How to safely remove all traces of KDE?

hongman · 10-21-2014, 02:38 PM

As per title really!

jdkaye · 10-22-2014, 04:04 AM

This link tells you how it's done. A quick web search will turn up plenty of other answers. Try it yourself.
jdk

hongman · 10-22-2014, 06:37 AM

Hi

I have seen that thread, and several other ones - perhaps I should have explained a bit better in my OP.

I have tried a similar thing before, in Kali, and with a different set of instructions, but I ended up breaking pretty much the whole thing.

Given that I do not want to end up reinstalling again, and that Kali is as I understand based in some capacity on Debian, I want to try and avoid a similar disaster.

So, would you (or anyone else) be kind enough to sanctify those or any other guides?

I shall take my own precautions regardless but it is always nice to have some reassurance from an someone/people more experienced in the world of nix.

Ook · 10-22-2014, 11:51 AM

I would just reinstall, and be sure not to install KDE. I think in the end you will find that to be faster and much easier. Otherwise there is a very good chance you will break your distro.

jdkaye · 10-23-2014, 12:41 AM

If you use aptitude with the -s simulation switch on you can pretest the impact of purging a bunch of kde packages. I am using KDE with Jessie. Suppose I want to switch to LXDE. I would first install LXDE and then try this command.

Code:

~$ aptitude -s purge kdelibs-bin

This gives me the following result:

Code:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 kdelibs5-plugins : Depends: kdelibs-bin (= 4:4.14.1-1+b1) but it is not going to be installed.
The following actions will resolve these dependencies:

       Remove the following packages:                                                                
1)       akregator                                                                                   
2)       amarok                                                                                      
3)       amor                                                                                        
4)       apper                                                                                       
5)       ark                                                                                         
6)       dolphin                                                                                     
7)       dragonplayer                                                                                
8)       gwenview                                                                                    
9)       jovie                                                                                       
10)      juk                                                                                         
11)      k3b                                                                                         
12)      k3b-i18n                                                                                    
13)      kaccessible                                                                                 
14)      kaddressbook                                                                                
15)      kaffeine                                                                                    
16)      kate                                                                                        
17)      kbackup                                                                                     
18)      kbreakout                                                                                   
19)      kcalc                                                                                       
20)      kchmviewer                                                                                  
21)      kde-baseapps                                                                                
22)      kde-baseapps-bin                                                                            
23)      kde-plasma-desktop                                                                          
24)      kde-runtime                                                                                 
25)      kde-standard                                                                                
26)      kde-style-oxygen                                                                            
27)      kde-window-manager                                                                          
28)      kde-workspace                                                                               
29)      kde-workspace-bin                                                                           
30)      kdeaccessibility                                                                            
31)      kdelibs5-plugins                                                                            
32)      kdepasswd                                                                                   
33)      kdepim-kresources                                                                           
34)      kdepim-runtime                                                                              
35)      kdeplasma-addons                                                                            
36)      kdesudo                                                                                     
37)      kdetoys                                                                                     
38)      kdm                                                                                         
39)      kfind                                                                                       
40)      kgpg                                                                                        
41)      khelpcenter4                                                                                
42)      kinfocenter                                                                                 
43)      kio-audiocd                                                                                 
44)      kipi-plugins                                                                                
45)      klipper                                                                                     
46)      kmag                                                                                        
47)      kmail                                                                                       
48)      kmenuedit                                                                                   
49)      kmetronome                                                                                  
50)      kmix                                                                                        
51)      kmousetool                                                                                  
52)      kmouth                                                                                      
53)      kmplayer                                                                                    
54)      knode                                                                                       
55)      knotes                                                                                      
56)      konq-plugins                                                                                
57)      konqueror                                                                                   
58)      konqueror-nsplugins                                                                         
59)      konsole                                                                                     
60)      kopete                                                                                      
61)      korganizer                                                                                  
62)      kpat                                                                                        
63)      kscreen                                                                                     
64)      kscreensaver                                                                                
65)      kscreensaver-xsavers                                                                        
66)      ksnapshot                                                                                   
67)      ksysguard                                                                                   
68)      kteatime                                                                                    
69)      ktorrent                                                                                    
70)      kuser                                                                                       
71)      kvirc                                                                                       
72)      kvirc-modules                                                                               
73)      kwalletmanager                                                                              
74)      kwrite                                                                                      
75)      libcalendarsupport4                                                                         
76)      libeventviews4                                                                              
77)      libincidenceeditorsng4                                                                      
78)      libkateinterfaces4                                                                          
79)      libkdepim4                                                                                  
80)      libkdepimdbusinterfaces4                                                                    
81)      libkopete4                                                                                  
82)      libksieveui4                                                                                
83)      libkvilib4                                                                                  
84)      libmailcommon4                                                                              
85)      libmailimporter4                                                                            
86)      libmessagecomposer4                                                                         
87)      libmessagecore4                                                                             
88)      libmessagelist4                                                                             
89)      libmessageviewer4                                                                           
90)      libnoteshared4                                                                              
91)      libpimcommon4                                                                               
92)      libreoffice-kde                                                                             
93)      libsmokekdecore4-3                                                                          
94)      libsmokekdeui4-3                                                                            
95)      libsmokekfile3                                                                              
96)      libsmokekhtml3                                                                              
97)      libsmokekio3                                                                                
98)      libsmokeknewstuff2-3                                                                        
99)      libsmokeknewstuff3-3                                                                        
100)     libsmokekparts3                                                                             
101)     libsmokektexteditor3                                                                        
102)     libsmokekutils3                                                                             
103)     libsmokeplasma3                                                                             
104)     libtemplateparser4                                                                          
105)     okular                                                                                      
106)     plasma-dataengines-workspace                                                                
107)     plasma-desktop                                                                              
108)     plasma-nm                                                                                   
109)     plasma-runners-addons                                                                       
110)     plasma-scriptengine-python                                                                  
111)     plasma-scriptengine-ruby                                                                    
112)     plasma-scriptengine-superkaramba                                                            
113)     plasma-scriptengines                                                                        
114)     plasma-widget-ktorrent                                                                      
115)     plasma-widget-lancelot                                                                      
116)     plasma-widget-networkmanagement                                                             
117)     plasma-widgets-addons                                                                       
118)     plasma-widgets-workspace                                                                    
119)     polkit-kde-1                                                                                
120)     python-kde4                                                                                 
121)     python3-pykde4                                                                              
122)     qapt-batch                                                                                  
123)     ruby-kde4                                                                                   
124)     ruby-plasma                                                                                 
125)     software-properties-kde                                                                     
126)     sweeper                                                                                     
127)     systemsettings                                                                              
128)     task-kde-desktop                                                                            

