How can I remove the packages that came with ubuntu-desktop? (13.10)

Question

I am on Xubuntu 13.10 and installed the meta package ubuntu-desktop about one hour ago to try it out. Unfortunately, it did not work well at all so I just went back to my Xfce-session.

Now there are some things different and I'd like to remove the packages which came with said meta package. Is there a way to install the ones which just were installed by ubuntu-desktop? Maybe it can be done via some apt-get magic?

Answer 1

The situation you are in is not uncommon and has been tackled in Getting back to a pure Xubuntu but those instructions are for older versions and not for 13.10. Even then, they have useful pointers and are worth a look.

You can do something like that yourself because whatever you've done by way of installing or removing software from the repositories using apt-get or the Software Center or Synaptic is recorded in /var/log/apt/history.log (and older archived files) in /var/log/apt. What you've done should be in the latest file, plain history.log. Take a look in there and make a note of the software installed on the relevant date.

Then, for simplicity and ease of monitoring what you're doing, purge a few programs at a time from the list of what you've identified. Each time first use the -s flag:

sudo apt-get purge -s package_name

to simulate what will be done without the -s switch.

Also, look in /usr/share/xsessions (using a terminal so that you see the real file names) and delete (after making a backup) the .desktop files of the sessions you don't want to see at log-in time.

---

Experts may have a more elegant way to grab the package names from the relevant line in history.log but here's one way using your pastebinit content:

• copy line #3, the one beginning with "Install:" to a text editor, and delete upto the first package name. Save the file as unity.
• open a terminal and run sed -i 's/), /)\n/g' unity. This introduces line breaks after each package.
• run awk -F: '{ print $1 }' unity > unity1. This gives you a file with just the package names usable by apt-get. But each package is on a separate line.
• fix that by running awk 1 ORS=', ' unity1 > unity2
• manually remove the "," at the very end of the file^**.

After these steps, you're left with something you can use in apt-get purge.

python3-pyatspi, syslinux-legacy, telepathy-haze, libqt5v8-5, telepathy-idle, libsgutils2-2, rhythmbox-plugins, empathy-common, libcrypt-passwdmd5-perl, empathy, gir1.2-dbusmenu-glib-0.4, account-plugin-salut, libgdata13, libsignon-glib1, libsignon-qt5-1, xul-ext-webaccounts, libgdata-common, signon-plugin-oauth2, apturl, libxcb-render-util0, libsignon-extension1, gnome-orca, libqt5sql5-sqlite, libsbc1, account-plugin-aim, ubuntu-docs, python-pyinotify, telepathy-salut, libdmapsharing-3.0-2, python-qt4-dbus, bluez-gstreamer, telepathy-gabble, gir1.2-totem-1.0, gnome-terminal, overlay-scrollbar, evolution-data-server-goa, gir1.2-gst-plugins-base-1.0, libqt5opengl5, libgexiv2-2, libfreerdp1, ubuntu-desktop, account-plugin-facebook, python3-chardet, deja-dup-backend-gvfs, python3-debian, deja-dup-backend-ubuntuone, gnome-disk-utility, libqt4-sql-sqlite, whoopsie-preferences, libgc1c2, telepathy-mission-control-5, python-configglue, libdbusmenu-qt2, libgee-0.8-2, remmina-plugin-rdp, libprotoc7, gstreamer1.0-nice, libfolks25, libxcb-image0, python3-brlapi, mtools, gstreamer1.0-clutter, libproxy1-plugin-networkmanager, libaccount-plugin-google, libqt5sql5, libxcb-icccm4, libaccount-plugin-generic-oauth, telepathy-logger, gnome-terminal-data, libqt5qml5, libsignon-plugins-common1, nautilus-sendto-empathy, account-plugin-windows-live, duplicity, libwmf0.2-7-gtk, landscape-client-ui-install, liblouis-data, libufe-xidgetter0, rhythmbox-plugin-magnatune, libwhoopsie-preferences0, totem-plugins, libmission-control-plugins0, python-ubuntuone-client, gnome-control-center-unity, rhythmbox-mozilla, python-ubuntuone-control-panel, libaccounts-glib0, libaccounts-qt5-1, libgweather-3-3, libfarstream-0.2-2, gnome-screensaver, libqt5core5, rhythmbox-data, libssh-4, libreoffice-presentation-minimizer, shotwell-common, libfolks-eds25, liboauth0, libtelepathy-logger3, shotwell, indicator-sync, rhythmbox-plugin-cdrecorder, libgpod4, remmina-common, protobuf-compiler, apturl-common, deja-dup, gnome-contacts, liblouis2, branding-ubuntu, libaccount-plugin-1.0-0, python-twisted-names, libfreerdp-plugins-standard, vino, libtotem0, totem, libqt5xml5, guile-2.0-libs, signon-plugin-password, libqt5quick5, libsync-menu1, usb-creator-common, libqt5test5, mcp-account-manager-uoa, remmina, libqt5printsupport5, libreoffice-ogltrans, python3-dirspec, sni-qt, libvncserver0, syslinux, python-protobuf, rhythmbox, libxcb-sync0, python-ubuntuone-storageprotocol, python3-speechd, totem-common, account-plugin-jabber, overlay-scrollbar-gtk2, overlay-scrollbar-gtk3, thunderbird-gnome-support, remmina-plugin-vnc, libfolks-telepathy25, libgweather-common, libproxy1-plugin-gsettings, activity-log-manager, syslinux-common, example-content, libqt5webkit5, notify-osd-icons, libtelepathy-farstream3, libqt5widgets5, xul-ext-websites-integration, gir1.2-gnomekeyring-1.0, totem-mozilla, udisks, rhythmbox-plugin-zeitgeist, libecal-1.2-15, rhythmbox-ubuntuone, gir1.2-dee-1.0, account-plugin-yahoo, gir1.2-syncmenu-0.1, signon-ui, libgpod-common, unity-webapps-common, evolution-data-server, webaccounts-extension-common, ubuntuone-control-panel, python-markupsafe, ubuntuone-client-data, pulseaudio-module-bluetooth, gnome-control-center-signon, gnome-mahjongg, libqt53d5, python3-louis, libqt5dbus5, librsync1, ubuntuone-client, ubuntu-sso-client-qt, qt-at-spi, gir1.2-unity-5.0, usb-creator-gtk, libraw9, gir1.2-totem-plparser-1.0, libqt5gui5, account-plugin-google, signon-keyring-extension, liblvm2app2.2, libqt5network5, media-player-info, gir1.2-rb-3.0, python3-six, activity-log-manager-control-center, librhythmbox-core7, folks-common, plymouth-theme-ubuntu-logo, libqt5location5, libedata-cal-1.2-20, notify-osd, ubuntuone-control-panel-qt, libavahi-gobject0, libqt5sensors5, aisleriot, python-mako, nautilus-share, xul-ext-unity, libgail-common, signond

^**See https://stackoverflow.com/a/4611116/1771119 for code on removing the terminal ",".