Score:-1

Ubuntu

Is there a single metapackage corresponding to an Ubuntu flavour?

ᅙᄉᅙ

11/26/23, 12:12 PM

Like the title says, I am looking for a single metapackage that depends on everything else needed for a functioning installation of an Ubuntu flavour like Ubuntu GNOME, Kubuntu, or Ubuntu Server.

This is so that I can mark it as manually installed, mark everything else automatically installed, and get rid of unneded packages (using apt autopurge) that have accumulated over the years.

Update: Reworded the question to avoid misunderstandings.

Update 2: I use 22.10

Update 3: The closest I got is 3 metapackages: ubuntu-desktop (kubuntu-desktop for Kubuntu), ~~ubuntu-standard~~ (turns out this isn't needed), ubuntu-minimal, and linux-generic or another kernel metapackage. Is a more minimal set possible? Why doesn't ubuntu-desktop depend on a kernel, for example?

185

1 + 5

kubuntu

metapackages

ᅙᄉᅙ

11/27/23, 12:34 AM

Their package descriptions seem contradictory / incorrect, hence the question. Eg. `ubuntu-standard` says it depends on everything `ubuntu-minimal` does, plus more. But this is not actually the case.

mook765

11/28/23, 1:04 PM

What do you mean with `unneeded packages`? Your idea of marking packages the way you describe sounds dangerous and will likely end with a broken system.

user535733

11/28/23, 2:06 PM

There is no such single metapackage simply because nobody with upload rights has needed it enough to bother. That's not how Ubuntu is created nor installed. You are asking why a goat lacks wings. Simply use the four metapackages you found --instead of one-- and then test the autoremoval. Don't agree to any removal without reading carefully; the output might suggest a modification or two.

ᅙᄉᅙ

11/28/23, 2:12 PM

@mook765 It does not result in a broken system - having only the 4 above mentioned metapackages marked as manual and removing everything that's unneeded with `apt autopurge` worked fine. However, I wonder if more could be removed

muru

12/6/23, 3:11 AM

"Why doesn't ubuntu-desktop depend on a kernel, for example?" Why should it? It's perfectly reasonable to run Ubuntu in a container, in which case the kernel will come from the host system and the package shouldn't be depending on it.

Score:6

Ubuntu

Artur Meinild

11/28/23, 1:01 PM

A metapackage isn't 1:1 equal to a manifest (which is what exactly defines what goes into the CD image of each distribution).

However, if you're "only" referring to the desktop environments for the different Ubuntu flavors, then metapackages exist that will allow you to install another desktop environment on an Ubuntu Server or another default Ubuntu installation.

The following desktop environment metapackages exist for 22.04 Jammy and 22.10 Kinetic (in the universe repository):

Each flavor may have additional tools and applications that can/must be installed along with the desktop environment to provide the full experience.

+ 2

muru

12/6/23, 8:57 AM

I think for Unity the package is [`ubuntu-unity-desktop`](https://packages.ubuntu.com/jammy/ubuntu-unity-desktop)

Artur Meinild

12/6/23, 9:02 AM

You're right, thanks for pointing that out - that makes much more sense now.

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