages installed Mike McClain <mike.junk.46@att.net> - 2023-11-30 23:30 +0100
  Re: used vs. unused packages installed Dan Ritter <dsr@randomstring.org> - 2023-12-01 00:50 +0100
  Re: used vs. unused packages installed Greg Wooledge <greg@wooledge.org> - 2023-12-01 01:00 +0100
    Re: used vs. unused packages installed Michel Verdier <mv524@free.fr> - 2023-12-01 10:50 +0100
  Re: used vs. unused packages installed John Hasler <john@sugarbit.com> - 2023-12-01 02:10 +0100
  Re: used vs. unused packages installed David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2023-12-01 02:50 +0100
    Re: used vs. unused packages installed Michel Verdier <mv524@free.fr> - 2023-12-01 12:20 +0100
  Re: used vs. unused packages installed Nate Bargmann <n0nb@n0nb.us> - 2023-12-01 17:20 +0100

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