Bug#586434: Let's clean the apt cache

[Frans Pop <elendil@planet.nl>]

On Saturday 19 June 2010, Martin Michlmayr wrote:
> I see no reason for leaving .deb files in /var/cache/apt/archives on a
> fresh installation, so let's run apt-get clean before reboot.

This has been suggested and discussed before. IIRC (but I may be mistaken) 
Joey has always been against it.

The main reason IIRC is that leaving the packages makes it unnecessary to 
download them again if part of e.g. tasksel fails for whatever reason and 
the user has to install some packages manually (after ignoring that 
error - which is a real option as the base system should still be 
functional - and completing the installation).
Think of a (partially) failed desktop install over a relatively slow 
network connection.

IMO that argument is valid, but I also don't think that by itself it's 
enough to decide one way or another.

I have no very strong feelings about this. Cleaning up is a good idea in 
general, but I don't think there is any huge gain in doing it here.
I don't see any real problem with leaving the system admin responsible to 
do this cleanup (which he has to do anyway for any later package 
installs/updates).

Any disk space savings are IMO illusionary as the cache will fill up again 
anyway during later updates and any system that does not have sufficient 
disk space to hold a decent package cache will also have serious problems 
during later stable updates.

I can only see a real gain for installs to embedded systems that are not 
expected to be updated in any regular way. But those should not be 
installed using D-I anyway, or at least already always require some 
customized post-installation.

Note also that this is not an issue for packages that are installed from CD 
as they are not copied to the cache.