26

My computer is overheating because I got too many desktop environments installed like: MATE, Cinnamon and XFCE. I uninstalled them, but XFCE failed to uninstall. I get this error.

 sudo apt-get purge xfce4
    Reading package lists... Error!
    E: Problem syncing the file - sync (5: Input/output error)
    E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
5

7 Answers 7

28

Try this

sudo apt-get purge xfconf xfce4-utils xfwm4 xfce4-session xfdesktop4 exo-utils xfce4-panel xfce4-terminal  thunar

followed by

sudo apt autoremove
5
  • Not working, still same problem
    – Liso
    Mar 4, 2014 at 3:53
  • 4
    This worked perfectly on Ubuntu Studio 14.04 LTS. Whereas the accepted answer's sudo apt-get purge xfce4 didn't do the trick.
    – Mansueli
    Jan 11, 2015 at 22:18
  • worked on 16.04 LTS (though I ran accepted answer first) Jul 4, 2017 at 20:41
  • It also worked on 16.04 LTS (and I also ran accepted answer first) Apr 25, 2021 at 0:51
  • 1
    Also worked in Pop!_os 21.04 Nov 11, 2021 at 14:25
11

Try these

sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoclean
sudo apt-get update

Now

sudo apt-get purge xfce4
2
  • [email protected]:~$ sudo apt-get -f install [sudo] password for FirstStrike: Reading package lists... Error! E: Unable to parse package file /var/lib/apt/lists/id.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_raring_main_binary-i386_Packages (1) E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened. Didnt work
    – Liso
    Mar 4, 2014 at 6:47
  • I'm trying remove xfce4 on Debian, I did the commands above and sudo apt-get autoremove , yet xfce4 show up in Display Manager and I still can get in xfce4 DE How to fix this?
    – AGT
    Feb 18, 2020 at 2:43
8

In my case (Mint with cinnamon and XFCE) I did:

sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoclean
sudo apt-get update

THEN:

sudo apt-get purge xfce4  # failed

THEN:

sudo apt-get purge xfconf
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoclean
sudo apt-get update
1

From this link

You can run the following to remove xfce from your computer, completely:

dpkg -l | grep .xfce. | xargs sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove --yes

1

Try this:

sudo apt purge ^xfce4*

Then:

sudo apt autoremove
1
  • Note: you may need to put the pattern in quotes to avoid the shell globing it
    – cocomac
    Sep 21, 2022 at 18:27
0

First, check what is going to be removed

sudo dpkg -l | grep .xfce.

If you are ok with it, run this command

sudo apt autoremove --purge xfce*

Command explanation

# dpkg -l       lists all installed packages
# grep .xfce.   filters, so that only packages with keyword xfce within their names, listed
# purge         removes mentioned package
# autoremove    tries to remove dependency packages
-3

try : sudo apt-get remove xfce4-* this helps in removing all linked packages, after you have executed sudo apt-get purge xfce4, of course.

3
  • You need to quote the * in casee there are files - like similar packages. Sep 10, 2014 at 13:49
  • 6
    Never remove packages with using * at the end of package name. it will remove another package requirements. Sep 10, 2014 at 13:50
  • 2
    As KasiyA says, putting * or \* at the end of a name given to an apt- command doesn't try to match it as a shell-style pattern, but as a regular expression. xfce4- will match every package with xfce4 (not just those with xfce4-, but any with xfce4) anywhere in its name. (See Andrea Corbellini's and Radu Rădeanu's answers to Why does apt removes unwanted packages when giving * as suffix?, for more information.) sudo apt-get remove ^xfce4- would do what this answer likely intends. Sep 11, 2014 at 9:45

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