HowTo: Fully Uninstall the ubuntu-desktop meta-package

[aysiu]

As you may or may not know, if you install the package called ubuntu-desktop, a lot of other packages will be installed so that you get the full Gnome experience in addition to KDE. If, however, you uninstall ubuntu-desktop, none of the other "full Gnome experience" packages will be uninstalled. You may have installed ubuntu-desktop to get the Gnome experience but then found it cluttered things up too much. To uninstall all the other junk, open up a terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal) and copy and paste this into your terminal:

sudo apt-get remove bittorrent bluez-pin bug-buddy capplets-data contact-lookup-applet dbus-1-utils desktop-file-utils eog esound evince evolution evolution-data-server evolution-exchange evolution-plugins evolution-webcal file-roller firefox firefox-gnome-support fping gaim gaim-data gcalctool gconf-editor gdb gdm gedit gedit-common gimp gimp-data gimp-python gksu gnome-about gnome-app-install gnome-applets gnome-applets-data gnome-btdownload gnome-control-center gnome-cups-manager gnome-desktop-data gnome-doc-utils gnome-games gnome-games-data gnome-icon-theme gnome-keyring gnome-media gnome-menus gnome-mime-data gnome-netstatus-applet gnome-nettool gnome-panel gnome-panel-data gnome-pilot gnome-pilot-conduits gnome-session gnome-spell gnome-system-monitor gnome-system-tools gnome-terminal gnome-terminal-data gnome-themes gnome-utils gnome-volume-manager gnome2-user-guide gnomemeeting gstreamer0.8-esd gstreamer0.8-gnomevfs gthumb gtk2-engines-clearlooks gtk2-engines-crux gtk2-engines-industrial gtk2-engines-lighthouseblue gtk2-engines-mist gtk2-engines-pixbuf gtk2-engines-redmond95 gtk2-engines-smooth gtk2-engines-thinice gtkhtml3.8 gucharmap guile-1.6-libs hal-device-manager hwdb-client language-selector launchpad-integration libaa1 libbonobo2-0 libbonobo2-common libbonoboui2-0 libbonoboui2-common libcamel1.2-6 libcompfaceg1 libcroco3 libdjvulibre15 libebook1.2-5 libecal1.2-3 libedata-book1.2-2 libedata-cal1.2-1 libedataserver1.2-4 libedataserverui1.2-6 libeel2-2 libeel2-data libegroupwise1.2-8 libesd-alsa0 libexchange-storage1.2-0 libgail-common libgail17 libgda2-3 libgda2-common libgimp2.0 libgksu1.2-0 libgksuui1.0-0 libglade2-0 libgle3 libglib-perl libglib2.0-data libgnome-desktop-2 libgnome-keyring0 libgnome-menu2 libgnome-pilot2 libgnome2-0 libgnome2-canvas-perl libgnome2-common libgnome2-perl libgnome2-vfs-perl libgnomecanvas2-0 libgnomecanvas2-common libgnomecups1.0-1 libgnomecupsui1.0-1 libgnomeprint2.2-0 libgnomeprint2.2-data libgnomeprintui2.2-0 libgnomeprintui2.2-common libgnomeui-0 libgnomeui-common libgnomevfs2-0 libgnomevfs2-common libgsf-1 libgtk2-perl libgtkhtml2-0 libgtkhtml3.8-15 libgtksourceview-common libgtksourceview1.0-0 libgtkspell0 libgtop2-5 libgucharmap4 libguile-ltdl-1 libkpathsea3 liblaunchpad-integration0 liblircclient0 liblpint-bonobo0 libmetacity0 libnautilus-burn2 libnautilus-extension1 libnotify0 libopenal0 libopenh323-1.15.3c2 libpanel-applet2-0 libpisync0 libpoppler0c2-glib libpt-1.8.3c2 libpt-plugins-alsa libpt-plugins-v4l libpt-plugins-v4l2 libqthreads-12 librsvg2-2 librsvg2-common libsmpeg0c2 libsoup2.2-8 libtotem-plparser0 libvte-common libvte4 libwmf0.2-7 libwnck-common libwnck18 libxklavier10 libxml2-utils libxres1 metacity nautilus nautilus-cd-burner nautilus-data nautilus-sendto notification-daemon openoffice.org2-evolution openoffice.org2-gnome python-glade2 python-gmenu python-gnome2 python-gnome2-extras python-gst python-gtk2 python-launchpad-integration python2.4-cairo python2.4-glade2 python2.4-gnome2 python2.4-gnome2-extras python2.4-gtk2 rdesktop rhythmbox rss-glx serpentine shared-mime-info smeg sound-juicer ssh-askpass-gnome synaptic system-tools-backends totem totem-gstreamer tsclient ubuntu-artwork ubuntu-desktop ubuntu-docs ubuntu-sounds update-manager update-notifier vino vnc-common whois xchat xchat-common xsane xsane-common xscreensaver xscreensaver-data xscreensaver-gl xsltproc xvncviewer yelp zenity

This will remove all the extra "junk" that was installed along with the ubuntu-desktop meta-package. P.S. I haven't tested this yet. I just know it should work in theory. If anyone is brave enough to test it, could she or he post a reply in this thread so others won't have to worry.

