If a package is removed, it is only uninstalled, but the configuration remains on the system. This is a good thing, as you are able to reinstall the package and have it configured with the old configuration. But if you want to cleanup this old stuff, you can ge a list of uninstalled (but not purged) packages with this command:
dpkg --get-selections | grep 'deinstall$'
You can feed this list directly to aptitude to purge the packages:
aptitude purge $(dpkg --get-selections | grep 'deinstall$' | cut -f1)
If a packages is installed, all its dependencies are also automatically installed.
If the selected package is removed or the dependencies change, there can be left over packages.
deborphan is an utility which searches for automatically installed but leftover packages.
First, you have to install deborpan:
aptitude install deborphan
Then you can get the list of orphans:
deborphan
If you want, you can even more suggestions for packages to remove:
deborphan --help
Usage: deborphan [OPTIONS] [PACKAGE]... The following options are available: --help, -h This help. --status-file, -f FILE Use FILE as statusfile. --version, -v Version information. --show-deps, -d Show dependencies for packages that have them. --show-priority, -P Show priority of packages found. --show-section, -s Show the sections the packages are in. --no-show-section Do not show sections. --show-size, -z Show installed size of packages found. --all-packages, -a Compare all packages, not just libs. --exclude, -e LIST Work as if packages in LIST were not installed. --force-hold, -H Ignore hold flags. --nice-mode, -n Disable checks for `recommends' and `suggests'. --ignore-recommends Disable checks for `recommends'. --ignore-suggests Disable checks for `suggests'. --priority, -p PRIOR Select only packages with priority >= PRIOR. --find-config Find "orphaned" configuration files. --libdevel Search in libdevel in addition to libs and oldlibs. --add-keep, -A PKGS.. Never report PKGS. --keep-file, -k FILE Use FILE to get/store info about kept packages. --list-keep, -L List the packages that are never reported. --del-keep, -R PKGS.. Remove PKGS from the "keep" file. --zero-keep, -Z Remove all packages from the "keep" file. --guess-common Try to report common packages. --guess-data Try to report data packages. --guess-debug Try to report debugging libraries. --guess-dev Try to report development packages. --guess-doc Try to report documentation packages. --guess-dummy Try to report dummy packages. --guess-kernel Try to report kernel modules. --guess-interpreters Try to report interpreter libraries. --guess-mono Try to report mono libraries. --guess-perl Try to report perl libraries. --guess-pike Try to report pike libraries. --guess-python Try to report python libraries. --guess-ruby Try to report ruby libraries. --guess-section Try to report libraries in wrong sections. --guess-all Try all of the above. --guess-only Use --guess options only. See also: deborphan(1), orphaner(8) Report bugs to: Carsten Hey <c.hey@web.de>
I'm using the –guess-all option which lists all orphans which deborphan can find:
deborphan --guess-all
You can feed this list directly to aptitude to purge the packages:
aptitude purge $(deborphan --guess-all)