xubuntu-desktop remove Gnome, *OFFICIAL* procedure?

BFG · 2020-12-16 13:03:04

I'm using xubuntu-desktop and I'm wondering if there is an official method published for removing / purging gnome packages. i can find plenty of user opinions in forums and blogs, but they are all slightly different.

I searched xfce.org and xubuntu.org and so far I haven't found anything.
Is there one?

Info gathering...........

I've never used the wiki before but I'd be happy to contribute and write up something if necessary. But I'm hoping it exists and I've missed it.

Personally my goal is only to eliminate conflicts, such as with gnome-power-manager, But I appreciate others might want to make the system as lightweight as possible and remove every element of gnome including desktop wallpapers.

So far I've amalgamated from various forum posts the below items.

One caution for 20.04, is that wildcards will fail, perhaps with unpredictable results.

For bulk removals, where we see listed
sudo apt purge gnome-*

It should instead be:
sudo apt purge '?name(^gnome-*)'

This is due to changes in apt pattern matching.

activity-log-manager-common
activity-log-manager-common
adwaita-icon-theme
compiz # n/a for 18.04 onwards
compiz* # n/a for 18.04 onwards
gedit-common
geogebra-gnome
gir1.2-gdm-1.0
gir1.2-goa-1.0
gir1.2-gtd-1.0
guile-gnome2-dev
guile-gnome2-glib
hud
language-pack-gnome-en
language-pack-gnome-en-base
language-pack-gnome-ru
language-pack-gnome-ru-base
libgnome-autoar-0-0
libgnome-autoar-doc
libgnome-games-support-common
libgnome-menu-3-0
libgnome-panel-doc
libgnome-todo
libgnome-todo-dev
libgnomecanvas2-common
libgnomecanvas2-doc
libgnomecanvasmm-2.6-doc
libgnomekbd-common
libgoa-1.0-0b
libgoa-1.0-common
libopenrawgnome-dev
libopenrawgnome7:amd64
libpam-gnome-keyring
libreoffice-gnome
libsoup-gnome2.4-1
libxine2-gnome:amd64
libzeitgeist* # n/a for 18.04 onwards
nautilus-extension-gnome-terminal
nautilus-sendto
overlay-scrollba*
pidgin-gnome-keyring
plymouth-theme-ubuntu-gnome-logo
plymouth-theme-ubuntu-gnome-text
python-zeitgeist # n/a for 18.04 onwards
ubuntu-gnome-wallpapers
ubuntu-gnome-wallpapers-trusty
ubuntu-gnome-wallpapers-utopic
ubuntu-gnome-wallpapers-xenial
ubuntu-gnome-wallpapers-yakkety
unity # n/a for 18.04 onwards
unity* # n/a for 18.04 onwards
yaru-theme-gnome-shell
zeitgeist # n/a for 18.04 onwards
zeitgeist* # n/a for 18.04 onwards

This next panel seem to be incorrect. Forum posts propose removing them, but they are installed by xubuntu-desktop anyway

gir1.2-gnomebluetooth-1.0
gir1.2-gnomedesktop-3.0
language-selector-gnome
libgail-common
libgail18
libgnome-bluetooth13
libgnome-desktop-3-19
libgnome-games-support-1-3
libgnomekbd8
pinentry-gnome3
catfish
gigolo

The following were mentioned individually, but presumably would be tackled by removing
gnome-*, except again, some of these are installed by xubuntu-desktop

gnome-accessibility-profiles
gnome-accessibility-themes
gnome-applet*
gnome-applets-data
gnome-audio
gnome-backgrounds
gnome-bluetooth
gnome-calculator
gnome-calendar
gnome-cards-data
gnome-characters
gnome-common
gnome-control-center
gnome-control-center-data
gnome-control-center-faces
gnome-desktop-testing
gnome-desktop*
gnome-desktop3-data
gnome-dvb-daemon
gnome-exe-thumbnailer
gnome-extra-icons
gnome-flashback-common
gnome-font-viewer
gnome-getting-started-docs
gnome-getting-started-docs-ru
gnome-humility-icon-theme
gnome-hwp-support
gnome-icon-theme
gnome-icon-theme-gartoon
gnome-icon-theme-gartoon-redux
gnome-icon-theme-gperfection2
gnome-icon-theme-nuovo
gnome-icon-theme-suede
gnome-icon-theme-yasis
gnome-initial-setup
gnome-keyring
gnome-keyring-pkcs11
gnome-logs
gnome-mahjongg
gnome-menus
gnome-mime-data
gnome-mines
gnome-nds-thumbnailer
gnome-online-accounts
gnome-packagekit-data
gnome-pane*
gnome-panel-control
gnome-panel-data
gnome-pkg-tools
gnome-power-manager
gnome-recipes-data
gnome-remote-desktop
gnome-screensaver
gnome-screenshot
gnome-sessio*
gnome-session-bin
gnome-session-canberra
gnome-session-common
gnome-settings
gnome-settings-daemon
gnome-settings-daemon-common
gnome-settings-daemon-dev
gnome-shell
gnome-shell-common
gnome-shell-extension-appindicator
gnome-shell-extension-desktop-icons
gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock
gnome-shell-pomodoro-data
gnome-software-common
gnome-software-doc
gnome-startup-applications
gnome-sudoku
gnome-system-monitor
gnome-termina*
gnome-terminal
gnome-terminal-data
gnome-theme-gilouche
gnome-themes-extra
gnome-themes-extra-data
gnome-todo
gnome-todo-common
gnome-user-docs
gnome-user-docs-ru
gnome-user*
gnome-video-effects
gnome-video-effects-extra
gnome-video-effects-frei0r

