Completely remove unused components

[Joey Mendez]

Hi,

Can I remove completely all of these components with all dependencies: Akonadi, Nepomuk, Akregator, KMail, KDE IM Contacts, KDE IM Log Viewer, Import Wizard, Quassel IRC, KAddressBook, Kontakt, KOrganizer, KNotes, aka all of the KDE PIM

I googled, but I haven't find any comprehensive tutorial, how to do this.

I don't want to just sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove <package1> <package2> without I get confirmation from the experts from community to this will not endanger the stability of the system as I don't use any of them.

Formerly I removed (with purge) Amarok and left some of files in .config and /.kde/share/ even in the /usr/share/kubuntu-default-settings/kde4-profile/default/share/config/ has an amarokrc and an Amarok-pixmaps.kcache in the var/tmp/kdecache-username

Furthermore can I remove some built-in software what I don't use, because I use different softwares, like KTorrent (I use qBittorrent) and Dragon Player (I use VLC)? And some built-in software what I don't use, because I haven't touchpad or touchscreen, like KMag, synaptiks, Kvkbd? The synaptiks also included in the autostart, but I haven't use.

Thanks in advance!

[Snowhog]

The 'quick' answer is 'no'.

From a console you can simulate the purge to see what packages would be removed:

sudo apt-get purge --simulate packagename

For example, a simulated purge of Akonadi and Nepomuk:

sudo apt-get purge --simulate akonadi* nepomuk*

reports the following 256 packages would be removed/purged:

The following packages will be REMOVED:
adobe-flash-properties-kde* akonadi-backend-mysql* akonadi-server* akregator* amarok*
apport-kde* apturl-kde* ark* audiocd-kio* bluedevil* dolphin* dragonplayer* freespacenotifier*
gstreamer0.10-qapt* gwenview* jockey-kde* k3b* kaccessible* kaddressbook* kaffeine* kamera*
kamerka* kate* katepart* kcalc* kde-baseapps-bin* kde-config-touchpad* kde-runtime*
kde-style-oxygen* kde-window-manager* kde-window-manager-common* kde-workspace*
kde-workspace-bin* kde-zeroconf* kdebase-runtime* kdelibs-bin* kdelibs5-dev* kdelibs5-plugins*
kdemultimedia-kio-plugins* kdenetwork-filesharing* kdepasswd* kdepim-kresources* kdepim-runtime*
kdepim-strigi-plugins* kdepimlibs-kio-plugins* kdesudo* kdiff3* kdm* kdoctools* khelpcenter4*
kinfocenter* kmag* kmail* kmenuedit* kmix* kmousetool* kmymoney* knotes* konsole* kontact*
kopete* kopete-message-indicator* korganizer* kpat* kppp* krdc* ksnapshot* ksysguard*
ksystemlog* ktorrent* kubuntu-debug-installer* kubuntu-desktop* kubuntu-firefox-installer*
kubuntu-notification-helper* kvkbd* kwalletmanager* language-selector-kde* libakonadi-calendar4*
libakonadi-contact4* libakonadi-kabc4* libakonadi-kcal4* libakonadi-kde4* libakonadi-kmime4*
libakonadi-notes4* libakonadiprotocolinternals1* libcalendarsupport4* libeventviews4*
libincidenceeditorsng4* libk3b6* libkabc4* libkactivities-bin* libkactivities-models1*
libkactivities6* libkalarmcal2* libkateinterfaces4* libkatepartinterfaces4* libkblog4* libkcal4*
libkcalutils4* libkcddb4* libkde3support4* libkdegames6* libkdepim4* libkdepimdbusinterfaces4*
libkdewebkit5* libkemoticons4* libkfile4* libkgapi0* libkhtml5* libkimproxy4* libkio5*
libkipi10* libkipi8* libkleo4* libkmanagesieve4* libkmediaplayer4* libknewstuff2-4*
libknewstuff3-4* libknotifyconfig4* libkolab0* libkonq-common* libkonq5abi1*
libkontactinterface4* libkopete4* libkparts4* libkpimidentities4* libkpimtextedit4*
libkpimutils4* libkprintutils4* libkrossui4* libksieveui4* libktexteditor4* libktnef4*
libktorrent-l10n* libktorrent3* libkutils4* libkworkspace4abi1* libkworkspace4abi2*
libkxmlrpcclient4* libmailcommon4* libmailimporter4* libmailtransport4* libmessagecomposer4*
libmessagecore4* libmessagelist4* libmessageviewer4* libmicroblog4* libmuonprivate1*
libnepomuk4* libnepomukcore4abi1* libnepomukquery4a* libnepomukutils4* libnepomukwidgets4*
libokularcore1abi1* libokularcore2abi1* libpimcommon4* libplasma3* libplasmaclock4abi3*
libplasmagenericshell4* libreoffice-kde* libsyndication4* libtaskmanager4abi3*
libtemplateparser4* libweather-ion6* muon* muon-installer* muon-notifier* muon-updater*
nepomuk-core* nepomuk-core-data* nepomuk-core-dbg* nepomuk-core-dev*
nepomuk-core-ffmpegextractor* okular* okular-extra-backends* partitionmanager*
plasma-dataengines-addons* plasma-dataengines-workspace* plasma-desktop* plasma-netbook*
plasma-scriptengine-javascript* plasma-scriptengine-python* plasma-widget-facebook*
plasma-widget-folderview* plasma-widget-kimpanel* plasma-widget-lancelot* plasma-widget-menubar*
plasma-widget-message-indicator* plasma-widget-networkmanagement* plasma-widget-quickaccess*
plasma-widgets-addons* plasma-widgets-workspace* polkit-kde-1* printer-applet* python-kde4*
qapt-batch* qapt-deb-installer* quassel* rekonq* software-properties-kde*
system-config-printer-kde* systemsettings* update-manager-kde* usb-creator-kde* userconfig*
yakuake*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 206 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

You may think that removal of packages you don't use is a good thing, but many packages contain dependencies to other applications that you need/use or that are required for the functioning of the desktop environment.

