LinuxQuestions.org - Installing (k)ubuntu-restricted-extras w/o installing java, looking for complete cmd

apt-get is the standard package management front end for Debian and any Debian respins such as Ubuntu.

All Members of the Ubuntu "family", including Kubuntu all use the same repos and only differ in the Desktop Environment meta package that is installed.

Therefore there are no different commands for Kubuntu.

Debian meta packages are determined by Debian devs. What Ubuntu puts in their meta packages is determined by Ubuntu (Canonical) devs. Do not mistakenly think Debian and Debian respins as being the same or interchangeable.

Never mix the packages if you do not want to really screw your system in the long run. With luck you may even completely break it. Canonical, for whatever silly idea they have, really does change the file system and where some packages and parts of packages are installed.

When you use a .deb package the backend of the package management system, dpkg, opens the .deb and uses the install script that is included to put all the parts of the package in their proper places in the file system.

As there are small differences between Debian and Ubuntu file systems this means that, if you have a package that uses different files, the system will not be able to make use of the package installed from the other distro.

Unfortunately you can get away with using many packages from Ubuntu in Debian and Debian packages in Ubuntu. This leads people to mistakenly think it is safe. Until they get one that doesn't work and then they are indignant. Don't do it. It is foolish.

Your sample command is fine. Will work to install those packages.

If you install a meta package you will get all the packages. The meta package has no content. All it has is an install script calling for the installation of depends. Those depends are the packages included in the meta package. That seems obvious but many people miss the point that this means if you attempt to remove one of the packages then the entire meta package, all the packages included, will be removed.

Therefore your manually installing all the packages would be the best if you do not want all the packages included in the meta package.

meta packages are great. They save a lot of time and install a lot of packages saving you time and a lot of typing. They do install someone elses idea of what you want on your system. You get what they think is best and you may not even want some of the packages, as you do not want java, and so it is best to go the way you are.

dpkg has a list of package "states" that it maintains. Packages that are manually installed are listed as such. Automatically installed packages are listed as automatically installed. And so forth.

You can do pretty much as you wish with manually installed packages. This is the way to go if you are picky about what is on your OS.

There is not much other advice anyone can give as to specific packages are concerned for inclusion on your system. You know what you want and don't want. No one else does.

Usually if you are missing some package you will be informed of this when you try to run an application requiring it. Install the ones you know you need. Leave the rest out and find out if you need them. Install them then.