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

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On Wed 08 Mar 2017 at 13:32:58 -0500, Cindy-Sue Causey wrote:

> 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.

"purge" indeed does remove all the files the package installed [1].
This is something an experienced user like the OP should be familiar
with.

> >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).
> 
> +++++++++

That about sums it up.

> 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*

It is worthwhile considering using "--purge" with "autoremove"

  apt-get --purge autoremove

if you want to remove configuration files and update the dpkg database.

[1] A package can create a directory. If another package puts files
    into this directory the directory will not be deleted on purging.

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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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