Re: Exploring package interrelationships
In-Reply-To: <[🔎] 477d42e4-bc60-86cc-94af-7adb1a514c79@cloud85.net>
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>An illustration of the opposite of what I want is task-mate-desktop.
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>In what I want only the top level menu headings [Applications Places
>System] would exist. Under Applications the sub-headings [Accessories
>Education Graphics etc] may exist but their contents would be empty.
I don't think your proposed procedure would get you a menu setup like you
say you want.
>proposed procedure:
>Do a minimal install of a CLI system.
>Follow with "apt-get install" of a very minimal set of MATE components.
>[Pluma, Caja, and Synaptic would be included]
See, by installing these mate components you will also pull in some things
that will be listed in sub-menus you said should be empty. The easiest
way IME to find out what pulls in a pkg with a doodad that has a menu item
is to install them one at a time and check the menu. If you can't live
with those dependencies, then immediately uninstall it and use
autoremove with apt. You are using apt, right?
>In past conversations it has been suggested that I do a typical install
>and just un-install the un-desired elements:
>
>
>That is undesirable for two primary reasons:
>1. I would not reach my primary goal of "grok how packages interact".
It might help your understanding though. I would try it that way, do a
full install, then a full install without recommends, and observe what
does and does not work the way you expect. Don't forget the recommends
when building your minimal system also. Many programs work fine without
them, but some lose major functionality... you don't know until you try.
Nobody can make the decisions because you're the one with the need and
desire to grok the thing. It's good, try it all out, break a few systems
trying to do things you shouldn't. It can really be an eye-opener how
complicated pkg management is.
In the end, I think metapkgs with selective removal are best for the
desktop environments though. The way you want to do it is great for
window manager setup...
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