Installed (local or obsolete) (SOLVED)

[Relative]

LMDE with update pack 4.

Just ran Synaptic and its status tells me I have 150 packages installed under the heading "Installed (local or obsolete)". I also have 28 packages under the heading "Installed (auto removable)".

This seems rather excessive.

Do I just willy-nilly check all of the 150 and do Removals (or Complete Removals)? Same with the 28?

I have looked at the description for many of the packages and most don't make sense. I don't mean they are not understandable, just that I don't understand their applicability to anything I'm running or the systems needs to run.

Mike Cebula

[zerozero]

[moved here]

[Brian49]

It's usually safe to remove the "auto removable" packages. These will either be packages once needed to support other packages which are no longer on your system, or older versions of packages which now exist on your system in separate newer versions.

You need to be very careful about removing "local or obsolete" packages. The safest way to proceed would be to mark them for removal one at a time, and see whether Synaptic gives warning of any consequences of removing each of them.

Needless to say, it would be highly recommended to back up your system before starting to remove anything you aren't sure about.

[Relative]

Thanks for the suggestion. The problem I have with all of this is the effort necessary to do something that would require a lot of guesswork and time by someone only marginally familiar with Linux. (Me) Chances are I would screw up something royally on the laptop. I have another non-LMDE Mint machine that didn't have this problem under 12 and I just upgraded it to 13 (Maya). It has none of these residual packages. I suspect I would be far better off returning my laptop to the non-LMDE version since I am not that adventurous.

Thanks again,

Mike Cebula

[squeezy]

Install a package called upgrade-system, it's in the repositories. It automates the process of checking out all those "local or obsolete" packages. You install the package then run it from the terminal:

Code: Select all

sudo upgrade-system

It will take care of the autoremovable packages as well. I'll bet it cleans out over 90% of the packages you have listed. The ones that remain you need.

[Relative]

WOW! Did as you suggested with upgrade-system and now Synaptic says:

Installed (local or obsolete) count now sits at 28. That's down from 150.

Installed (auto removable) count now sits at 0. That's down from 28. Knocked out about 85% of the packages. I'm glad someone knows enough to put together a package like this. Thanks Squeezy for steering me in the right direction on this.

Mike Cebula

[squeezy]

Great!

I found that package about 6 months ago and it goes onto every build I do now.

[BostonPeng]

Wow. I ran upgrade-system and had to abort purging orphan packages.

