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Idea #584: Update Manager History (Synaptic Install History)

bug This idea is a duplicate of Idea #2763: Provide installation history.
Written by defcon the 29 Feb 08 at 03:05. Category: System. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
Ever forget what all you have installed? I have and would love a history of what I have installed and what exactly has been upgraded so I am suggesting a History Feature.
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #584
Written by defcon the 29 Feb 08 at 03:05.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #584 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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omidmottaghi wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 03:06
already implemented

defcon wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 03:07
Also an easy apt-get rollback "date" would be nice as well, or an option for the Update History to Roll back to a certain date/time or be able to review/edit what has been installed by the user. You could incorporate an option to restore Ubuntu to installation defaults to remove all packages that have been installed and downgrade to previous versions. I am sure these features could be used.

defcon wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 03:09
how is this already implemented?

icechen1 wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 03:10
it is in Synaptics>File>History

defcon wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 03:10
nevermind, you can find it in synaptic>file>history.
*but* it does not allow the option to easily revert back to these dates/times and 1 click remove what was done

Greyor wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 04:29
This sounds eerily like Windows System Restore, at least with the 'easy revert.'

shadowfirebird wrote on the 1 Mar 08 at 23:12
Synaptics File>History is all very well, but:

* You can't search it
* You can't print it out
* You can't link it to the descriptions in the main body of the program

I try out tons of stuff and I like the command line. I can never remember what I've installed! I have to make a *manual list* by *writing down* the entries from the history screen! This is clearly nuts.

Grasyop wrote on the 13 Jul 08 at 23:01
I would like it in Adept too.

slashdotaccount wrote on the 21 Aug 09 at 08:27
Having the history for Update Manager in a different application (Synaptic) is not a helpful user experience. Also, the extended descriptions that Update Manager gives are not available in Synaptic.

This idea is a good one.

computermacgyver wrote on the 28 Sep 11 at 08:19
Just went to look today at the updates I installed yesterday with update manager, and they were not listed in Synaptic File->History. So, at least on Natty 11.04 not all updates are captured in the History area. Would really like this feature.

saherr1969 wrote on the 17 Apr 12 at 23:47
Not sure if it helps, but in /etc/apt/ there are history files of the actions taken at the commandline as well as the resulting displayed results. I used the following to find all of the extra packages I installed on top of Ubuntu server 11.10

zgrep --color=always 'get install' history.log*

That will grab any "apt-get install" line out of the history files, whether they are gzipped or not. Hope that helps folks.


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