/usr/bin and uninstalling programs

minm · 08-31-2004, 12:58 AM

I dunno if this has been asked before, or if this is the biggest noob question, but when i install stuff, and say three month down the line i wanna uninstall, how would i manage to do that? and how do i find out what files are linked to each other? so i can delete?

Thanks

Demonbane · 08-31-2004, 01:02 AM

Usually you use a package management tool, such as RPM, to do it for you.

minm · 08-31-2004, 01:07 AM

sorry, i mean stuff like tar ball, not packages like RPM..?

Not now, John! · 08-31-2004, 05:12 PM

If you have the source then:

Code:

./configure
make uninstall

This works if there is uninstall target Makefile script.
If not, this is how I do it.

Code:

./configure
make
su
touch reference
make install
find / -newer reference > uninstall.txt
chown user:user uninstall.txt

Then edit uninstall.txt in your favorite text editor to remove files not belonging to the software you want to uninstall.

Be very carefull!!!

After that:

Code:

cat uninstall.txt | xargs rm -Rf

and files will be removed.

I couldn't think of any other way...