[Joey Mendez]

Are there any chance to change this behavior and these packages will be removable/optional in the next Kubuntu? 13.04 or 13.10? Why depends these resource hogs from the other (important) packages? It's not too logical. I mean, if I can run flawlessly the Dolphin, Plasma, Muon, Okular, etc. with disabled Akonadi and Nepomuk that why can't run flawlessly with removed Akonadi and Nepomuk?

What happens, if I remove only the unnecessary packages without using wildcard?

[Snowhog]

Not to be harsh, but what you desire just can't be done. That you can run your system apps with Akonadi and Nepomuk disabled is 'normal'. The dependent applications/libraries they have/require are still installed.

To illustrate, if you were to purge just akonadi-server, the following packages get purged as well:

The following packages will be REMOVED:
akonadi-server* apport-kde* apturl-kde* jockey-kde* kde-config-touchpad* kde-workspace*
kde-workspace-bin* kdepim-runtime* kmymoney* kontact* korganizer* kubuntu-desktop*
language-selector-kde* libkgapi0* libkolab0* libmuonprivate1* muon* muon-installer*
muon-notifier* muon-updater* plasma-desktop* plasma-netbook* plasma-scriptengine-python*
plasma-widget-facebook* plasma-widgets-workspace* printer-applet* python-kde4*
software-properties-kde* system-config-printer-kde* update-manager-kde* usb-creator-kde*
userconfig*

[Joey Mendez]

Ok. And if I just remove the KDE PIM (Akregator, KMail, KDE IM Contacts, KDE IM Log Viewer, Import Wizard, Quassel IRC, KAddressBook, Kontakt, KOrganizer, KNotes) completely without Akonadi and Nepomuk? Is it possible?

[Snowhog]

Akregator (akregator) - yes
KMail (kmail) - yes
Kontacts (kontact) - yes
Quassel (quassel) - yes
KAddressBook (kaddressbook) - yes
KOrganizer (korganizer) - yes
KNotes (knotes) - yes

In a console you would type:

sudo apt-get purge akregator kmail kontact kaddressbook korganizer knotes

I don't know about KDE IM Contacts or KDE IM Log Viewer as I don't have those.

[dmeyer]

Are there any chance to change this behavior and these packages will be removable/optional in the next Kubuntu? 13.04 or 13.10? Why depends these resource hogs from the other (important) packages? It's not too logical. I mean, if I can run flawlessly the Dolphin, Plasma, Muon, Okular, etc. with disabled Akonadi and Nepomuk that why can't run flawlessly with removed Akonadi and Nepomuk?

What happens, if I remove only the unnecessary packages without using wildcard?

This has always been a complaint about KDE. KDE's Frameworks 5 aims to fix this. Just live with the extra packages. You can always just use the menu editor and remove them.

[Joey Mendez]

I don't know about KDE IM Contacts or KDE IM Log Viewer as I don't have those.

Thanks! The KDE IM = Telepathy. So can I remove Telepathy without problem?

[Snowhog]

Just test the purging in a console:

sudo apt-get purge --simulate kde-telepathy

If you see:

The following packages will be REMOVED:
kde-telepathy*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

Then 'yes'. If it list more than that, then 'maybe' no.

[Joey Mendez]

You missed 2 packages: libkontactinterface4 releated to Kontact and quassel-data releated to Quassel

BTW the Telepathy has many dependencies, but I don't see any critial:

0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 26 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Purg kde-telepathy [0.5.0ubuntu1]
Purg kde-telepathy-minimal [0.5.0ubuntu1]
Purg kde-config-telepathy-accounts [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg kde-telepathy-approver [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg kde-telepathy-auth-handler [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg kde-telepathy-contact-list [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg plasma-widget-telepathy-presence [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg plasma-widget-telepathy-chat [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg kde-telepathy-text-ui [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg kde-telepathy-send-file [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg kde-telepathy-integration-module [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg kde-telepathy-filetransfer-handler [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg kde-telepathy-data [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg krdc [4:4.9.4-0ubuntu0.1]
Purg libktpchat0 [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg libktpcommoninternalsprivate3 [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg telepathy-mission-control-5 [1:5.13.1-0ubuntu3]
Purg libmission-control-plugins0 [1:5.13.1-0ubuntu3]
Purg telepathy-logger [0.4.0-2~ubuntu12.10.0]
Purg libtelepathy-logger-qt4-1 [0.5.1-0ubuntu1]
Purg libtelepathy-logger2 [0.4.0-2~ubuntu12.10.0]
Purg telepathy-salut [0.8.0-2]
Purg telepathy-haze [0.6.0-1]
Purg telepathy-gabble [0.16.1-2]
Purg libtelepathy-glib0 [0.20.0-0ubuntu1]
Purg libtelepathy-qt4-2 [0.9.3-0ubuntu2]

It seems to all of the 26 releated to Telepathy. The KRDC is the remote desktop. I don't use, but if I would use it supposed to work without it. The system will be stable without these?

[Snowhog]

The system will be stable without these?

I don't know for sure, but likely. The best suggestion is to make a copy of the applications/dependencies that would be removed by outputting the results to a file:

sudo apt-get purge --simulate filename > topurge.txt

That way, if you do realize a problem(s)/issue(s) after the purge, you'll have a listing of what was purged so they can be re-installed.