Bug#563712: Cannot remove Gnome-games, Cheese, Empathy, Ekiga, Epiphany, Remmina, Rhythmbox without removing Gnome

[Milan Niznansky]

----- Original Message ----
From: Josselin Mouette <joss at debian.org>
To: Paul Taylor <jenningsthecat at yahoo.ca>; 563712 at bugs.debian.org
Sent: Mon, January 4, 2010 2:52:23 PM
Subject: Re: Bug#563712: Cannot remove Gnome-games, Cheese, Empathy,
Ekiga, Epiphany, Remmina, Rhythmbox without removing Gnome

> You seem to completely misunderstand the purpose of gnome and
> gnome-desktop-environment. These are metapackages, not regular
> packages. Removing them is not going to break any functionality
> per se.

Sorry for waking up an old bug, but I have come across the same
problem ... and removing the "gnome" metapackage does no good. In fact,
it tries to entice user to break its Desktop environment.
(See code on the bottom from a fresh squeeze.)


Do you really believe that a user uninstalling gnome-games wants to
uninstall stuff like Liferea, Network-manager, update-manager, gdebi ..
etc. ?
Because that is what removing that "not-needed" as you made it sound
"gnome" metapackage tries to achieve.

Any other suggestion on how to remove gnome-games (or gnome-screensaver
or ...) WITHOUT destroying the desktop environment?


Thanks in advance,
Milan Niznansky


root at debian64:/home/mino# aptitude purge gbrainy gnome-games xmahjongg
gnome-sudoku
The following packages will be REMOVED:  
  gnome-games{p} 
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 53 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 2,490 kB will be freed.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  gnome: Depends: gnome-games (>= 1:2.30) but it is not going to be
installed.
The following actions will resolve these dependencies:

     Remove the following packages:                                
1)     gnome                                                       

     Leave the following dependencies unresolved:                  
2)     gnome-games-data recommends gnome-games                     
3)     gnome-desktop-environment recommends gnome-games (>= 1:2.30)

Accept this solution? [Y/n/q/?] n
...
root at debian64:/# apt-get remove gnome
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer
required:
  libpcsclite1 usb-modeswitch gtk2-engines-smooth dnsmasq-base tomboy
libmono-security2.0-cil update-notifier-common
  libndesk-dbus1.0-cil libmono-addins-gui0.2-cil libmono-system2.0-cil
update-notifier python-mako network-manager-gnome gdebi
  libgpod-common libgnomepanel2.24-cil libmono-corlib2.0-cil cli-common
rhythmbox libmono-cairo2.0-cil libgexiv2-0
  libndesk-dbus-glib1.0-cil usb-modeswitch-data gnome-themes-extras
mobile-broadband-provider-info evolution-exchange
  transmission-gtk libmono-i18n-west2.0-cil update-manager-gnome
gdebi-core software-center libmono-posix2.0-cil mono-runtime
  libgpod4 libmono-addins0.2-cil libgnome2.24-cil transmission-common
gnome-codec-install shotwell update-manager-core
  python-webkit python-aptdaemon libgee2 network-manager
epiphany-extensions binfmt-support libnm-glib-vpn1 libgnome-vfs2.0-cil
  mono-gac python-vte modemmanager libglade2.0-cil libart2.0-cil
aptdaemon libglib2.0-cil mono-2.0-gac libgconf2.0-cil
  python-aptdaemon-gtk ppp tcl libmono-sharpzip2.84-cil wpasupplicant
gedit-plugins liferea gnome-themes-more media-player-info
  python-markupsafe liferea-data libgtk2.0-cil totem-mozilla
rhythmbox-plugin-cdrecorder rhythmbox-plugins libgmime2.4-cil
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  gnome
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 53 not upgraded.
After this operation, 57.3 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
(Reading database ... 151971 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing gnome ...

root at debian64:/# aptitude remove gbrainy gnome-games xmahjongg
gnome-sudoku gnome-games-data
The following packages will be REMOVED:  
  aptdaemon{u} binfmt-support{u} cli-common{u} dnsmasq-base{u}
epiphany-extensions{u} evolution-exchange{u} gdebi{u} 
  gdebi-core{u} gedit-plugins{u} gnome-codec-install{u} gnome-games
gnome-games-data gnome-themes-extras{u} 
  gnome-themes-more{u} gtk2-engines-smooth{u} libart2.0-cil{u}
libgconf2.0-cil{u} libgee2{u} libgexiv2-0{u} libglade2.0-cil{u} 
  libglib2.0-cil{u} libgmime2.4-cil{u} libgnome-vfs2.0-cil{u}
libgnome2.24-cil{u} libgnomepanel2.24-cil{u} libgpod-common{u} 
  libgpod4{u} libgtk2.0-cil{u} libmono-addins-gui0.2-cil{u}
libmono-addins0.2-cil{u} libmono-cairo2.0-cil{u} 
  libmono-corlib2.0-cil{u} libmono-i18n-west2.0-cil{u}
libmono-posix2.0-cil{u} libmono-security2.0-cil{u} 
  libmono-sharpzip2.84-cil{u} libmono-system2.0-cil{u}
libndesk-dbus-glib1.0-cil{u} libndesk-dbus1.0-cil{u} libnm-glib-vpn1{u} 
  libpcsclite1{u} liferea{u} liferea-data{u} media-player-info{u}
mobile-broadband-provider-info{u} modemmanager{u} 
  mono-2.0-gac{u} mono-gac{u} mono-runtime{u} network-manager{u}
network-manager-gnome{u} ppp{u} python-aptdaemon{u} 
  python-aptdaemon-gtk{u} python-mako{u} python-markupsafe{u}
python-vte{u} python-webkit{u} rhythmbox{u} 
  rhythmbox-plugin-cdrecorder{u} rhythmbox-plugins{u} shotwell{u}
software-center{u} tcl{u} tomboy{u} totem-mozilla{u} 
  transmission-common{u} transmission-gtk{u} update-manager-core{u}
update-manager-gnome{u} update-notifier{u} 
  update-notifier-common{u} usb-modeswitch{u} usb-modeswitch-data{u}
wpasupplicant{u} 
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 75 to remove and 52 not
upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 189 MB will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?]