Remove dependencies when removing a package

kushalkoolwal · 06-27-2007, 08:28 PM

Hi,

Suppose I would like to remove gcc from my Debian system. Generally the way I remove is:

Code:

dpkg --purge gcc

Now this will generally remove the package, but how can I remove the other dependencies which got installed when I had installed the gcc package by:

Code:

apt-get install gcc

Is there any way to know what are the dependencies of a particular package?

Thanks

farslayer · 06-27-2007, 08:33 PM

If you used Aptitude instead of apt-get it would track that for you..

http://www.garfieldtech.com/blog/your-debian-aptitude

Quote:

More importantly, aptitude supports two-way dependency tracking. That is, if you install package A which requires package B, then remove package A, aptitude will check to see if anything else you've installed recently requires B. If not, it will let you know that B is now a waste of disk space and will be removed; no need to play with deborphan or debfoster. It only works if you used aptitude to install the packages in the first place, but if you just stick to aptitude then it's much easier than remembering to install debfoster on every system.

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/aptitude

since you have not been using aptitude you could use deborphan
http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/134

I would suggest moving forward you abandon dpkp and apt-get and switch to aptitude.

aptitude update
aptitude keep-all

should be the first two commands you run if you decide to switch.

You can use the Debian package search to determine the dependancies of a package..
http://www.debian.org/distrib/packages
http://packages.debian.org/stable/devel/gcc

war1025 · 06-28-2007, 02:42 AM

apt-get remove gcc

I'm pretty sure that removes dependencies as well.

Telemachos · 06-28-2007, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by war1025

apt-get remove gcc

I'm pretty sure that removes dependencies as well.

It doesn't. Apt-get remove (or even purge) only removes (or purges) the original package, not dependencies. The newest version of apt adds the autoremove feature, but in a different way than aptitude (the new apt is in Unstable and Experimental, I believe, not yet in Testing or Stable). In aptitude if you remove the original package, the dependencies are automatically removed by default along with it. You only enter one command. In apt-get 7.x (the new versions), you need to enter two commands: first, apt-get remove packagename; then apt-get autoremove.

Bottom line: "apt-get remove gcc" doesn't remove dependencies.

war1025 · 06-28-2007, 12:48 PM

well I was having troubles with libgpod the other day (it won't read or write to ipod's properly) so I did apt-get remove libgpod and it removed gtkpod and rhythmbox too.

I guess that is the other way around. It removes programs that depend on it... nevermind then I guess.

nx5000 · 06-28-2007, 01:12 PM

You should really use aptitude!

The only thing I haven't found is the equivalent of
apt-get source <package>

I haven't even read the manpage maybe that's why

Telemachos · 06-28-2007, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by war1025

well I was having troubles with libgpod the other day (it won't read or write to ipod's properly) so I did apt-get remove libgpod and it removed gtkpod and rhythmbox too.

I guess that is the other way around. It removes programs that depend on it... nevermind then I guess.

Right, if package x (libgpod) is required by package y (gtkpod) and you remove package x, then package y is automatically removed. But with apt-get it doesn't work the other way around.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nx5000

The only thing I haven't found is the equivalent of
apt-get source <package>

Yeah, I think that's right. Aptitude doesn't do source. It's too bad, since sometimes it's useful.