[plug] Ubuntu-desktop

[Alex Nordstrom]

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Sunday, 18 June 2006 21:40, Jason Posavec wrote:
> I have a number of small packages on my system that I want to delete,
> but in order to remove any of them, I also have to remove a package
> called "ubuntu-desktop" as well. Synaptic says it's 41kb which seems
> pretty small, but also says it's best not to remove it "because it is
> used to carry out certain upgrade<br>
> transitions (such as adding new packages to the system)."<br>
> <br>
> Is this the <i>actual</i> ubuntu desktop where gnome lives and all my
> icons are? Or is it something that can be safely removed, and just
> sounds important? Will I still be able to use synaptic to add new
> packages to the system?<br>

I am guessing here, but it's probably a so-called metapackage, which 
means it contains no data, but it is marked as dependent on other 
packages, meaning when it gets installed, so does everything it depends 
on.

If anything it depends on is removed, it is also removed, because its 
dependencies are not satisfied.

If it is removed, depending on your package manager and its 
configuration, anything installed only to satisfy its dependencies may 
be removed as well. This can be disabled. Always watch what the package 
manager says it's going to do. Run the package manager in simulation 
mode if you are unsure (for example, using the -s option for aptitude).

By changing the dependencies in an upgraded version of the package, the 
maintainers can ensure that people who have the package installed get 
new packages which they feel are needed. Whether or not you want to 
leave this decision up to them is up to you. All installed programs 
will have dependency-lists of their own, so removing the metapackage 
should not break anything. You should still be able to add the package 
again to reinstall any removed programs on which it depends.

-- 
Alex Nordstrom
http://lx.n3.net/
Please do not CC me in followups; I am subscribed to plug.
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