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I would like to know if there is an easy way to remove any installed software. I do know that sudo apt-get remove <package-name> command, but what happens when you don't know the package name. Let's say you install form a .deb file and you don't know what the package name is? It would be great if there was an universal un-installer, like the one in the Ubuntu Software Center, but for all packages.

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  • Can you give an example of how or why this would happen: Lets say you install form a .deb file and you don’t know what the package name is? ?
    – user25656
    Sep 24, 2013 at 2:57

3 Answers 3

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1. If you know the application package name

From terminal, use one of the following commands:

sudo apt-get remove package_name

remove is identical to install except that packages are removed instead of installed. Note that removing a package leaves its configuration files on the system. If a plus sign is appended to the package name (with no intervening space), the identified package will be installed instead of removed.

Source: man apt-get

apt-get purge package_name

purge is identical to remove except that packages are removed and purged (any configuration files are deleted too).

Source: man apt-get

You can also use:

  • aptitude with the same arguments as of apt-get.
  • Ubuntu Software Center:

USC - remove app

2. If you know how to open the respective application from GUI

3. If you forgot the application/package name and you don't know where to find it

Ubuntu Software Center is very useful in this sense. It knows about any application installed on your system: provided by Ubuntu, from Canonical partners, from purchase, from PPAs, from .deb files, etc. To find them:

  • Click Installed tab and search there your application:

USC - remove app

  • Click History tab, then Installations and search there your application/package:

USC- history

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This may be useful for you.

Uninstall Softwares using Aptitude

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  • Again thank you for the help, you both will have made this much easier.
    – Dalton
    Sep 24, 2013 at 22:50
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There is aptitude, it is console based, but it gives you a complete list of the installed software and once you know the keyboard commands, it's fairly easy to navigate.

Otherwise, the following gives you a list of your package:

dpkg --list

But be careful, make sure to use apt-get to do removes/installs unless you know what you're doing.

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  • Ok thank you. I think that this will help my very much.
    – Dalton
    Sep 24, 2013 at 22:47

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