Comments on: Remove old Debian packages http://blog.nachtarbeiter.net/2006/11/11/remove-old-debian-packages/ Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:12:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Patrick http://blog.nachtarbeiter.net/2006/11/11/remove-old-debian-packages/comment-page-1/#comment-5436 Patrick Mon, 27 Nov 2006 09:21:54 +0000 http://blog.nachtarbeiter.net/?p=388#comment-5436 No. <code>sudo apt-get autoremove</code> is different. <code>deborphan</code> searches for packages that have no dependency at all. In Edgy <code>apt</code> keeps track of packages, that were installed as dependencies. If you use the option <code>autoremove</code>, <code>apt</code> will use this information collected earlier to remove all packages, that were installed as dependencies and that are no longer needed. Optionally it takes a parameter and removes only the packages, that were installed as dependencies of a particular program. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/AptAutoRemove for a discussion of this feature. In fact, <code>autoremove</code> is much more powerful then <code>deborphan</code>. While the packages <code>deborphan</code> declares as unused are mostly libraries (it can't know, if a tool was installed as a dependency, because it has no database), <code>autoremove</code> is likely to remove packages of programs, that were installed as dependencies of other program packages, too. To be fair, I wasn't aware of <code>autoremove</code> since it was introduced in Edgy and does not seem to be available upstream (in Debian). Depending on your situation, <code>autoremove</code> might be better than <code>deborphan</code> or not. No. sudo apt-get autoremove is different. deborphan searches for packages that have no dependency at all. In Edgy apt keeps track of packages, that were installed as dependencies. If you use the option autoremove, apt will use this information collected earlier to remove all packages, that were installed as dependencies and that are no longer needed. Optionally it takes a parameter and removes only the packages, that were installed as dependencies of a particular program.

See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/AptAutoRemove for a discussion of this feature.

In fact, autoremove is much more powerful then deborphan. While the packages deborphan declares as unused are mostly libraries (it can’t know, if a tool was installed as a dependency, because it has no database), autoremove is likely to remove packages of programs, that were installed as dependencies of other program packages, too.

To be fair, I wasn’t aware of autoremove since it was introduced in Edgy and does not seem to be available upstream (in Debian). Depending on your situation, autoremove might be better than deborphan or not.

]]> By: Timo http://blog.nachtarbeiter.net/2006/11/11/remove-old-debian-packages/comment-page-1/#comment-5264 Timo Sat, 11 Nov 2006 11:55:40 +0000 http://blog.nachtarbeiter.net/?p=388#comment-5264 I think <code>sudo apt-get autoremove</code> does the same and can be done with onboard tools in edgy. I did that some days ago and it freed 180MB of my hard disk. I think
sudo apt-get autoremove
does the same and can be done with onboard tools in edgy. I did that some days ago and it freed 180MB of my hard disk.

]]>