Which packages are not required?

ravisghosh · 2006-10-21 06:02:29

Hi Friends,

Initially, I was trying to install arch by just installing base and then going ahead, but was unable to get X. Then, I installed base+X11+X11 libs+ X11 something (dont remember..) and after a lot of trouble, finally got XFCE installed and running (though still problems with fontsand have posted another query in desktop environment section). I have noticed that in doing so, I have installed a lot of things that are not required for my system, like xf86-input-bla bla and xf86-vide-bla bla, I know that only a few of them are required, but i'm afraid of uninstalling anything given that could break the system.

So, is there a way to determine which packages are being used by my system and which are required so that I can free up some space and make my box more slim.

Please post your opinions. Thanks in advance.

Ravi S Ghosh

Romashka · 2006-10-21 09:12:47

You should install only base packages. This is highly recommended.
Then

pacman -Syu
pacman -S xorg-server xorg-clients xf86-input-keyboard xf86-input-mouse xf86-video-<your>
pacman -S ttf-ms-fonts ttf-dejavu <other>
pacman -S xfce4 xfce4-goodies
X -configure

Then you'll have xorg.conf.new in your home directory. Copy it to /etc/X11/xorg.conf and modify it to your needs. Search the wiki for pages about installing/configuring Xorg/fonts/Xfce etc.

Romashka · 2006-10-21 09:14:54

ravisghosh wrote:

So, is there a way to determine which packages are being used by my system and which are required so that I can free up some space and make my box more slim.

There's no way to tell which packages are "used by your system" because Pacman doesn't know which packages you use and which are simply lying there.

detto · 2006-10-21 10:04:02

To the xorg-server thing i have one comment: I always install it with

pacman -S xorg

because this is a small metapackage which includes xorg-server, xf86-input-keyboard xf86-input-mouse xf86-video-vesa and is also just bare minimum imo but you can be sure that things work afterwards
just my 2c,

cheers,
deTTo

dolby · 2006-10-21 14:48:14

just a note. not all packages from base are required in many occasions. for example lilo if u use grub or wireless toolz if u dont have any in your pc. etc..

FUBAR · 2006-10-21 15:24:27

Just do

pacman -Qe
pacman -Rs <unneeded>

Repeat those steps until you've removed all the packages you don't need.

Romashka · 2006-10-21 17:08:18

Pacman -Qe don't do what's needed. Search for orphans script on forums.

FUBAR · 2006-10-21 20:33:27

[22:30:01|foo@bar:~] $ pacman -Q --help
usage:  pacman {-Q --query} [options] [package]
options:
  -e, --orphans       list all packages that were explicitly installed
                      and are not required by any other packages

o_O

patroclo7 · 2006-10-21 21:12:45

FUBAR wrote:

[22:30:01|foo@bar:~] $ pacman -Q --help
usage:  pacman {-Q --query} [options] [package]
options:
  -e, --orphans       list all packages that were explicitly installed
                      and are not required by any other packages

o_O

There are two notions of "orphan". As it is meant in the orphan script, a package is an orphan iff it is not needed in a working system. This is an intrinsically vague target, which can be focussed only through a partial heuristics.

In the sense of the -Qe pacman option, an app is an orphan iff it is not a dependency of another package. In this sense, many vital apps -- explicitly installed -- in a system are orphans.

However, it is true that pacman -Qe allows to have a list of the top-level apps (the stuff you know what it is, without the libraries etc.). If you identify in the list of pacman orphans the apps you do not need and then remove them with 'pacman -Rsc', you clean your system pretty well.

However, you should be careful, many problems can be foreseen when you do not know what it is the package you are removing.

Arch Linux

#1 2006-10-21 06:02:29

Which packages are not required?

#2 2006-10-21 09:12:47

Re: Which packages are not required?

#3 2006-10-21 09:14:54

Re: Which packages are not required?

#4 2006-10-21 10:04:02

Re: Which packages are not required?

#5 2006-10-21 14:48:14

Re: Which packages are not required?

#6 2006-10-21 15:24:27

Re: Which packages are not required?

#7 2006-10-21 17:08:18

Re: Which packages are not required?

#8 2006-10-21 20:33:27

Re: Which packages are not required?

#9 2006-10-21 21:12:45

Re: Which packages are not required?

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