On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 11:39 AM, Michael M. Moore <mich...@writemoore.net> wrote: > > It's just that, in this case, I actually wanted aptitude to wipe half > my system, and I didn't realize I was preventing that by marking a key > package as a keeper.
I solved this problem by doing it this way: I created a few meta-packages that just list the deps that I really want. They go: mrc-desktop mrc-laptop mrc-common Then host machine specific packages that depend on desktop/laptop as appropriate, and the corresponding kernels. Since I happen to use dselect (it was the first one I used and so I've stuck with it)., I would go in and do a normal upgrade. After that was done, and everything was up to date, I would do: [S]elect Scroll down to [Up to date installed packages] and use the <_> to schedule it to purge EVERYTHING off of my system. I then find the host specific package and reselect it, thus bringing back in just the stuff I want, and it's deps. Then I do an install. Sometimes I decide I don't want packages any more, so I remove them from my personal list of apps, and away it goes. This is much more interesting after a full install, where a good number of the packages then disappear. This is also useful if I did an apt-get install on a package to try it out. Sometimes I'll pull in a whole bunch of different tools to try things out, then later decide I don't like any of them. Ones I want to keep, I'll add to the appropriate metapackage. Otherwise, they'll get cleaned out the next time I do the above. I assume I could do similar with aptitude, but I've not yet bothered to learn it. I do find that keeping a metapackage around that lists what I want is nice for rebuilds though. I think it's easier than saving off selections. One thing I have run across that you might want to be aware of while you're cleaning out unused packages: Sometimes packages are broken in that multiple packages will use the same config files. If you remove one package, it takes the config files with it, breaking the other. So far the only one I've personally had that happen with is the ldap client stuff, and the bug about that has been open for a few years now. But, I wouldn't be surprised to find other packages might have similar issues. mrc -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