Code: Select all

3) Checking for orphan packages:
I: Purging orphan packages...
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  akregator* ark* automoc* chromium-browser* cups-driver-gutenprint*
  deb-multimedia-keyring* debian-multimedia-keyring* dhcp3-client* dhcp3-common*
  dragonplayer* foomatic-filters-ppds* gnome-session-common* gnome-utils-common*
  gs* gs-common* gwenview* htdig* juk* kamera* kate* kcalc* kde-icons-nuvola*
  kde-workspace-dev* kdebase-workspace* kdebase-workspace-dev* kdelibs5-dev*
  kdeplasma-addons* khelpcenter4* kmix* knotes* kopete* korganizer* ksnapshot*
  ktorrent-dbg* kwalletmanager* libapache2-mod-dnssd* libartsc0* libaudiofile0*
  libavahi-client-dev* libavahi-common-dev* libavahi-glib-dev*
  libavahi-ui-gtk3-dev* libavahi-ui0* libavahi1.0-cil* libavdevice53*
  libavformat52* libavutil49* libbeagle1* libbind9-60* libbluray0* libboo2.0.9-cil*
  libboost-iostreams1.42.0* libboost-iostreams1.48.0*
  libboost-program-options1.48.0* libcanberra-dev* libcanberra-gtk-common-dev*
  libcanberra-gtk3-dev* libclutter-gtk-0.10-0* libcogl-dev* libcogl-pango-dev*
  libcolorblind0* libcryptsetup1* libcryptui0a* libdb4.7* libdbus-1-dev*
  libdevkit-power-gobject1* libdns64* libdpkg-ruby1.8* libdrm-dev* libdvbpsi6*
  libedata-book-1.2-11* libedata-book1.2-2* libedata-book1.2-8*
  libedata-cal-1.2-13* libedata-cal1.2-10* libedata-cal1.2-7*
  libedataserverui-3.0-1* libedataserverui1.2-11* libedataserverui1.2-8*
  libeggdbus-1-0* libegroupwise1.2-13* libertas-firmware* libevent-1.4-2*
  libexiv2-9* libfame-0.9-1* libflac++-dev* libflac-dev* libflickrnet2.2-cil*
  libfolks-telepathy25* libgail-gnome-module* libgalago3* libgconfmm-2.6-1c2*
  libgcr0* libgdata-google1.2-1* libgdata1.7-cil* libgdata1.9-cil* libgdu-gtk0*
  libgegl-0.0-0* libgettext-ruby1.8* libgirepository1.0-0* libgkeyfile1.0-cil*
  libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental* libglademm-2.4-1c2a* libgladeui-1-9* libglew1.5*
  libgmime2.4-cil* libgnome-bluetooth7* libgnome-control-center1*
  libgnome-keyring1.0-cil* libgnome-mag2* libgnome-media0* libgnome-speech7*
  libgnome-window-settings1* libgnomekbd4* libgnomepanel2.24-cil* libgp11-0*
  libgraphicsmagick3* libgraphite3* libgs8* libgsf-1-114* libgtk-sharp-beans-cil*
  libgtk2.0-dev* libgtkgl2.0-1* libgtkgl2.0-dev* libgtkhtml-editor-3.14-0*
  libgtkhtml-editor-4.0-0* libgtkmm-3.0-1* libgucharmap7* libgudev1.0-cil*
  libgweather-3-0* libgweather1* libhttpclient-ruby1.8* libhunspell-1.2-0*
  libicu42* libid3tag0* libimobiledevice1* libiptcdata0* libisccfg60*
  libjs-jquery-ui* libkarma0* libkateinterfaces4* libkipi-data* libkipi8* libkms1*
  libkonq5-dev* libkopete4* libkrossui4* libktorrent-dbg* libkwineffects1abi2*
  liblouis-data* liblsofui4* liblwres60* libmagickwand3* libmagickwand4*
  libmarblewidget12* libmatesensorsappletplugin* libmatroska0* libmatroska3*
  libmatroska4* libmediastreamer1* libmjpegtools-1.9* libmjpegtools-2.0-0*
  libmodplug0c2* libmono-addins-gui0.2-cil* libmono-cairo2.0-cil*
  libmono-simd2.0-cil* libmono-zeroconf1.0-cil* libmpfr1ldbl* libmsn0.3* libmtp8*
  libmusicbrainz4c2a* libndesk-dbus-glib1.0-cil* libnfsidmap2* libnice0* libnl1*
  libnm-glib2* libnotify0.4-cil* libntfs-3g804* libntfs10* libogg-dev* liboil0.3*
  liboobs-1-4* libopenspc0* libortp8* libotr2* libpango1.0-common* libphonon-dev*
  libpkcs11-helper1* libpolkit-gobject-1-dev* libpolkit-gtk-1-0* libpoppler-glib4*
  libpostproc51* libqtglib-2.0-0* libqtlocation1* libquvi0* libqzeitgeist0*
  librasqal2* libroar1* librpmio2* libscim8c2a* libseed0* libsilc-1.1-2*
  libsilcclient-1.1-3* libslab0a* libsoprano-dev* libsoundtouch1c2* libsqlite0*
  libsrtp0* libsysfs2* libtag-extras-dev* libtaglib-cil-dev* libtextcat0*
  libtinyxml2.6.2* libtracker-client-0.8-0* libtracker-sparql-0.12-0*
  libunique-3.0-0* libv8-3.7.12.22* libwnck-3-0* libwpg-0.1-1* libwps-0.1-1*
  libx264-120* libx264-98* libxapian15* libxcb-atom1* libxcb-aux0* libxcb-event1*
  libxcb-render-util0* libxine1* libxine1-misc-plugins* libxine1-plugins*
  libxine1-x* libxml-parser-ruby1.8* libyajl1* lockfile-progs* marble-data*
  marble-plugins* mate-power-manager-common* min12xxw* mint-meta-common*
  muffin-common* network-manager-openvpn* network-manager-vpnc* openvpn*
  plasma-containments-addons* plasma-dataengines-addons* plasma-runners-addons*
  plasma-wallpapers-addons* plasma-widget-lancelot*
  plasma-widget-networkmanagement* plasma-widgets-addons* pnm2ppa* python-brlapi*
  python-bugbuddy* python-cupsutils* python-decorator* python-egenix-mxdatetime*
  python-evolution* python-gdata* python-geoip* python-gmenu* python-gnomeapplet*
  python-gnomedesktop* python-gobject-2-dev* python-gst0.10* python-gtk2-dev*
  python-gtkspell* python-mako* python-nevow* python-oauth* python-parted*
  python-rdflib* python-simplejson* python-wnck* sweeper* ttf-bengali-fonts*
  ttf-gujarati-fonts* ttf-punjabi-fonts* ttf-tamil-fonts* ttf-telugu-fonts*
  update-notifier-common* update-notifier-kde* vpnc*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 282 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 344 MB disk space will be freed.

I guess I need some way to tell the system that it's a KDE system, not MATE/Cinnamon. Otherwise it looks like a really handy package to have installed.

[Brian49]

Yes, it certainly looks handy. But as far as I can see, it's basically a front-end for various well-known commands such as apt-get autoremove and so on. The commands in question can be identified (and modified, if need be) by opening /etc/upgrade-system.conf as root in a text editor. It also seems clear to me that it doesn't obviate the need to look carefully at each package it proposes for removal.