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Package Management Tools

 r |   remove 

This causes the package to be removed but leaves the conffiles installed. When

a package will be removed, but later replaced, it is sometimes desirable to

keep the conffile. An extreme example would be the passwd file. The pass 

word package could be successfully removed without damaging current system

operations only if the passwd file remains intact after the package has been re 

moved. This option provides that capability and allows for a package's removal

and replacement without loss of the conffile.

The  a |   pending option in place of a package name will cause dpkg to remove

all packages marked for removal in the status file. This status file looks much

like a Packages file with the addition of a Status: field. dselect (discussed in

the next section) edits this file based on the choices selected using its interface.

It is possible to edit the file /var/lib/dpkg/status (where this data is kept), but

it must be done carefully. As with all of the files in this  database  maintained

by dpkg and dselect, disastrous results can come from improper changes. A

reasonable amount of knowledge and understanding should be acquired before

changes are attempted in these files.

Use the tools provided to manage the package system. Only the most dire of

circumstances will warrant abandoning the tools in favor of modifying the files

directly.

  purge 

Unlike   remove, the   purge option not only removes the package but also

removes all the conffiles associated with that package. In this way all traces

of the package are eradicated from the system. This option also supports the

 a |   pending option in place of the package name.