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

[Joachim Trinkwitz <jtr@uni-bonn.de>]

cjw44@flatline.org.uk (Colin Watson) writes:

> 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.

Getting OT: That's not quite correct. The `Package:', `Status:',
`Priority:' and `Section:' entries of a purged package remains
forever, so the status file grows on and on over the years and keeps
even entries of packages which no longer exists.

I wonder if this slows down the installation process and if `purging'
the status file from those purged package entries would help, but I
didn't dare that as yet.

Greetings,
joachim