[SOLVED] Any log system for software installs?

[Mintymandy34]

I often install a lot of softwares from software manager to test them out.
Newbie, so wandering a lot in the Software Manager to find the right package.
In some cases, the software tells me that it'll need to install a lot of dependencies along with itself. (Not talking about flatpaks here, just the normal section)
When I want to remove such application, I hit uninstall from the Mint menu.
However I doubt that the dependencies it installed still stay back, and I would want to remove them if they're unnecessary.
I know about Synaptic Package Manager and its complete removal feature, though I'm not sure if it removes the dependencies along with the software.
Please correct me on that.


My question is, is there any log system used for Software installs, kinda like one used for Timeshift, which I can use to find out stuff I had installed mistakenly and now could remove through the Software Manager.
Is there such a log system that keeps track of my installs and would it be convenient to use for my purpose?
If not, can you please share alternatives for my scenario.


SOLUTION:

For Logs, open Synaptic Package Manager, then File > History.

Logs for deb installs, last 2 months:

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grep -Poz "(?s)(?<=startup archives install).*?(?=startup)" /var/log/dpkg.log.1 /var/log/dpkg.log | grep -Pa "install |upgrade "

Addendums:

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apt-mark showmanual

Use this to get a list of anything you have specifically installed via apt, synaptic or software manager plus most of the main applications in Mint.

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ls -rv /var/log/dpkg.log*|xargs zcat -f|grep -Poz "(?s)(?<=startup archives install).*?(?=startup)"|grep -Pa "install |upgrade "

Logs for deb installs, long enough.

For checking availability of deb installs:

apt install apt-show-versions then

apt-show-versions | grep "No" for debs with no other version in the repos.

apt-show-versions | grep "newer" for debs that you have installed to get a newer version than in the repos

[smurphos]

You can remove any unnecessary dependencies via the command line or via synaptic.

Command line

apt autoremove --purge

In Synaptic, select Status - if there is anything autoremovable it will be listed. Also note the residual config category.....



Package management logs - look in /var/log/apt

Also Synaptic has a history function - File > History....

[Mintymandy34]

You can remove any unnecessary dependencies via the command line or via synaptic.

Command line

apt autoremove --purge

In Synaptic, select Status - if there is anything autoremovable it will be listed. Also note the residual config category.....



Package management logs - look in /var/log/apt

Also Synaptic has a history function - File > History....

Thanks, that answered all my questions.

In Synaptic, select Status - if there is anything autoremovable it will be listed. Also note the residual config category.....

I have a lot of entries in that autoremovable section and a few in residual config category.
Is it safe to mark all of them to complete removal?

[smurphos]

Yes it should be safe. Hypothetically a package might fail to declare all it's dependencies properly and something might get removed that is still needed for an installed package but I've never personally come across that scenario in 3 years plus of using Mint full-time. I routinely use the command line version every couple of weeks.

[Mintymandy34]

Yes it should be safe. Hypothetically a package might fail to declare all it's dependencies properly and something might get removed that is still needed for an installed package but I've never personally come across that scenario in 3 years plus of using Mint full-time. I routinely use the command line version every couple of weeks.

Nice.
Thanks.
I however noticed that the history section doesn't show records for installs from deb files.
Is that normal?

[smurphos]

Hadn't noticed that before, but it appears to be. One other log location that does reference direct deb installs -

/var/log/dpgk.log

In Synaptic deb installed packages should be listed as Installed (local or obsolete) if the same version isn't actually in the repos somewhere.

In Software Sources they will also be listed as candidates for removal in the Remove Foreign Packages GUI.

[Neil Darlow]

Be very careful when uninstalling from the Locally installed and obsolete section. There are a lot of required packages that are listed there.

[Gruppo Sportivo]

I however noticed that the history section doesn't show records for installs from deb files.
Is that normal?

What is the outcome if you enter this command in the terminal

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apt-mark showmanual

showmanual can be used in the same way as showauto except that it will print a list of
manually installed packages instead.

[Mintymandy34]

I however noticed that the history section doesn't show records for installs from deb files.
Is that normal?

What is the outcome if you enter this command in the terminal

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apt-mark showmanual

showmanual can be used in the same way as showauto except that it will print a list of
manually installed packages instead.

Yes, this shows the debs installed.
However they're not timed, instead alphabetically sorted, so there's no idea what was installed when.
Still I think, this is really helpful for I could get a list of softwares that I've installed, including the debs.
So, thanks for that command.

[Mintymandy34]

In Synaptic deb installed packages should be listed as Installed (local or obsolete) if the same version isn't actually in the repos somewhere.

Yup, had noticed that.
Problem is debs are missing from the history and so I've no idea when I installed them, but I guess, I could use the different sections to zero in on the packages I've installed.

In Software Sources they will also be listed as candidates for removal in the Remove Foreign Packages GUI.

I didn't know that, that's great.
Everything is linked everywhere, I could find them from either of those apps.

Be very careful when uninstalling from the Locally installed and obsolete section. There are a lot of required packages that are listed there.

Currently I've 4 entries of deb packages present in that section, I've installed them.
But yes, I'll collect this warning and be careful from now on when I uninstall from that section.
And by careful, you meant, not uninstall or check on the forums/internet if it's safe to uninstall them?

Thank you all for your answers.
Really helpful.

