remove software

giocos · 04-17-2012, 12:15 PM

I have debian wheezy
Why when i want to remove software in my debian, synaptic remove also other application of my desktop manager?
example:

Code:

sudo apt-get remove dragonplayer
The following packages will be REMOVED:
dragonplayer kde-standard task-kde-desktop

cycleguy55 · 04-17-2012, 03:04 PM

I would suspect 'kde-standard' and 'task-kde-desktop' were installed with dragonplayer as dependencies required for dragonplayer. When you remove dragonplayer and there are no other applications on your system which require 'kde-standard' and 'task-kde-desktop' as depencies, apt removes them as well.

It's also possible 'kde-standard' and 'task-kde-desktop' were on your system before dragonplayer, but whatever needed them was previously removed and left them behind for dragonplayer to use.

snowday · 04-17-2012, 03:06 PM

Welcome to the forums!

kde-standard and task-kde-desktop are "metapackages" that install a list of other applications as "dependencies."

Does that answer your question?

273 · 04-17-2012, 03:08 PM

It may well be safe to remove them, but you could check in synaptic to see if they're removing anything you need.

craigevil · 04-17-2012, 03:13 PM

One word ""metapackages". Google it, search the forums here and the forums.debian.net

giocos · 04-17-2012, 05:38 PM

so if i remove (example) dragonplayer, after i have no more my DE. does not make much sense

273 · 04-17-2012, 05:47 PM

My far from expert advice is:
Check which packages will be removed since the ones referred to are meta-packages and may not result in anything being removed.
If anything is due to be removed which you wish to keep then manually select it for installation (even if it is installed) because this should prevent it from being removed automatically.
Once you're happy that only empty meta-packages are to be removed, then go ahead.

snowday · 04-17-2012, 08:36 PM

What is your goal in removing dragonplayer? Unless you are running very low on disk space, there is no benefit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by giocos

so if i remove (example) dragonplayer, after i have no more my DE. does not make much sense

If you research the topic of "metapackages" as recommended, it will make more sense.

craigevil · 04-18-2012, 01:28 PM

Removing kde-standard task-kde-desktop still leaves KDE installed. They are just METAPACKAGES that make installing KDE simpler. They are not required.

Package: kde-standard
Source: meta-kde
This metapackage includes the KDE Plasma Desktop and a selection of the most
common used applications in a standard KDE desktop.
Tag: role::metapackage, suite::kde
Section: kde
Priority: optional

Package: task-kde-desktop
Source: tasksel
This task package is used to install the Debian desktop, featuring
the KDE desktop environment, and with other packages that Debian users
expect to have available on the desktop.
Tag: role::metapackage,
Priority: optional