evolution

[Matthew Kuiken]

shanepardue wrote:
> so there are a lot of programs that can't be removed then! for instance,
> i was trying to get rid of gaim because it was giving me problems..but
> that would bring along the entire ubuntu-desktop metapackage. no way
> around that, huh?
>
>   

If you uninstall the ubuntu-desktop metapackage, it will not remove a 
single file outside the packaging system. The metapackage does not 
install any executables or data, it just points to a lot of other 
packages that it thinks should be installed. Once all those packages are 
installed, uninstalling ubuntu-desktop does not remove them. Everything 
will still operate the same way after the metapackage is removed. Thus 
when you remove Gaim, and it causes the removal of ubuntu-desktop, there 
is no problem.

There is only one case where the removal of ubuntu-desktop becomes an 
issue. When you want to upgrade from Dapper to Edgy, the upgrade tools 
will have been written, tested, and work better if ubuntu-desktop is 
installed. Otherwise, the package is completely unnecessary after 
initial installation.

-Matt