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36

Can I automatically purge every package I've ever uninstalled?

rated 0 times [ 36] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 15303 / 2 Years ago, sun, july 10, 2022, 7:53:56

As an Ubuntu noob, I install and uninstall a lot of packages, to try them out. However, for months, I made the mistake of using apt-get remove instead of apt-get purge, which I didn't even realize exists.

Is there a way to cause apt-get to purge every package I've uninstalled? My system is full of leftover files I neither want or need from dozens of different packages.

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tocklftime

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2 Years ago

answered 2 Years ago cretanol · Accepted Answer

A simpler alternative, using aptitude (not installed by default)

sudo aptitude purge '~c'

~c is an aptitude search pattern, it means 'Select packages that were removed but not purged'. (The single quotes are to prevent the possible expansion of ~c by the shell as the home directory of a user c.)

Note that purging will remove system configuration files, usually located in /etc, but personal configuration files, usually in some hidden directory in your home, are not removed (it is not always simple to know which they are).