Question about Adapt/Apt

[gavinjb]

Hi,

I have just started to play with Linux, and so far I am happy, but while reading reviews on the NET, I saw a review which mentioned that adapt doesnt have a list of all files installed on your pc e.g. if you installed GIMP and it installed several additional libraries etc.. it would only know that it installed GIMP, so if you go to uninstall it would only know to uninstall GIMP.

Is this the case or was the review telling a load of rubbish, if this is the case, I will look at Synaptics.

Also is it possible to get Apt to show list files you are interested in installing, for example with YUM on Fedora I could tell it to search for Ama*, and it would list all apps starting with Ama.

Thanks for the help.


Gavin,

[The Liquidator]

Re: Question about Adapt/Apt

To get adept to install additional packages (mine is showing some 18000 available) you need to set up extra repositories.

A good guide is here:

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/installingsoftware

Ian

[Fenyx]

Re: Question about Adapt/Apt

That review is totally wrong. Any package manager can show you what is installed in your system. If you installed the GIMP, it will install its dependencies and will know about them.

However, the feature you are looking for (uninstalling the GIMP will also uninstall its dependencies) is not present in Adept, apt-get, or even Synaptic (btw, Synaptics is a totally different thing). Only Aptitude, which is a command line program similar to apt-get, does that. (Aptitude does have a command-line based GUI, but it's even harder to use than just typing in the commands).

[gavinjb]

Re: Question about Adapt/Apt

Hi,

Thanks for the help.  But what would you reconmend using to install software Synaptic/Adept/apt-get or Aptitude.  As Adept/Synaptic are nice an easy to use, and you dont need to open a console to run them while Apt-get and Aptitude (from what I can see of Aptitude) needs a console window.

Unless there is a kde/gnome... GUI for Aptitude


Gavin,