LinuxQuestions.org - [SOLVED] apt-get won't remove package

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apt-get won't remove package

Hello

The ARM appliance I'm using is running Debian7 and has Exim4 pre-installed.

Since I don't need an MTA, I wanted to remove it, but it doesn't work:

Code:

# netstat -tunlp

Active Internet connections (only servers)

Proto Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address          Foreign Address        State      PID/Program name

tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:22              0.0.0.0:*              LISTEN      1926/sshd

tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:25            0.0.0.0:*              LISTEN      1869/exim4

tcp6      0      0 :::22                  :::*                    LISTEN      1926/sshd

tcp6      0      0 ::1:25                  :::*                    LISTEN      1869/exim4

udp        0      0 0.0.0.0:40866          0.0.0.0:*                          1911/dhclient

udp        0      0 0.0.0.0:68              0.0.0.0:*                          1911/dhclient

udp6      0      0 :::30977                :::*                                1911/dhclient



# dpkg -l | grep exim

rc  exim4                                4.80-7                        all          metapackage to ease Exim MTA (v4) installation

ii  exim4-base                            4.80-7                        armel        support files for all Exim MTA (v4) packages

ii  exim4-config                          4.80-7                        all          configuration for the Exim MTA (v4)

ii  exim4-daemon-light                    4.80-7                        armel        lightweight Exim MTA (v4) daemon



# apt-get remove exim4

Reading package lists... Done

Building dependency tree

Reading state information... Done

Package 'exim4' is not installed, so not removed

The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:

  dmsetup libdevmapper1.02.1 libevent-2.0-5 libgssglue1 libnfsidmap2 libtirpc1

Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.

0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

Why does apt-get fail removing the Exim4 package?

Thank you.

What is the output of:

Code:

apt-cache showpkg exim4

Here it is:

Code:

# apt-cache showpkg exim4

Package: exim4

Versions:

4.80-7 (/var/lib/apt/lists/ftp.fr.debian.org_debian_dists_wheezy_main_binary-armel_Packages) (/var/lib/dpkg/status)

 Description Language:

                File: /var/lib/apt/lists/ftp.fr.debian.org_debian_dists_wheezy_main_binary-armel_Packages

                  MD5: 458592f74d76e446735736c1d55ce615

 Description Language: en

                File: /var/lib/apt/lists/ftp.fr.debian.org_debian_dists_wheezy_main_i18n_Translation-en

                  MD5: 458592f74d76e446735736c1d55ce615





Reverse Depends:

  typo3-src-4.5,exim4

  typo3-dummy,exim4

  subversion-tools,exim4

  whatsnewfm,exim4

  vzdump,exim4

  vm,exim4

  xdeview,exim4

  uudeview,exim4

  uucp,exim4

  uqwk-spool,exim4

  uqwk,exim4

  typo3-src-4.5,exim4

  typo3-dummy,exim4

  task-mail-server,exim4

  systraq,exim4

  sxid,exim4

  subversion-tools,exim4

  solid-pop3d,exim4

  sn,exim4

  smokeping,exim4

  schleuder,exim4

  libsbuild-perl,exim4

  buildd,exim4

  sauce,exim4

  rt4-clients,exim4

  request-tracker4,exim4

  reportbug,exim4

  renattach,exim4

  prayer-accountd,exim4

  prayer,exim4

  postgrey,exim4

  popularity-contest,exim4

  popa3d,exim4

  phpbb3,exim4

  movabletype-opensource,exim4

  monit,exim4

  mlmmj,exim4

  mailto,exim4

  mailman,exim4

  mailgraph,exim4

  maildrop,exim4

  mailagent,exim4

  lire,exim4

  libnews-article-perl,exim4

  killer,exim4

  ipband,exim4

  heirloom-mailx,exim4

  gup,exim4

  greylistd,exim4

  gotmail,exim4

  gosa,exim4

  gnats-user,exim4

  gnats,exim4

  email-reminder,exim4

  debsecan,exim4

  debarchiver,exim4

  cron,exim4

  citadel-server,exim4

  biabam,exim4

  backuppc,exim4

  autolog,exim4

  alpine,exim4

Dependencies:

4.80-7 - debconf (18 0.5) debconf-2.0 (0 (null)) debconf (18 1.4.69) cdebconf (2 0.39) exim4-base (2 4.80) exim4-daemon-light (16 (null)) exim4-daemon-heavy (16 (null)) exim4-daemon-custom (0 (null))

Provides:

4.80-7 -

Reverse Provides:

#

Is it because other apps need an MTA? In that case, I would expect apt-get to be more explicit.

Actually the package is not installed. The 'rc' status means the package has been removed but some configuration files are still in the system. You probably want to purge the package:

Code:

apt-get purge exim4

You also probably want to remove (and purge) the remaining exim4-related packages you have in your system.

Thanks for the tip.

Here's what I did:

Code:

apt-get purge exim4



dpkg -l | grep exim4



apt-get remove exim4-base exim4-config exim4-daemon-light

(this also remove bsd-mailx)



apt-get purge exim4-base exim4-config exim4-daemon-light



apt-get autoremove



netstat -tunlp : exim4 is no longer listed.

I find it strange, though, that apt-get would go ahead and remove Exim4, and still leave it running, as shown by netstat.

As shown in the output of dpkg -l, exim is merely a metapackage, it doesn't contain any software, so removing it will also not remove any software. Usually the proper way to remove software is to remove the meta-packages and then run autoremove. This works, unless, for whatever reason, one of the packages that were pulled in by the meta-package is marked as installed manually.

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlebigman (Post 5068318)

I find it strange, though, that apt-get would go ahead and remove Exim4, and still leave it running, as shown by netstat.

Probably the config files that were still in your system were scripts and such that kept exim4 running. BTW, I forgot to tell you, when you need to purge a package, you don't have to remove it first, simply purge it and apt-get will remove and purge it right away.

edit: TobiSGD explained it better than me :)

Good to know. Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by odiseo77 (Post 5068322)

Just a little correction. The binaries are gone, so there is no application to keep running. The only thing left is the config files because it was never requested that they be removed, and apt is nice enough to remind you of that.