Edit: This definitely works. I've tested it out on a fresh Kubuntu installation.

For Dapper, go here.

[N8K99]

I did something rather similiar, although not as exact as you. I have an older machine with memory issues, so both KDE and GNOME are way too sluggish (tried them both) so I installed enlightenment from the repositories ( tried out the howto for e17 but like 16 much better) so I hd to basically remove all the large amounts of junk from my system. Basically, I opened synaptic and scrolled down and removed anything that said Gnome or looked like it related to gnome and KDE, although I left kicker on just for giggles. You single line apt-get remove looks like it will pretty much do the trick when it comes to removing unnecessary programs.

[aysiu]

I just revised it, too--as I wasn't absolutely sure it would work.
I did a clean installation of Kubuntu and found out which packages were marked for installation after typing

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

[GoldBuggie]

*original post removed by ME so not to get ppl confused*

[aysiu]

See, that's how I did it originally, too. It made logical sense--you take a look at the two sets of packages, eliminate what they have in common, and see what's left.

Theoretically, it should work, but it didn't.

So I changed it to be what really gets installed when you install ubuntu-desktop (I did it with a fresh reinstall of Kubuntu).

[mint]

I've found that liberal applications of deborphan (apt-get install deborphan). Will help you clean up all of the libraries and such that get left hanging after a big uninstall operation like that.

e.g.

To get a list of orphaned library packages:
$ deborphan

To get a list of all orphans:
$ deborphan -a

To remove orphaned libraries:
# apt-get --purge remove $(deborphan)

To remove python orphans (lots on a default install):
# apt-get --purge remove $(deborphan -a | awk {'print $2'} | grep ^py)

[geearf]

Thanks for this how to, I installed ubuntu-desktop but I never really used it, so it might be good to remove it for a while.

[N8K99]

To remove orphaned libraries:
# apt-get --purge remove $(deborphan)

I tried this out, and well it didn't help me at all. Mostly this was because I had already removed all the Gnome stuff from my machine and was running Enlightenment as my Desktop Shell. When I ran the above command, it removed some libraries that enabled apt-get install to work. Oh well, it's not a weekend if I am not completely re-vamping my Linux box yet again!! i'm going to have to learn to be happy with what I've got going on. Fortunately, this time all my data was backed up!

[starscalling]

I tried this out, and well it didn't help me at all. Mostly this was because I had already removed all the Gnome stuff from my machine and was running Enlightenment as my Desktop Shell. When I ran the above command, it removed some libraries that enabled apt-get install to work. Oh well, it's not a weekend if I am not completely re-vamping my Linux box yet again!! i'm going to have to learn to be happy with what I've got going on. Fortunately, this time all my data was backed up!

lol im with ya.... thinking of doing the dapper install >_> my audio hates me right now anyway
though ive got to ask the thread wtf are ya thinkin sortof ~_^ [not meant meanly i swear..] i just mean why not do the server install and then install ONLY what you need?

[pmj]

and for uninstalling kubuntu

sudo apt-get remove adept akode akregator amarok ark arts dbus gtk2-engines-gtk-qt gwenview ivman k3b kaddressbook kaffeine-gstreamer kamera karm katapult kate kaudiocreator kcontrol kcron kde-guidance kde-systemsettings kdeadmin-kfile-plugins kdebase-kio-plugins kdebluetooth kdegraphics-kfile-plugins kdemultimedia-kappfinder-data kdemultimedia-kfile-plugins kdemultimedia-kio-plugins kdenetwork-filesharing kdenetwork-kfile-plugins kdepasswd kdepim-kio-plugins kdepim-wizards kdeprint kdesktop kdm kfind kghostview khelpcenter kicker kio-apt kio-locate klaptopdaemon klipper kmail kmenuedit kmilo kmix knetworkconf knotes konq-plugins konqueror konqueror-nsplugins konserve konsole kontact konversation kooka kopete korganizer kpdf kpf kppp krfb krita kscd ksmserver ksnapshot ksplash ksvg ksysguard ksystemlog kubuntu-default-settings kubuntu-konqueror-shortcuts kuser kwalletmanager kwifimanager kwin pmount python-opengl python2.3-opengl python2.4-opengl qca-tls ttf-dejavu vorbis-tools

I tried this one to completely get rid of KDE and like half of Gnome went along with it. Somehow the system stayed up though and Gnome was fully fixed by an apt-get install ubuntu-desktop, which was a 249MB download.

And for some reason Java, Azureus and totem-xine disappeared at the same time.