       Leave the following dependencies unresolved:                                                  
129)     amarok-common recommends amarok (>= 2.8.0-2.1)                                              
130)     jovie recommends kmouth                                                                     
131)     konqueror recommends dolphin                                                                
132)     konqueror recommends kfind                                                                  
133)     kdm recommends kde-workspace | x-session-manager | x-window-manager                         
134)     plasma-desktop recommends kde-workspace                                                     
135)     libkhtml5 recommends kdelibs5-plugins (= 4:4.14.1-1+b1)                                     
136)     libkio5 recommends kdelibs5-plugins (= 4:4.14.1-1+b1)                                       
137)     kscreensaver recommends kde-window-manager                                                  
138)     kscreensaver-xsavers recommends kde-window-manager                                          
139)     kscreensaver-xsavers recommends kscreensaver (= 4:4.14.0-1)                                 
140)     kdepim-kresources recommends korganizer                                                     
141)     plasma-widgets-addons recommends plasma-widget-lancelot                                     
142)     libkopete4 recommends kopete (= 4:4.14.1-2)                                                 
143)     ktorrent-data recommends ktorrent (>= 4.3.1-2)                                              
144)     kvirc-data recommends kvirc (>= 4:4.2.0-2)                                                  
145)     kvirc-modules recommends kvirc (= 4:4.2.0-2+b2)                                             
146)     libkvilib4 recommends kvirc (= 4:4.2.0-2+b2)                                                
147)     okular-extra-backends recommends okular                                                     
148)     task-kde-desktop recommends kdeaccessibility                                                
149)     task-kde-desktop recommends k3b                                                             
150)     task-kde-desktop recommends k3b-i18n                                                        
151)     task-kde-desktop recommends plasma-widget-networkmanagement                                 
152)     task-kde-desktop recommends kdesudo                                                         
153)     task-kde-desktop recommends apper                                                           
154)     task-desktop recommends task-xfce-desktop | task-gnome-desktop | task-kde-desktop | task-lxd

As you see if I accept that solution then it will immediately purge 128 KDE packages. I can then manually purge the 20+ packages of the second list easily enough and that should remove pretty much all traces of KDE. Using the simulation mode (-s) and running aptitude as a normal user to try out the command before actually executing anything gives you a secure way of seeing the impact of what you want to do.
jdk

hongman · 10-23-2014, 11:33 PM

That is VERY useful to know!!

If I run that as normal user I get this:

Code:

The following packages will be REMOVED:  
  aisleriot{u} argyll{u} at-spi2-core{u} baobab{u} browser-plugin-gnash{u} 
  caribou{u} caribou-antler{u} cheese{u} dbconfig-common{u} dconf-tools{u} 
  empathy{u} empathy-common{u} espeak-data{u} file-roller{u} finger{u} 
  fonts-cantarell{u} fonts-sil-gentium{u} fonts-sil-gentium-basic{u} 
  gcalctool{u} gdebi{u} gdm3{u} gedit{u} gedit-common{u} gedit-plugins{u} 
  gir1.2-atspi-2.0{u} gir1.2-gdata-0.0{u} gir1.2-gnomekeyring-1.0{u} 
  gir1.2-goa-1.0{u} gir1.2-gtop-2.0{u} gir1.2-gucharmap-2.90{u} 
  gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-3.0{u} gir1.2-rb-3.0{u} gir1.2-tracker-0.14{u} 
  gir1.2-webkit-3.0{u} gir1.2-wnck-3.0{u} glchess{u} glines{u} gnash{u} 
  gnash-common{u} gnect{u} gnibbles{u} gnobots2{u} gnome-backgrounds{u} 
  gnome-color-manager{u} gnome-dictionary{u} gnome-disk-utility{u} 
  gnome-documents{u} gnome-font-viewer{u} gnome-games{u} 
  gnome-games-data{u} gnome-games-extra-data{u} gnome-icon-theme-extras{u} 
  gnome-mag{u} gnome-nettool{u} gnome-orca{u} gnome-packagekit{u} 
  gnome-packagekit-data{u} gnome-screenshot{u} gnome-shell-extensions{u} 
  gnome-sudoku{u} gnome-system-log{u} gnome-tweak-tool{u} 
  gnome-video-effects{u} gnomine{u} gnotravex{u} gnotski{u} gnuchess{u} 
  gnuchess-book{u} grilo-plugins-0.1{u} gtali{u} gucharmap{u} 
  guile-2.0-libs{u} hamster-applet{u} hyphen-en-us{u} iagno{u} inkscape{u} 
  iputils-tracepath{u} lib32asound2{u} lib32z1{u} libatk-adaptor{u} 
  libatk-adaptor-data{u} libatk-bridge2.0-0{u} libatspi1.0-0{u} 
  libatspi2.0-0{u} libavahi-gobject0{u} libavahi-ui-gtk3-0{u} 
  libboost-program-options1.49.0{u} libboost-thread1.49.0{u} 
  libbrlapi0.5{u} libc6-i386{u} libcaribou-gtk-module{u} 
  libcaribou-gtk3-module{u} libcolamd2.7.1{u} libcolorblind0{u} 
  libdee-1.0-4{u} libdiscid0{u} libdmapsharing-3.0-2{u} libdotconf1.0{u} 
  libespeak1{u} libgail-common{u} libgdict-1.0-6{u} libgdict-common{u} 
  libgdu-gtk0{u} libgeocode-glib0{u} libgexiv2-1{u} libgnome-mag2{u} 
  libgpod-common{u} libgpod4{u} libgrilo-0.1-0{u} libgtk-vnc-2.0-0{u} 
  libgupnp-av-1.0-2{u} libgupnp-dlna-1.0-2{u} libgvnc-1.0-0{u} libicc2{u} 
  libimdi0{u} liblouis-data{u} liblouis2{u} libmagick++5{u} 
  libminiupnpc5{u} libnatpmp1{u} libplot2c2{u} libpstoedit0c2a{u} 
  libraw5{u} libreoffice{u} libreoffice-calc{u} libreoffice-draw{u} 
  libreoffice-evolution{u} libreoffice-filter-mobiledev{u} 
  libreoffice-gnome{u} libreoffice-gtk{u} libreoffice-help-en-us{u} 
  libreoffice-impress{u} libreoffice-report-builder-bin{u} 
  librhythmbox-core6{u} libsofia-sip-ua-glib3{u} libsofia-sip-ua0{u} 
  libsonic0{u} libspeechd2{u} libtelepathy-farstream2{u} libunique-3.0-0{u} 
  libvisio-0.0-0{u} libwnck-common{u} libwnck22{u} lightsoff{u} lp-solve{u} 
  mahjongg{u} media-player-info{u} minissdpd{u} 
  mobile-broadband-provider-info{u} mt-st{u} mtx{u} 
  nautilus-sendto-empathy{u} network-manager-gnome{u} perlmagick{u} 
  pstoedit{u} python-brlapi{u} python-gconf{u} python-gnome2{u} 
  python-louis{u} python-mako{u} python-markupsafe{u} python-pyatspi{u} 
  python-pyatspi2{u} python-pyorbit{u} python-speechd{u} python-wnck{u} 
  python-zeitgeist{u} quadrapassel{u} rdesktop{u} rhythmbox{u} 
  rhythmbox-data{u} rhythmbox-plugin-cdrecorder{u} rhythmbox-plugins{u} 
  rygel{u} rygel-playbin{u} rygel-preferences{u} rygel-tracker{u} 
  seahorse{u} shotwell{u} shotwell-common{u} simple-scan{u} sound-juicer{u} 
  sound-theme-freedesktop{u} speech-dispatcher{u} sqlite3{u} swell-foop{u} 
  telepathy-gabble{u} telepathy-idle{u} telepathy-logger{u} 
  telepathy-rakia{u} telepathy-salut{u} transmission-common{u} 
  transmission-gtk{u} ttf-liberation{u} ttf-sil-gentium-basic{u} unoconv{u} 
  vinagre{u} vino{u} xbrlapi{u} xdg-user-dirs-gtk{u} zeitgeist-core{u} 
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 201 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 511 MB will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?]

