RE: dpkg --getselections, apt, and update-menus
> - Maybe update-menus should rather look at what is currently installed,
> rather than what the selections for the next "install/remove" operation
> will be. It does seem to make more sense to me.
getselections is supposed to be current. A package marked deinstall is
removed, but not purged. Or at least it is expected to be. There is no other
good way for an outside program to ask dpkg about the state of the system.
> - This is maybe the best/most useful solution at this point: some easy
> way to sync the selections with what is currently installed? i.e. "undo"
> all selections. How can one do this?
>
a) # dpkg --get-selections|sed -e 's/deinstall$/install/'|dpkg --set-selections
# apt-get dselect-upgrade
b) run the dselect update as root, but actually browse as a user
c) dselect has a 'revert' key binding, but it only works for that run of
dselect. So if you exit, there is no help.
Personally, I think console apt should have some way of showing new packages.
if a package is marked 'new' and you have the sort order set to show new items
first, it would emulate dselect fairly well.
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