Justin B Rye wrote: > This patch also tweaks section 2.1.3: > > The preferred program for interactive package management from a > terminal is _aptitude_. For a non-interactive command line interface > for package management, it is recommended to use _apt-get_. [...] > > Obviously, if I say "apt-get purge dbus", it won't perform that action > "non-interactively", it'll ask "Do you want to continue [Y/n]?" - it's > just that it won't use a persistent textual UI.
See also http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2013/04/msg00322.html for further evidence that unless you already know what it means, this jargon only makes sense when it's accompanied by an explanation. This patch incorporates the changes for "redundant/obsolete" packages along with the revised text for aptitude modes, which is purely additive - it doesn't remove the arcane One True Name of Visual Mode, it just supplements it with an intelligible description. The one I'm using, "full-screen", wasn't my first choice, but it's the one that automatically wins any argument that's based on the length of time it has been in a man page. Again, alternative suggestions other than "wontfix" are welcome. -- JBR with qualifications in linguistics, experience as a Debian sysadmin, and probably no clue about this particular package
Index: whats-new.dbk =================================================================== --- whats-new.dbk (revision 9722) +++ whats-new.dbk (working copy) @@ -437,9 +437,10 @@ <section id="pkgmgmt"> <title>Package management</title> <para> -The preferred program for interactive package management from a terminal is -<command>aptitude</command>. For a non-interactive command line interface -for package management, it is recommended to use <command>apt-get</command>. +The preferred program for extensive interactions with the package +management sysyem is <command>aptitude</command> in its full-screen +<quote>visual</quote> mode. For individual package management actions, +it is recommended to use <command>apt-get</command> on the command line. <command>apt-get</command> is also the preferred tool for upgrades between major releases. </para> Index: upgrading.dbk =================================================================== --- upgrading.dbk (revision 9722) +++ upgrading.dbk (working copy) @@ -300,7 +300,8 @@ linkend="old-sources"/>. </para> <para> -To perform this review, launch <command>aptitude</command> in <quote>visual mode</quote> and +To perform this review, launch <command>aptitude</command> in its +full-screen <quote>visual mode</quote> and press <keycap>g</keycap> (<quote>Go</quote>). If it shows any actions, you should review them and either fix them or implement the suggested actions. If no actions are suggested you will be presented with a message saying <quote>No packages are scheduled to be installed, @@ -718,32 +719,46 @@ <listitem> <para> Remove forgotten packages. If you have -<systemitem role="package">popularity-contest</systemitem> installed, you can use -<command>popcon-largest-unused</command> to list the packages you do not use -that occupy the most space. You can also use -<command>deborphan</command> or <command>debfoster</command> to find obsolete -packages (see <xref linkend="obsolete"/> ). Alternatively you can start -<command>aptitude</command> in <quote>visual mode</quote> and find obsolete packages under -<quote>Obsolete and Locally Created Packages</quote>. +used <command>aptitude</command> or <command>apt-get</command> to manually +install packages in &oldreleasename; it will have kept track of those packages +you manually installed, and will be able to mark as redundant those packages +pulled in by dependencies alone which are no longer needed due to a package being +removed. They will not mark for removal packages that you manually installed. To +remove automatically installed packages that are no longer used, run: </para> +<screen> +# apt-get autoremove +</screen> +<para> +You can also use <command>deborphan</command>, +<command>debfoster</command>, or <command>cruft</command> to find redundant +packages. In default mode, <command>deborphan</command> will only report +redundant libraries: packages in the <quote><literal>libs</literal></quote> or +<quote><literal>oldlibs</literal></quote> sections that are not used by any +other packages. Do not blindly remove the packages these tools present, +especially if you are using aggressive non-default options that are prone to +false positives. It is highly recommended that you manually review the +packages suggested for removal (i.e. their contents, sizes, and descriptions) +before you remove them. +</para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> Remove packages that take up too much space and are not currently -needed (you -can always reinstall them after the upgrade). You can list the packages that -take up the most disk space with <command>dpigs</command> (available in the -<systemitem role="package">debian-goodies</systemitem> package) or with -<command>wajig</command> (running <literal>wajig size</literal>). -</para> -<para> -You can list packages that take up most of the disk space with -<systemitem role="package">aptitude</systemitem>. Start -<command>aptitude</command> in <quote>visual mode</quote>, +needed (you can always reinstall them after the upgrade). If you have +<systemitem role="package">popularity-contest</systemitem> installed, +you can use <command>popcon-largest-unused</command> to list the +packages you do not use that occupy the most space. You can find the +packages that just take up the most disk space with <command>dpigs</command> +(available in the <systemitem role="package">debian-goodies</systemitem> +package) or with <command>wajig</command> (running <literal>wajig +size</literal>). They can also be found with <systemitem +role="package">aptitude</systemitem>. Start <command>aptitude</command> in +its full-screen <quote>visual mode</quote>, select <menuchoice><guimenu>Views</guimenu><guimenuitem>New Flat Package List</guimenuitem></menuchoice>, press <keycap>l</keycap> and enter -<literal>~i</literal>, press <keycap>S</keycap> and enter -<literal>~installsize</literal>, then it will give you nice list to work +<literal>~i</literal>, then press <keycap>S</keycap> and enter +<literal>~installsize</literal>. This will give you handy list to work with. </para> </listitem> @@ -1907,7 +1922,8 @@ <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para> -Remove obsolete and unused packages as described in <xref linkend="obsolete"/>. +Remove newly redundant or obsolete packages as described in +<xref linkend="sufficient-space"/> and <xref linkend="obsolete"/>. You should review which configuration files they use and consider purging the packages to remove their configuration files. </para> @@ -1966,32 +1982,6 @@ <quote>Obsolete and Locally Created Packages</quote> entry. </para> <para> -Also, if you have used <command>aptitude</command> or -<command>apt-get</command> to manually install packages in &oldreleasename; -it will have kept track of those packages you manually installed and will be -able to mark as obsolete those packages pulled in by dependencies alone which -are no longer needed if a package has been removed. -<command>aptitude</command> and <systemitem role="package">apt</systemitem>, -unlike <command>deborphan</command>, will not mark for removal packages that -you manually installed, as opposed to those that were automatically -installed through dependencies. To remove automatically installed packages -that are no longer used, run: -</para> -<screen> -# apt-get autoremove -</screen> -<para> -There are additional tools you can use to find obsolete packages such as -<command>deborphan</command>, <command>debfoster</command> or -<command>cruft</command>. <command>deborphan</command> is highly recommended, -although it will (in default mode) only report obsolete libraries: packages in -the <quote><literal>libs</literal></quote> or <quote><literal>oldlibs</literal></quote> sections that are not used by any other packages. Do not -blindly remove the packages these tools present, especially if you are using -aggressive non-default options that are prone to produce false positives. It -is highly recommended that you manually review the packages suggested for -removal (i.e. their contents, size and description) before you remove them. -</para> -<para> The <ulink url="&url-bts;">Debian Bug Tracking System</ulink> often provides additional information on why the package was removed. You should review both the archived bug reports for the package itself and the @@ -2149,7 +2139,7 @@ to improve system maintainability. To ease the upgrade path in such cases, &releasename; often provides <quote>dummy</quote> packages: empty packages that have the same name as the old package in &oldreleasename; with dependencies that cause the new packages to be -installed. These <quote>dummy</quote> packages are considered obsolete packages after the +installed. These <quote>dummy</quote> packages are considered redundant after the upgrade and can be safely removed. </para> <para>
