Re: dpkg --clear-selections seems to empty most of the packages on my system ugh

[Mitchell Laks <mlaks@post.harvard.edu>]

> 
> I'd probably have just reinstalled.

I am doing it now.

> So, 1) minimal install.

My plan. 

> Then 2) add packages. And here's where for you, by the sound of it,
> it's been a few years, it might take a few hours of trying to run the
> things you want on your server, and discovering what you have to
> install to do that.
> 
> Keep that list of names of things you've installed.
> 
> Now you have _your_ personal-server-minimum-install (pretty much).

I guess I will do that.

I guess I was looking for a  up to date tutorial on 
how 
dpkg --get-selections 
dpkg --set-selections
and 
apt-get dselect-upgrade 
is supposed to work and 

in particular what is the role of
clear-selections
which when i did it and then looked at the output of 
dpkg --get-selections >see-what-is-set-now

showed me most of my packages ready to be zapped.

I then converted all of the remove to install
and it still removed the whole system
which i found amusing.

in the past i used this
http://panuganty.tripod.com/debiantips/packaging.htm

but it seems out of date

Thanks
Mitchell