Now, I dont know what a lot of that stuff is, but I do see some stuff I know I do/have used, and there is some gnome stuff.

What say the experts?

k3lt01 · 10-24-2014, 12:31 AM

If you used the command given to you by jdkaye you will cause a situation, and this is by design of the system, that tells you that other packages are now missing things they depend on to work. If anything in that list comes from Gnome then it says to me that on a previous occasion you have removed something that Gnome packages also depend on.

What I would do, if I were you, is open synaptic. Go to the status tab on the left hand side at the bottom., then go up the top of the left hand side and see if there is a line that says "Installed (Auto Removable)". If there is check out what they are (they are probably the Gnome applications). If there is nothing there find kdelibs-bin in synaptic and right click on it and then select "Mark For Complete Removal". Let it remove it and then check your "Installed (Auto Removable"" list and see what's in it. There should only be KDE packages.

timl · 10-24-2014, 12:38 AM

why not set up a VM to mimic your current config. The see what happens when you remove KDE?

jdkaye · 10-24-2014, 03:40 AM

Quote:

That is VERY useful to know!!

If I run that as normal user I get this:

That is very strange. What was the exact command you used to get such a response. If you look at my output you'll see that the packages to be purged are pretty much all kde related.
jdk

hongman · 10-25-2014, 04:25 AM

I copy and pasted the command you used.

If you need more to get a better idea please let me know what commands I need to run?

sources.list

Code:

# deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 7.6.0 _Wheezy_ - Official amd64 NETINST Binary-1 20140712-14:09]/ wheezy main

#deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 7.6.0 _Wheezy_ - Official amd64 NETINST Binary-1 20140712-14:09]/ wheezy main

deb http://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/ wheezy main non-free contrib
deb-src http://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/ wheezy main non-free contrib

deb http://security.debian.org/ wheezy/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ wheezy/updates main contrib non-free

# wheezy-updates, previously known as 'volatile'
deb http://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/ wheezy-updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/ wheezy-updates main contrib non-free

#Firefox
#deb http://packages.linuxmint.com debian import
#Aircrack-ng
#deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian wheezy-backports main
#Ettercap
# deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian squeeze main
#Ralink Wireless Firmware
#deb http://http.debian.net/debian wheezy main contrib non-free
#Kernel Headers
deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian wheezy main

I had also done a dpkg --add-architecture i386 to install teamviewer as per their website, although I cant remember now if that was before or after I ran the purge command.

---------- Post added 10-25-14 at 10:26 AM ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by timl

why not set up a VM to mimic your current config. The see what happens when you remove KDE?

I dont have the available hardware