Knowing the time of install helps when I break my system due to installing some app and can't figure out what was installed along with the said software, and the dependency might be the reason of conflict.
They'll be installed in nearly the same timeframes and so it'll be easy to detect that conflict and remove the conflicting package.
I hope, I make some sense.
Or maybe my method is flawed.
If so, correct me on that.

[gm10]

Yes it should be safe. [...] I routinely use the command line version every couple of weeks.

Safe enough. I finally got Clem to commit my feature to automate that via Update Manager, will be an option in 19.2.

Note that when removing pre-installed software, dependencies stay in place and cannot be removed that way.

Knowing the time of install helps when I break my system due to installing some app and can't figure out what was installed along with the said software, and the dependency might be the reason of conflict.

Challenge accepted:

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grep -Poz "(?s)(?<=startup archives install).*?(?=startup)" /var/log/dpkg.log.1 /var/log/dpkg.log | grep -Pa "install |upgrade "

That gives you a dated listing of all the .deb installs you did in the last two calendar months.

[Mintymandy34]

Yes it should be safe. [...] I routinely use the command line version every couple of weeks.

Safe enough. I finally got Clem to commit my feature to automate that via Update Manager, will be an option in 19.2.

Thanks.
By the way, do we've any inside detail about 19.2's release dates?

Note that when removing pre-installed software, dependencies stay in place and cannot be removed that way.

Noted.
And my notebook is filling up with notes.

Knowing the time of install helps when I break my system due to installing some app and can't figure out what was installed along with the said software, and the dependency might be the reason of conflict.

Code: Select all

grep -Poz "(?s)(?<=startup archives install).*?(?=startup)" /var/log/dpkg.log.1 /var/log/dpkg.log | grep -Pa "install |upgrade "

That gives you a dated listing of all the .deb installs you did in the last two calendar months.

Great.
Thanks a lot.
That command is awesome.

I think, all my questions are answered.
Time to mark this as solved.
Thank you all for your answers.
Truly appreciate you all.

[smurphos]

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apt-mark showmanual

apt-mark showmanual isn't just manually installed debs though.

These are just packages that are not treated as potential dependencies and so are never candidates for autoremove. Generally anything you have specifically installed via apt, synaptic or software manager plus most of the main applications in Mint.

I found this trying to work out a command line option to list what synaptic lists as obsolete packages (i.e packages not in the repos at all) which are always going to be manual deb installs.

https://askubuntu.com/questions/98223/h ... e-packages

apt install apt-show-versions then

apt-show-versions | grep "No" for debs with no other version in the repos.

apt-show-versions | grep "newer" for debs that you have installed to get a newer version than in the repos

[smurphos]

Be very careful when uninstalling from the Locally installed and obsolete section. There are a lot of required packages that are listed there.

Are you sure you don't mean the Installed (manually) status. The installed (local and obsolete) section only has packages that aren't in the repos for me. E.g they are either from deb installs or left overs from removed PPAs.

[Mintymandy34]

apt-mark showmanual isn't just manually installed debs though.

These are just packages that are not treated as potential dependencies and so are never candidates for autoremove. Generally anything you have specifically installed via apt, synaptic or software manager plus most of the main applications in Mint.

I found this trying to work out a command line option to list what synaptic lists as obsolete packages (i.e packages not in the repos at all) which are always going to be manual deb installs.

Yup, it did display a lot of softwares along with the debs.
Now, I know what all those softwares can include, thanks to you.

apt install apt-show-versions then

apt-show-versions | grep "No" for debs with no other version in the repos.

apt-show-versions | grep "newer" for debs that you have installed to get a newer version than in the repos

Tried this.
This helped isolating deb installs along with providing additional details about their availability.
Thanks.

[smurphos]

Challenge accepted:

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grep -Poz "(?s)(?<=startup archives install).*?(?=startup)" /var/log/dpkg.log.1 /var/log/dpkg.log | grep -Pa "install |upgrade "

That gives you a dated listing of all the .deb installs you did in the last two calendar months.

Can you make it enumerate any older compressed logs as-well. In one line of course....

[Mintymandy34]

Challenge accepted:

Code: Select all

grep -Poz "(?s)(?<=startup archives install).*?(?=startup)" /var/log/dpkg.log.1 /var/log/dpkg.log | grep -Pa "install |upgrade "

That gives you a dated listing of all the .deb installs you did in the last two calendar months.

Can you make it enumerate any older compressed logs as-well. In one line of course....

The awesomeness bar will go beyond the scales.
I love this.

[gm10]

By the way, do we've any inside detail about 19.2's release dates?

That's no secret, we do 3 point releases between major releases. Major releases are every 2 years, thus point releases are roughly every 6 months in-between. 19.1 was end of last year, so 19.2 will be middle of this year.

Can you make it enumerate any older compressed logs as-well. In one line of course....

Considering the problem at hand is trouble-shooting bad packages, going back that far seems counter-productive.

That said, sure I can, exact same length as the original version just to rub it in:

The awesomeness bar will go beyond the scales.

You got that part right.

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ls -rv /var/log/dpkg.log*|xargs zcat -f|grep -Poz "(?s)(?<=startup archives install).*?(?=startup)"|grep -Pa "install |upgrade "

[Mintymandy34]

Code: Select all

ls -rv /var/log/dpkg.log*|xargs zcat -f|grep -Poz "(?s)(?<=startup archives install).*?(?=startup)"|grep -Pa "install |upgrade "

Can you rebuild Rome?
Yes, you can.