Re: switching from apt-get to aptitude

["Michael M." <nixlists@writemoore.net>]

Grant Thomas wrote:
> > > > For example, a few days ago I decided to take a look at KDE (I am 
> > a long
> > > > time IceWM user). I just did 'aptitude install kde' and had almost
> > > > several hundred MB worth of k* applications.  Exactly what I 
> > wanted and,
> > > > so far, exactly what apt-get would have done. But it was just an
> > > > experiment and I wanted to get rid of KDE again. Aptitude allowed 
> > me to
> > > > just 'aptitude purge kde' again and it removed *every* package kde
> > > > depended on. If I had used apt-get to install and remove kde, 
> > apt-get
> > >
> > > Even X?
> >
> > Of course not! But you are right, I should have made myself more clear:
> > aptitude removed every package kde depended upon *that were not yet
> > installed* when I requested installation of kde.
>
> Question for you (anyone) then:
> If you install kde through aptitude, an aptitude marks Xorg as a
> dependency, and then install gnome a couple of days later, would
> removing kde also remove Xorg, or would it see it as a current
> dependency for gnome and leave it?

Once I installed a minimal Etch system, then used apt or aptitude to 
install Gnome ("gnome-desktop-environment" package).  When I tried to 
start X, it failed.  Why?  Because I didn't install X!

I don't think Xorg is a dependency of Gnome, KDE, or as far as I know, 
any other DE or WM.  You have to explicitly install it.  So using 
aptitude to remove any DE/WM won't remove Xorg.

Doing "aptitude show kde" in Sid shows that the "x-window-system-core" 
package is a suggests, not a recommends or a depends.

Also, in Sid, the new X server metapackage "xorg" does not install any 
WM, not even twm.  The package description states "It should be noted 
that a package providing x-window-manager should also be installed to 
ensure a comfortable X experience."

--
Michael M. ++ Portland, OR ++ USA
"No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream." --S. Jackson