Multiple updates pending, uninstall announced, what to do? <SOLVED>

[Voltaire]

With a system message prompting upgrade to Vanessa, and an ordinary update manager list that also seeks to uninstall twenty to thirty programs (including audacity, celluloid, various ffmpeg libraries, gimp, handbrake, several libavcodec libraries, wine 32 and 64, and vlc), should I really take that plunge? What gives with all the uninstallations?

If I do, which update should I undertake first? Vanessa or the update manager list?

My system is Cinnamon 5.2.7, kernel 5.15.0-67-generic x86-64 bits. Wm: muffin dm: Light dm Distro: Linux Mint 20.3 Una base: Ubuntu 20.04.
Hewlett Packard HP 630, bios v F.39, date 12/18/2011.

[karlchen]

Hello, Voltaire.

Just because System Reports alert you that Linux Mint 20 Vanessa is available, does not mean that you have to upgrade Linux Mint 20.3 Una to Linux Mint 20 Vanessa.
Linux Mint 20.3 Una will be supported until the end of April 2025. So there are 2 more years of supported lifetime left.
Provided LM 20.3 works as you expect, then you might as well stay on LM 20.3 for 2 more years.

Regards,
Karl

[Voltaire]

Thanks Karlchen. I thought so too on Vanessa, but don't quite understand the multiple uninstallations for the Una updates. Is this normal and I have just never paid attention to programs being uninstalled? I can't find a way to copy paste the list of all the programs to be uninstalled; is there some trick to this?

[Cosmo.]

The update manager does updates, not uninstalls. In which context do you see the mentioned list?

[Voltaire]

Cosmo, when I select all updates and enter my password, the update manager pops up a dialog saying 'This upgrade will trigger additional changes. The following package s will be removed.' Then a scrollable list of programs to be removed which I am unable to copy-paste from. Then 'The following packages will be installed.' and a list of all the updates.

Sorry, I don't know how to insert images. Does this link help? https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uHdZdS ... sp=sharing

[karlchen]

Note:
When sharing images on Google drive here in the forum:

• [ img ] https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uHdZdS74wDF3S-g4KjjvXBN3wgNqupUS/view?usp=sharing [ /img ] will not have a left-clickable link.
• [ rimg ] https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uHdZdS74wDF3S-g4KjjvXBN3wgNqupUS/view?usp=sharing [ /rimg ] will have a left-clickable link.

(the space characters around img, /img, rimg, /rimg are only there, because else the forum software would recognize the tags as tags)

[karlchen]

Hello, Voltaire.

Could it be that you have already started upgrading to Mint 21, following this official upgrade document: https://linuxmint-user-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/upgrade-to-mint-21.html ?

By the way, your screenshot displays only some of the available 22 software updates. We cannot scroll and see the rest in a screenshot.
The same is true for the litte popup window where packages to be removed and packages to be installed are listed.
It will be necessary to scroll both lists. But we cannot scroll and inspect the lists in a screenshot.

Karl

[Voltaire]

Karlchen (is that the kitty, or you?), that's why I said I cannot copy paste from the scrollable list to paste it into the forum, and asked whether there was some other way to see that list and transmit it.

I have not kicked off any Vanessa upgrade, and the update manager shows updates to kernels 5.15.0.69.76~20.04.30 and 5.4.0~146.163, plus: curl, firefox, foo2zjs, graphicksmagick, imagemagick, python3.8, sox, splix, thunderbird, vim, apparmor, bind9, bolt, net-snmp, update-notifier, simple-system-monitor@ariel, ffmpeg, mainline, vivaldi-stable, vulkan-loader.

The packages to be removed include: audacity, celluloid, ffmpegthumbnailer, ffmpegthumbs, gimp, gimp-gmic, gimp-plugin-registry, gir1.2-gegl-0.4, gstreamer1.0-libav, handbrake, hypnotix, kio-extras, libavcodec-extra, libavcodec-extra58, libavdevice58, libavfilter7, libavformat58, libchromaprint1, libfaudio0, libffmpegthumbnailer4v5, libgegl-0.4-0, libgegl-dev, libgimp2.0, libgimp2.0-dev, libgmic1, libkf5baloowidgets-bin, libkf5filemetadata-bin, libkf5khtml-bin, libkf5khtml5, libokular5core9, libopencv-videoio4.2, libwine, okular, okular-extra-backends, phonon4qt5, phonon4qt5-backend-vlc, playonlinux, spacefm, vlc-plugin-base, vlc-plugin-video-output, wine 32, wine64

Below that list it says 'The following packages will be installed:' linux-headers-5.15.0-69-generic, linux headers-5.4.0-146, linux-headers-5.4.0-146-generic, linux-hwe-5.15-headers-5.15.0-69, linux-images-5.15.0-69-generic, linux-image-5.4.0-146-generic, linux-modules-5.15.0-69-generic, linux-modules-5.4.0-146-generic, linux-modules-extra-5.15.0-69-generic, linux-modules-extra-5.4.0-146-generic.

Phew. All manually typed. Hope there aren't too many typos. Does this really tell anyone anything about why all these programs need to be uninstalled?

[karlchen]

Hello, Voltaire.

Thank you for taking the pain to type all the not-so-easy-to-type packages names (to be installed, to be removed, to be updated).

Here is a hint on how to get the output in a place where you can copy (and later on paste it somewhere) easily:
As long as Update Manager has not started applying any changes, i.e. before you have clicked [Install], you can

• open a terminal window and make it full screen (just to avoid chopped lines)
• execute the commandline

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  sudo apt-get --simulate upgrade

  (This will make apt-get simulate the same operation which UM would do, only it will not apply any changes. Only simulation.)
• apt-get will tell you which
  + packages will be removed (if any)
  + packages will be installed
  + packages will be upgraded to a newer version
• You can mark the complete text output, displayed by apt-get, with your mouse. Press <Ctrl><Shift>c in order to copy the marked text.
• You can then paste the copied text e.g. into a forum post. (Best to insert it between code tags.)

Hope this hint will prove to be helpful in future cases.

Karl

[Cosmo.]

Starting with the simple thing:

There are kernel updates and in this case it is quite normal, that there follows a list about additionally installed packages.

The real problem are the packages that need to get removed. In this context my attraction goes to update-notifier in your list. This is not Mint's update manager, which brings its own notifier. This is most likely related to ubuntu-gnome and I start to think, that you have messed your system by installing Gnome as desktop. If I am right the advice is, to revert this with Timeshift. Possibly the problem vanishes after that.

If we would have the System Information, that is requested and needed in every support thread, we would perhaps had seen the origin of the problem with the first glimpse.

[karlchen]

Hello, Voltaire.

I admit that the list of packages names, which you shared, does not really tell me which package in the list of packages to be installed or upgrade triggers the removal of so many other packages.
Something fishy seems to be going on.

What does the terminal command

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sudo apt check

display?
(It checks whether your list of installed and updatable software packages is still in a consistent state.)

Hoping there are no inconsistencies. But who knows? Maybe, too, Cosmo. is on the right track already ...

Regards,
Karl

[AndyMH]

If you installed vlc from ppa, you get an update which will take out a lot of your system, don't do it and tell update manager to ignore all future updates for those packages.
viewtopic.php?p=2296876#p2296876

[Voltaire]

OK. Sorry for late replies; we are talking across time zones (I'm in Australia). First, apologies, Cosmo, here's that system info:

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System:    Kernel: 5.15.0-67-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A Desktop: Cinnamon 5.2.7 
           wm: muffin dm: LightDM Distro: Linux Mint 20.3 Una base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: Hewlett-Packard product: HP 630 Notebook PC 
           v: 0585100000204C10002620100 serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: Hewlett-Packard model: 3672 v: 23.4B serial: <filter> BIOS: Hewlett-Packard 
           v: F.39 date: 12/18/2011 
Battery:   ID-1: BAT0 charge: 41.9 Wh condition: 41.9/41.9 Wh (100%) volts: 12.2/11.1 model: HP 
           serial: N/A status: Full 
CPU:       Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i5-2450M bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Sandy Bridge 
           rev: 7 L2 cache: 3072 KiB 
           flags: avx lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 19954 
           Speed: 1228 MHz min/max: 800/3100 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1046 2: 1002 3: 955 4: 1115 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics 
           vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:0126 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa 
           resolution: 1366x768~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 3000 (SNB GT2) v: 3.3 Mesa 21.2.6 
           compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio 
           vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 
           chip ID: 8086:1c20 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.15.0-67-generic 
Network:   Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet 
           vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: r8169 v: kernel port: 3000 bus ID: 01:00.0 
           chip ID: 10ec:8168 
           IF: eno1 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
           Device-2: Realtek RTL8188EUS 802.11n Wireless Network Adapter type: USB driver: 8188eu 
           bus ID: 2-1.3:5 chip ID: 0bda:8179 
           IF: wlx7cc2c62de609 state: up mac: <filter> 
           IF-ID-1: pan1 state: unknown speed: -1 duplex: unknown mac: <filter> 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 596.17 GiB used: 228.36 GiB (38.3%) 
           ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Toshiba model: MK6475GSX size: 596.17 GiB speed: 3.0 Gb/s 
           serial: <filter> 
Partition: ID-1: / size: 585.25 GiB used: 228.36 GiB (39.0%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 49.0 C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:     No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/additional-repositories.list 
           1: deb https: //dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ focal main
           No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bookworm-team-bookworm-focal.list 
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/cappelikan-ppa-focal.list 
           1: deb http: //ppa.launchpad.net/cappelikan/ppa/ubuntu focal main
           2: deb-src http: //ppa.launchpad.net/cappelikan/ppa/ubuntu focal main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kelebek333-kablosuz-focal.list 
           1: deb http: //ppa.launchpad.net/kelebek333/kablosuz/ubuntu focal main
           2: deb-src http: //ppa.launchpad.net/kelebek333/kablosuz/ubuntu focal main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-focal.list 
           1: deb http: //ppa.launchpad.net/libreoffice/ppa/ubuntu focal main
           2: deb-src http: //ppa.launchpad.net/libreoffice/ppa/ubuntu focal main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
           1: deb http: //packages.linuxmint.com una main upstream import backport
           2: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
           3: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
           4: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
           5: deb http: //security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
           6: deb http: //archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/savoury1-ffmpeg4-focal.list 
           1: deb http: //ppa.launchpad.net/savoury1/ffmpeg4/ubuntu focal main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/savoury1-gimp-focal.list 
           1: deb http: //ppa.launchpad.net/savoury1/gimp/ubuntu focal main
           No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/tuxinvader-lts-mainline-focal.list 
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.list 
           1: deb [arch=amd64] https: //repo.vivaldi.com/stable/deb/ stable main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list 
           1: deb [arch=amd64,arm64,armhf] http: //packages.microsoft.com/repos/code stable main
Info:      Processes: 240 Uptime: 17d 17h 22m Memory: 7.62 GiB used: 2.39 GiB (31.3%) 
           Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.4.0 alt: 9 
           Client: Unknown python3.8 client inxi: 3.0.38

[Voltaire]

Second, Karlchen, thanks for the tip on simulating installation. I did not know that, and it will be very handy in future.

The

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sudo apt check

command puts out

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Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done

Hoping that means no inconsistencies?

[Pjotr]

PPAs. Far too many of them.
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... takes.html
Item 1.

[Voltaire]

Third, AndyMH: I have uninstalled VLC and its associated/dependency programs, since I use SMPlayer as my preferred media player. Also removed Vivaldi browser. However, refreshed update manager still has a long list of things to remove. See also comments below about too many ppas.

[Voltaire]

Fourth: Pjotr, you are right about the ppas. This is my second ever Mint installation, and like a complete novice, I went crazy on installing bits and pieces to resolve earlier issues with Wine, Windows programs, my WiFi adapter, and other things.

As consequence, I'm now considering a disk wipe with a Vanessa installation afterwards. Non-standard packages I rely on are Calibre, Tixati, and SMPlayer, both of which come as ubuntu packages if I remember correctly, but from the software sites directly. Do you see that as a problem in a new installation?

I have given up on Wine because it's just too clumsy, so I won't be doing that again. Ditto with a whole bunch of utilities, like my floating toolbar.

[Voltaire]

Fifth: a big than you to all who looked this for me. Today is my 60th birthday (karlchen, it all started in Duesseldorf in 1963 ), so I suspect I won't be looking at this again until tomorrow (it's half past six in the morning here right now). But I appreciate all the comments, and any further ones you might have on reducing ppas after the fact and/or clean Vanessa installations (if I go that way).

[Cosmo.]

Not only the number of PPAs are a problem, but also things, which you installed from the official repositories like the mentioned update-notifier. Although I do not se a hint for gnome in the system info, there is the fact, that simulation this package draws alone 11 other packages into the system.

[Pjotr]

I'm now considering a disk wipe with a Vanessa installation afterwards.

Good idea. But I recommend you select 21.1 Vera. And happy birthday!

Non-standard packages I rely on are Calibre, Tixati, and SMPlayer, both of which come as ubuntu packages if I remember correctly, but from the software sites directly. Do you see that as a problem in a new installation?

Probably not, but make a Timeshift snapshot before you add them. For easy roll back.