Re: dpkg --getselections, apt, and update-menus

[cjw44@flatline.org.uk (Colin Watson)]

Hugo van der Merwe <hugovdm@mail.com> wrote:
>> getselections is supposed to be current.  A package marked deinstall is
>> removed, but not purged.  Or at least it is expected to be.
>
>On my machine, it definately doesn't work like that. I just tested it.
>Changed a selection in dselect, but didn't do an "Install", the
>selection change was evident in dpkg --get-selections.

I don't think that's what Sean meant. If, in dselect, you use '-' to
mark a package for removal - or use 'apt-get remove' - then a package's
configuration files won't be removed, and some state about the package
will remain in the system. However, if you use '_' in dselect, or
'apt-get --purge remove', then the package's configuration files will be
removed too, and /var/lib/dpkg/status will forget that it ever existed.

I almost always purge packages unless I'm just removing them
temporarily.

>> a) # dpkg --get-selections|sed -e 's/deinstall$/install/'|dpkg
>--set-selections
>>    # apt-get dselect-upgrade
>
>Ah yes... sed. The problem with this is, it will also install the
>packages that are not installed (that are really currently
>"deinstalled").

No, completely uninstalled (purged or never installed) packages don't
show up in 'dpkg --get-selections' at all.

Cheers,

-- 
Colin Watson                                     [cjw44@flatline.org.uk]