[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: How can I remove xdm?



Francisco M. Marzoa Alonso <fmmarzoa@gmx.net> writes:
> I want remove xdm package so I'm not using it (I've remove all links
> related in all runlevels, but I don't need this using hard disk for
> more). But if I try an apt-get remove xdm it also removes
> x-window-system... why? I think this is a bit stupid...

{2} dmaze% apt-cache show x-window-system
Package: x-window-system
Depends: x-window-system-core, lbxproxy, proxymngr, twm, xdm, xfs, xfwp, xnest, xprt, xspecs, xterm, xvfb
Description: X Window System
 This metapackage provides substantially all the components of the X Window
 System as developed by the XFree86 Project, as well as a set of historically
 popular accessory programs.
 .
 The development and debugging libraries are not provided by this metapackage.

In other words, x-window-system doesn't actually contain any files on
its own; it just depends on other packages so that you'd get what you
got if you "installed X" on a traditional Un*x system.  This includes
xdm (since it's part of the X11 distribution).  But removing
x-window-system doesn't cause any of the other things it depends on to
be removed.

> Finally, I've removed it using dpkg instead of apt-get:
> 
> crom:~# dpkg --ignore-depends=xdm -r xdm

You should ~never need to use an --ignore or --force option to dpkg;
Red Hat this ain't.  :-)  You can do this if you *really* want to, but
then APT will complain that you don't have a consistent set of
packages installed and will want you to 'apt-get -f install' (which
will either install xdm or remove x-window-system) before you can do
anything else.

In short, removing x-window-system is harmless, and you need to do it
if you want to remove xdm.  'dpkg --remove x-window-system' should do
the trick for you.

-- 
David Maze         dmaze@debian.org      http://people.debian.org/~dmaze/
"Theoretical politics is interesting.  Politicking should be illegal."
	-- Abra Mitchell



Reply to: