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Is apt-get purge --auto-remove packagename a valid command?

Or, does it have to be apt-get remove --purge --auto-remove packagename?

The Ubuntu manpage for apt-get (http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/precise/man8/apt-get.8.html) only mentions using the --auto-remove option "If the command is either install or remove...", so I was wondering if it could also be used with the purge command, since that is just a shortcut for the remove command with the --purge option.

Thank you.

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  • 1
    why --auto-remove?
    – Alvar
    Oct 17, 2013 at 21:45
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    If the --auto-remove option is used when removing a package then it will remove dependencies of the package that are no longer needed. Kind of like how apt-get autoremove checks for and will "remove packages that were automatically installed to satisfy dependencies for other packages and are now no longer needed" (from above-linked manpage).
    – user981178
    Oct 17, 2013 at 21:52
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    If you examine the manpage, you will notice that autoremove can be used as a command (autoremove) or as an option (--auto-remove) during a command. However, it is only mentioned as an option in the context of an install or remove command, so I wondered if the option could also be used with a purge command. Using the option is just kind of a way to shortcut it, instead of running two separate commands.
    – user981178
    Oct 17, 2013 at 22:10
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    You can also use apt-get autoremove --purge
    – daboross
    Oct 17, 2013 at 23:10

1 Answer 1

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Yes, those commands are valid. Moreover, they are equivalent because purge is equivalent with remove --purge (see man apt-get).

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  • Thanks. Yes, I did figure that if the first was valid, then it would be equivalent to the second. I just wanted to make sure that the first was indeed valid.
    – user981178
    Oct 17, 2013 at 22:11

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