how to save a list of installed packages and install these packages later

mandavi · 12-15-2005, 11:11 AM

i screwed my system by changing file permissions recursively from the root folder

and want to install ubuntu new now - without all the work of going through the package list and pick all the useful packages again.
i found out that i can get a list with 'dpkg -l' but failed when i wanted to store that in a file - nor do i know how to tell dpkg later to install all these packages again.

help would be much appreciated

mandavi

ssfrstlstnm · 12-15-2005, 11:26 AM

Try this

Code:

dpkg -l > filename

that should store the installed packages in filename. I don't know of anyway to reinstall packages from that list, but the packages are not so important as the config files. You can quickly go through and reinstall packages, but getting everything reconfigured from scratch can be painful. I would suggest that you back up /etc and everything in /home/username that begins with "."

HappyTux · 12-15-2005, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mandavi

i screwed my system by changing file permissions recursively from the root folder

and want to install ubuntu new now - without all the work of going through the package list and pick all the useful packages again.
i found out that i can get a list with 'dpkg -l' but failed when i wanted to store that in a file - nor do i know how to tell dpkg later to install all these packages again.

help would be much appreciated

mandavi

dpkg --get-selections > selections.txt save the .txt file to a safe place then once reinstalled dpkg --set-selections < selections.txt followed by dselect update and apt-get dselect-upgrade show give you back your installed packages.

dl7und · 08-15-2006, 01:48 AM

That was a very useful advice, Happytux, thanks a lot! As ssfrstlstnm said, config files are important too, but it is also impossible to remember all packages installed on a machine.

So, to replicate a machine (on different architecture, for example), one will need the package list AND the config files... I just went through this (different CPU architecture) and Happytux's advice made it a very easy job...

cautious · 08-15-2006, 09:27 AM

Along these same lines- is it possible to create an ISO of the whole configuration with all the tweaks, bells, and whistles that I've added to my Ubuntu install, such that I can migrate it to another hard drive?