Score:1

What all things happen when I uninstall an application in Ubuntu?

mx flag

I'm working on a desktop application and recently when I uninstalled it to install a newer version the local folder of the application got deleted.

I'm curious to know what are all the things that will happen when you uninstall an application in Ubuntu.

guiverc avatar
cn flag
You've provided no specifics of how installed, what package system if any was used etc. Apps packaged as snaps can differ for example (*being containerized; but it'll depend on confinement model utilized by app*), *deb* packages have scripts that are run; just as common installation scripts for source - ie. results will vary on *unstated* type of application being asked about.
Ananthu K Kumar avatar
mx flag
@guiverc I installed normally using "dpkg -i"
guiverc avatar
cn flag
The packager can choose to create a post-installation script (https://packaging.ubuntu.com/html/) meaning you're at the mercy of whomever packaged the application. If you're talking about a Ubuntu package - you can use CLI or package tools to see whats there before installation if it really worries you; but you are the *mercy* of whomever created the package; why you should always be careful with 3rd party/PPA or unknown sources as security falls on you (the end-user).
N0rbert avatar
zw flag
Also note that dot-files and dot-directories are outside of package manager control. Your application should follow XDG Specifications like https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html .
Score:1
cn flag

Depends on the application ultimately.

Installation involves 1) (at the least) copying files in appropriate system directories, and 2) (eventually) running installation and configuration scripts. In principle, these scripts can actually do what they want.

Normally, configuration files in your home folder, i.e., user configuration, are untouched by the installation process. During startup of the program, they are created if they do not exist, eventually updated to the newer version if the program is designed to do that, or otherwise updated. What precisely happens is determined by the application developper.

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