Ubuntu users can easily uninstall packages from their system using the command line terminal. Doing so successfully requires knowledge of specific commands and procedures, such as removing a package and configuration files or dependencies that are no longer needed. To help ensure successful removal without creating any issues in your system, this guide provides detailed steps on uninstalling a package on a Ubuntu system.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Update Ubuntu package lists
Before uninstalling a package, it’s a good practice to update the package lists on your system to ensure that you have the latest information about available packages. Open a terminal and run the following command.
sudo apt updateStep 2: Remove the package
To remove a package, you can use the apt remove command. For example, to remove the package “example-package,” you would run the following command.
sudo apt remove example-packageYou can also use the apt purge command to remove the package and all its configuration files. For example, to purge the package “example-package,” you would run the following command:
sudo apt purge example-packageStep 3: Remove dependencies
After you remove a package, you may also want to remove any dependencies that are no longer needed. To do this, you can use the apt autoremove command. For example, you would run the following command to remove all dependencies that are no longer needed.
sudo apt autoremoveExample output:
When running the autoremove command, you will see a prompt to confirm the uninstallation process. Type Y and press enter to confirm the uninstallation.
An alternative way of removing packages is to use the autoremove command and the package name together. This saves time and can be used if you are confident that it will not break other packages.
sudo apt autoremove <package name>Step 4: Restore a package that was accidentally uninstalled
If you accidentally uninstalled a package, you can restore it using the following command.
sudo apt install package-nameConclusion
Uninstalling packages on Ubuntu is a straightforward process that can be completed in just a few steps. By using the apt package manager and its various commands, you can easily remove packages and their dependencies from your system without any problems.
