Generates apt-get commands to remove *buntu-desktop metapackages and dependencies from other *buntu-desktop metapackages
On Ubuntu, there are metapackages (basically pointers or umbrellas) that point to or include a bunch of other software packages. So if you install kubuntu-desktop, kubuntu-desktop itself is a tiny "package" that just brings in a lot of other packages. Unfortunately, removing the metapackage later does not remove all the packages that were brought in originally.
Well, I was doing this manually for many years, and it honestly gets tiresome, so I figured I'd just script it to make it somewhat future-proof.
- Download the purebuntu.py file from this GitHub repository.
- If you haven't updated your apt cache lately, make sure to run
sudo apt-get update - Run the pureubuntu.py file using this syntax:
python ~/Downloads/purebuntu.py --remove kubuntu-desktop --keep ubuntu-desktopbut substitute in the metapackages you actually want to keep and remove. - Take the resulting output and copy and paste it into the terminal
- ubuntu-desktop
- kubuntu-desktop
- lubuntu-desktop
- edubuntu-desktop
There may be others, too.
The commands purebuntu generates involve removing a lot of packages. It's important the user actually consent to those packages being removed. If the list is generated, it gives the option for users to omit some of the packages and still get roughly the same effect as removing the entire set of dependencies from the metapackage (minus those one or two packages they want to keep).
Heck, yes! This is definitely just a first iteration. If people have ways to make this more efficient or useful, I'm open to seeing how purebuntu can improve. If I don't like your suggestions, this is GPL'ed software, so you can fork it and make your own version. Go, open source!