[SOLVED] Uninstall package from Gnome without uninstalling Gnome itself

gacanepa · 09-12-2012, 07:41 PM

Does anyone know how to take care of this? (I have no idea how to get rid of an application included in Gnome without uninstalling Gnome itself). In the following example I want to uninstall mail client Evolution:

Code:

gacanepa@Gabriel-PC:~$ sudo aptitude purge evolution
The following packages will be REMOVED:  
  evolution{p} 
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 4,837 kB will be freed.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  evolution-exchange: Depends: evolution (>= 2.30.0) but it is not going to be installed.
                      Depends: evolution (< 2.31.0) but it is not going to be installed.
  gnome-core: Depends: evolution (>= 2.30) but it is not going to be installed.
The following actions will resolve these dependencies:

     Remove the following packages:                 
1)     evolution-exchange                           
2)     gnome                                        
3)     gnome-accessibility                          
4)     gnome-core                                   
5)     gnome-desktop-environment                    

     Leave the following dependencies unresolved:   
6)     evolution-common recommends evolution        
7)     openoffice.org-evolution recommends evolution


Accept this solution? [Y/n/q/?

]
I take it must be an option in aptitude... just don't know which one.
Thanks a lot in advance!

snowday · 09-12-2012, 07:46 PM

What is the advantage to removing Evolution from Gnome?

frankbell · 09-12-2012, 07:48 PM

You don't mention what distribution of Linux you are using, and that could be a crucial bit of information as to the exact procedures to follow.

This thread from the Mint forums might help; if it does not, please post more information, such as the distro and the version of Gnome:

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopi...ackage#p356322

gacanepa · 09-12-2012, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snowpine

What is the advantage to removing Evolution from Gnome?

I just don't want it in my installation, same with Ekiga, Liferea, etc.
PS: I am using Debian Squeeze 64 bits.

gacanepa · 09-12-2012, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gacanepa

I just don't want it in my installation, same with Ekiga, Liferea, etc.
PS: I am using Debian Squeeze 64 bits.

Sorry, I forgot to mention Gnome version:

Code:

gacanepa@Gabriel-PC:~$ gnome-about --gnome-version
Version: 2.30.2
Distributor: Debian
Build Date: 11/12/2010

evo2 · 09-12-2012, 08:21 PM

Hi,

gnome, gnome-core, gnome-desktop-environment etc are "metapackages". They don't really contain anything, they just depend on other packages. You can confirm this by listing the files in each package package. Eg run:

Code:

dpkg -L gnome-desktop-environment

So uninstalling evolution will uninstall these various gnome-* meta packages, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it will remove "Gnome".

HTH,

Evo2.

gacanepa · 09-12-2012, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evo2

Hi,

gnome, gnome-core, gnome-desktop-environment etc are "metapackages". They don't really contain anything, they just depend on other packages. You can confirm this by listing the files in each package package. Eg run:

Code:

dpkg -L gnome-desktop-environment

So uninstalling evolution will uninstall these various gnome-* meta packages, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it will remove "Gnome".

HTH,

Evo2.

Well, I did that once... (selected yes when I was prompted to remove gnome, gnome-core, etc) and my graphic environment went completely south, so I assumed Gnome had been uninstalled. Was it my bad then?

snowday · 09-12-2012, 08:51 PM

Evolution is a "dependency" of Gnome. There is no benefit (and possibly undesired bad effects) to removing it. For example you might not realize it, but Evolution is used to display the calendar that drops down when you click the clock at the top right of your Gnome toolbar.

An analogy: I don't smoke. I don't need my car's cigarette lighter. But removing my car's cigarette lighter won't make my car run any faster or more reliably. Maybe it is connected to something else important, and yanking it out would have an unexpected effect on the wiring. Easier just to leave it there and not use it.

snowday · 09-12-2012, 08:56 PM

ps Arch Linux has a very different packaging philosophy than Debian and separates gnome and gnome-extra. If you are a minimalist, you may find Arch more satisfying:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GNOME

evo2 · 09-12-2012, 08:56 PM

Hi,

you may have had apt set up to uninstall automatically installed packages. For example if you install gnome-desktop-environment a whole bunch of programs will be installed "automatically" because gnome-desktop-environment depends on them. These packages included programs that you actually wanted. Anyway apt-get will tell you exactly what it is going to remove, so it should be ok.

Finally if it does remove something that you want you can reinstall it.

Evo2.

PS
I just noticed, that you are using aptitude: apt-get is currently the recommended tool for non-interactive commandline package management. See the Package management section of the release notes.

http://www.debian.org/releases/squee...n.html#pkgmgmt

gacanepa · 09-12-2012, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evo2

Hi,

you may have had apt set up to uninstall automatically installed packages. For example if you install gnome-desktop-environment a whole bunch of programs will be installed "automatically" because gnome-desktop-environment depends on them. These packages included programs that you actually wanted. Anyway apt-get will tell you exactly what it is going to remove, so it should be ok.

Finally if it does remove something that you want you can reinstall it.

Evo2.

PS
I just noticed, that you are using aptitude: apt-get is currently the recommended tool for non-interactive commandline package management. See the Package management section of the release notes.

http://www.debian.org/releases/squee...n.html#pkgmgmt

Thanks a lot!!!