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Hello,
I am not sure if this is the right place to post this question, so moderators feel free to move my post to the correct topic if necessary.
I've read this: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Package_group but I would like to clarify that I correctly understand the following:
Let's say, I've installed a meta-package, which of course has installed all of the packages contained in it, and then I decide that I don't want all the apps in this meta-package.
Can I remove that meta-package with
pacman -R meta-package
and then remove all the apps that I don't want with
pacman -Rs package
Last edited by dsch (2019-07-28 12:27:03)
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You can, but the packages installed by the metapackage are installed as dependencies. You'll want to use pacman -D to set them as explicitly installed if you want to keep them. Otherwise they could get removed when you remove something else with -Rs.
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Thanks for the answer @Scimmia, so for each package in the meta, I need to do:
pacman -D --asexplicit package
I've never used that and I am not sure how it works.
The man says:
-D, --database
Operate on the package database. This operation allows you to modify certain attributes of the installed packages in pacman’s database. It also allows you to check the databases for internal consistency. See Database Options
below.
I am not sure I understand that.
Last edited by dsch (2019-07-28 00:33:38)
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so for each package in the meta that i want to keep, I need to do:
added by me
install reason is an attribute each installed package has in pacman's database.
You can change it by using pacman -S --asexplicit , but this causes a re-install.
Using the --database operation to change only the attribute is simpler & cleaner.
Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2019-07-28 12:09:00)
Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.
(A works at time B) && (time C > time B ) ≠ (A works at time C)
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In summary, the cleanest approach is two commands:
pacman -D --asexplicit $pkg1_to_keep $pkg2_to_keep $pk3_to_keep ...
pacman -Rsn $meta_package
"UNIX is simple and coherent..." - Dennis Ritchie, "GNU's Not UNIX" - Richard Stallman
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Thank you all for your help!
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