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Idea #11527: Ubuntu should offer to autoremove unused packages

Written by scavenger the 26 Jul 08 at 10:30. Category: System. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
Ubuntu should offer to remove software I once used and now forgot to remove. Graphical apps that show up in the menu I don't forget that much, but I usually install whole shiploads of cli apps that I think I need, which makes my PC slower.

To realise this, Ubuntu should take notes of every app that's started, excluding system apps (echo, ls, cat).
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #11527
Written by scavenger the 26 Jul 08 at 10:30.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #11527 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

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tenplus1 wrote on the 26 Jul 08 at 11:21
Typically installing a LOT of software and making things slower is a Windows trait, not a Linux one... So long as you have plenty of free space, Linux (Ubuntu) should run perfectly...

As for removing old software, pop into Synaptic and look for auto-removable and Residual-Config files and remove those... It's up to you to remember what you installed and dont-need, not Ubuntu...

Eldmannen wrote on the 26 Jul 08 at 11:28
$ sudo apt-get clean
$ sudo apt-get autoclean
$ sudo apt-get autoremove

il1019 wrote on the 27 Jul 08 at 04:27
@tenplus1: you said it's up to the user to remember what you installed and don't need, not Ubuntu. I think the purpose of this is to handle that exact situation. Right now Ubuntu doesn't have to keep track. But say I install something with 13 dependencies through synaptic. I'm not going to take the time to take down each of those and remember them. I'll just click through and install. When I decide to get rid of this program, all of these dependencies SHOULD be removed. Nothing needs them, but they are still there.

This actually happened to me today, I installed a package (gpsdrive) and it had about 10 dependencies, I removed the original package but the dependencies all still stick around. Totally a pain.

Plus 1.

scavenger wrote on the 27 Jul 08 at 12:28
I know about clean and autoremove.

Windows' add/remove programs window has got a 'Usage: ' label. For each program, it records if you use the program a lot. I would like something like that, with a suggestion to remove all of them.

And *yes*, Linux does get less pleasant to work with if you install loads of packages. Starting up takes longer because of the deamons, fsck takes longer because of disk usage and your menu and 'hidden directories in /home/user' gets cluttered.

jschuurk wrote on the 29 Jul 08 at 07:42
@il1019: Dependencies that are no longer needed should indeed be removed. Personally, I use aptitude to install/remove packages and it does keep good track of dependencies. 'apt-get autoremove' should do the same. Synaptic and the Add/Remove-menu entry, I don't know.

iaw4 wrote on the 7 Jun 12 at 18:11

I would think that an enhanced version of this would make a good security feature. whittle away all software that has not been used in the last x months.

this would eliminate all kinds of net servers sitting around, too, which one has forgotten about, but which are usually harmless---until someone finds a hole in them.

/iaw

catalin.hritcu wrote on the 25 Aug 12 at 02:30
There is this article that gives some solutions:
http://maketecheasier.com/8-ways-to-maintain-a-clean-lean-ubuntu-machine/2008/1 0/07

For instance the fslint tool seems really nice.


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