Of the above, these are installed by xubuntu-desktop

gnome-control-center
gnome-font-viewer
gnome-keyring
gnome-mines
gnome-online-accounts
gnome-session-bin
gnome-settings-daemon
gnome-shell
gnome-startup-applications
gnome-sudoku

So for the above lists (excluding items in XFCE anyway):
Note - add sudo manually

apt purge activity-log-manager-common adwaita-icon-theme compiz '?name(^compiz*)'  gedit-common geogebra-gnome gir1.2-gdm-1.0 gir1.2-goa-1.0 gir1.2-gtd-1.0 guile-gnome2-dev guile-gnome2-glib hud language-pack-gnome-en language-pack-gnome-en-base language-pack-gnome-ru language-pack-gnome-ru-base libgnome-autoar-0-0 libgnome-autoar-doc libgnome-games-support-common libgnome-menu-3-0 libgnome-panel-doc libgnome-todo libgnome-todo-dev libgnomecanvas2-common libgnomecanvas2-doc libgnomecanvasmm-2.6-doc libgnomekbd-common libgoa-1.0-0b libgoa-1.0-common libopenrawgnome-dev libopenrawgnome7:amd64 libpam-gnome-keyring libreoffice-gnome libsoup-gnome2.4-1 libxine2-gnome:amd64 '?name(^libzeitgeist*)'  nautilus-extension-gnome-terminal nautilus-sendto '?name(^overlay-scrollba*)'  pidgin-gnome-keyring plymouth-theme-ubuntu-gnome-logo plymouth-theme-ubuntu-gnome-text python-zeitgeist ubuntu-gnome-wallpapers ubuntu-gnome-wallpapers-trusty ubuntu-gnome-wallpapers-utopic ubuntu-gnome-wallpapers-xenial ubuntu-gnome-wallpapers-yakkety unity '?name(^unity*)'  yaru-theme-gnome-shell zeitgeist '?name(^zeitgeist*)' 	

apt purge aisleriot deja-dup gedit nautilus '?name(^nautilus-*)'  '?name(^parole*)'  '?name(^snap*)'  whoopsie							


# Remove ALL gnome packages using wildcard (install xubuntu-desktop after this)
	apt purge  '?name(^gnome-*)' 

#OR, individually excluding XFCE required packages, as:
			

apt purge gnome-accessibility-profiles gnome-accessibility-themes '?name(^gnome-applet*)'  gnome-applets-data gnome-audio gnome-backgrounds gnome-bluetooth gnome-calculator gnome-calendar gnome-cards-data gnome-characters gnome-common gnome-control-center-data gnome-control-center-faces gnome-desktop-testing '?name(^gnome-desktop*)'  gnome-desktop3-data gnome-dvb-daemon gnome-exe-thumbnailer gnome-extra-icons gnome-flashback-common gnome-getting-started-docs gnome-getting-started-docs-ru gnome-humility-icon-theme gnome-hwp-support gnome-icon-theme gnome-icon-theme-gartoon gnome-icon-theme-gartoon-redux gnome-icon-theme-gperfection2 gnome-icon-theme-nuovo gnome-icon-theme-suede gnome-icon-theme-yasis gnome-initial-setup gnome-keyring-pkcs11 gnome-logs gnome-mahjongg gnome-menus gnome-mime-data gnome-nds-thumbnailer gnome-packagekit-data '?name(^gnome-pane*)'  gnome-panel-control gnome-panel-data gnome-pkg-tools gnome-power-manager gnome-recipes-data gnome-remote-desktop gnome-screensaver gnome-screenshot gnome-session-canberra gnome-session-common gnome-settings gnome-settings-daemon-common gnome-settings-daemon-dev gnome-shell-common gnome-shell-extension-appindicator gnome-shell-extension-desktop-icons gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock gnome-shell-pomodoro-data gnome-software-common gnome-software-doc gnome-system-monitor '?name(^gnome-termina*)'  gnome-terminal gnome-terminal-data gnome-theme-gilouche gnome-themes-extra gnome-themes-extra-data gnome-todo gnome-todo-common gnome-user-docs-ru '?name(^gnome-user*)'  gnome-video-effects gnome-video-effects-extra gnome-video-effects-frei0r

Please feel free to comment / correct and I will amend.

Last edited by BFG (2020-12-17 13:11:33)

Gabriel_M · 2020-12-22 18:33:14

You could try the following:

Start in text-only mode

Switch on your computer. Wait until the BIOS has finished loading, and press and hold Shift, which will bring up the Grub menu.
Select the line which starts with Advanced options.
Select the line ending with (recovery mode)
Press Return and your machine will begin the boot process.
After a few moments, your PC should display a menu with a number of options, including Drop to root shell prompt. Press Return with this option highlighted.
The PC will start in a terminal.

Run these commands:

Mount partitions in read-write mode

mount -o remount,rw /
mount --all

Update repositories

apt-get update

Install aptitude and deborphan

apt-get install --reinstall aptitude deborphan

Eliminate the components of gnome that are not necessary in Xubuntu

aptitude remove '?and(?reverse-depends(gnome),?not(?reverse-depends(?exact-name(xubuntu-desktop))))'

Reinstall xubuntu-desktop

apt-get install --reinstall xubuntu-desktop

Eliminate orphan packages

deborphan
apt-get --purge remove $(deborphan)
deborphan --libdevel
apt-get --purge remove $(deborphan --libdevel)
deborphan --find-config
dpkg --purge $(deborphan --find-config)

Remove unnecessary packages

apt-get autoremove

Remove downloaded packages

apt-get clean

Restart system

reboot

Last edited by Gabriel_M (2020-12-22 18:33:58)

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#1 2020-12-16 13:03:04