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Re: How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application?

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On 03/08/2017 02:53 PM, Jimmy Johnson wrote:
> On 03/08/2017 11:34 AM, Richard Owlet wrote:
>> On 03/08/2017 12:32 PM, Cindy-Sue Causey wrote:
>>> On 3/8/17, Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> wrote:
>>>> I recently installed grml-debootstrap from a purchased DVD set of
>>>> Jessie(8.6.0). I have minimal available bandwidth so I install 
>>>> strictly
>>>> from DVDs.
>>>>
>>>> I have discovered a potential bug for my specific use case and believe
>>>> I've narrowed the problem source to two specific files.
>>>>
>>>> I have used script to record some of my test runs after I had 
>>>> edited the
>>>> files in question.
>>>>
>>>> I wanted to record a test run duplicating the as originally installed
>>>> environment. I used Synaptic to remove the package - choosing the 
>>>> "Mark
>>>> for complete removal" option. It notified me that it would remove
>>>> configuration files which was why I chose that option.
>>>>
>>>> I reinstalled grml-debootstrap from the same DVD set. I did a dry run
>>>> and got a quite different set of errors.
>>>>
>>>> IIRC I've seen discussions about removing EVERYTHING related to a
>>>> package. I don't recall the details.
>>>>
>>>> What is the most effective way to completely remove an application?
>>>>
>>>> If all else fails, I can reinstall Debian completely to a new 
>>>> partition.
>>>> But I'd like to use this as an "educational" experience.
>>>
>>>
>>> I use both "apt-get autoremove" and "apt-get purge" for package
>>> removal. Purge is the one that FEELS LIKE it zaps everything,
>>> configuration files and all, but I've never gone about it
>>> scientifically to verify yay or nay for fact.
>>>
>>>> From "man apt-get":
>>>
>>> +++++++++
>>>
>>> remove
>>>            remove is identical to install except that packages are
>>> removed
>>>            instead of installed. Note that removing a package leaves 
>>> its
>>>            configuration files on the system. If a plus sign is
>>> appended to
>>>            the package name (with no intervening space), the identified
>>>            package will be installed instead of removed.
>>>
>>> purge
>>>            purge is identical to remove except that packages are
>>> removed and
>>>            purged (any configuration files are deleted too).
>>>
>>> +++++++++
>>>
>>> Ohhhh, and I learned something new today:
>>>
>>> +++++++++
>>>
>>> autoremove (and the auto-remove alias since 1.1)
>>>            autoremove is used to remove packages that were 
>>> automatically
>>>            installed to satisfy dependencies for other packages and
>>> are now no
>>>            longer needed.
>>>
>>> +++++++++
>>>
>>> I did not know that. I knew there was "remove" and "autoremove" but
>>> had never pursued *why*. I started using "autoremove" after I kept
>>> seeing apt-get proffer it.... for removal of packages that are no
>>> longer dependencies for anything. So from now on... my opening
>>> statement will be that I use "apt-get remove" and "apt-get purge".
>>> *grin*
>>>
>>> Do Synaptic, Aptitude, and possibly anything else of that family have
>>> similarly close but still different flags/commands?
>>>
>>> Cindy :)
>>>
>>
>> You got me looking at man-apt get.
>> It reminded me that I should clean my cache between test runs from a
>> repeatability perspective. It might explain some warning [rather than
>> error] messages I've gotten. I'm doing peculiar things, why shouldn't I
>> get peculiar messages.
>
> Hi Richard,
>
> First, unless you are using something older than Jessie you can use 
> apt as in #apt update or #apt purge, apt-get is no longer needed.
>
> Second, there is a command line package named "upgrade-system" that 
> uses apt and deborphan, it will update, upgrade, autoremove and check 
> for orphaned packages with the one command. On a Stable system let 
> 'upgrade-system' have it's way, it's safe and will remove your crud, 
> but on testing and Sid check what packages it's going to remove just 
> like you would with any other package manager and if your not sure use 
> 'gtkorphan' so you can see what you're doing.
>
> So you could #apt purge 'package name' && upgrade-system
> All done.
>
> regards,

Not having known about upgrade-system, this seemed like something that I 
should look into, so I installed it.

Since I am running a 'stable' system I let it run.  It updated the 
package lists and upgraded 10 packages.  So far, so good. Then it ran 
deborphan (I guess) and wanted to remove 170 packages.  Despite the 
suggestion that this was safe on a stable system, I perused the packages 
to be removed.  These included sysvinit*!  What!  That would have 
removed sysvinit, sysvinit-core, and sysvinit-utils.  Since I am still 
(obvously) running sysv as my init system, this would have been a BAD 
THING and NOT a Good Thing!  This would have removed my init system! 
Presumably, it would then have installed systemd.  This would also have 
been a BAD THING!  So I said 'No' to that.  It then proceeded to clear 
my apt cache archives completely.  This is something that I never do, 
and would have told it not to do if it had asked me. It did not ask, it 
simply deleted everything in /var/cache/apt/archives!

I'll be deleting that package.  I can run 'apt update' and 'apt upgrade' 
perfectly well and feel safer about what is happening on my system.

Marc

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Thread

How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application? Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2017-03-08 19:10 +0100
  Re: How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application? Frank <zuiderduin@gmx.com> - 2017-03-08 19:30 +0100
    Re: How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application? Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2017-03-08 20:20 +0100
  Re: How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application? Cindy-Sue Causey <butterflybytes@gmail.com> - 2017-03-08 19:40 +0100
    Re: How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application? Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2017-03-08 20:40 +0100
      Re: How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application? Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2017-03-08 21:50 +0100
      Re: How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application? Jimmy Johnson <field.engineer@gmail.com> - 2017-03-09 00:00 +0100
        Re: How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application? Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2017-03-09 07:20 +0100
        Re: How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application? Marc Shapiro <marcnshap@gmail.com> - 2017-03-09 08:50 +0100
    Re: How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application? Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2017-03-09 11:10 +0100
      Re: How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application? Hans <hans.ullrich@loop.de> - 2017-03-09 12:10 +0100
    Re: How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application? Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com> - 2017-03-11 13:10 +0100
      Re: How to >>COMPLETELY<< remove an application? Jörg-Volker Peetz <jvpeetz@web.de> - 2017-03-11 14:20 +0100

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