How to completely remove an application as well as the configuration files?

[NoOp]

On 09/07/2008 03:34 PM, Ashley Benton wrote:
> On Sun, Sep 7, 2008 at 6:12 PM, Jason Wilson <jwilson at noosaj.com> wrote:
> 
>>
>>
>> On Sun, 7 Sep 2008, Ashley Benton wrote:
>>
>> > On Sun, Sep 7, 2008 at 5:44 PM, Leonard Chatagnier
>> > <lenc5570 at sbcglobal.net>wrote:
>> >
>> >>
>> >> --- Ashley Benton <chuaukantli at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> Hi,
>> >>> I am trying to install apache2, php5, and my sql and
>> >>> I messed up somewhere.
>> >>> Apache was working but stopped when I tried to use
>> >>> ssl. After hours of
>> >>> trying to find where I messed up I wanted to remove
>> >>> apache2 and reinstall
>> >>> it. My problem is sudo apt-get remove apache2 then
>> >>> sudo apt-get install
>> >>> apache2 reinstall apache 2 like it was and doesn't
>> >>> delete my configuration
>> >>> files. I tried sudo apt-get purge apache 2 but
>> >>> apache 2 is still here the
>> >>> way I configured it. What could I do to completely
>> >>> uninstall apache2 and
>> >>> reinstall it with its original configuration files?
>> >>> By doing ls -l I found some file like that :"books~"
>> >>> I am guessing that some
>> >>> files that were saved after a crash but I don't know
>> >>> how to open them. They
>> >>> should be in my home directory but are not (or at
>> >>> least I can't see them)
>> >>> How can I open them and delete them? I tried
>> >>> lost+found but it wasn't there
>> >>> neither.
>> >>> Your help would be appreciated
>> >>> Thank you
>> >>> Meg
>> >> sudo aptitude purge <pkgname> should do it. I don't
>> >> know for sure about apt-get but I think it's something
>> >> like sudo apt-get remove --purge <pkgname>.  Either
>> >> should remove the conf files but if not for some
>> >> unknown reason you could do locate apache and remove
>> >> any related files manually using the rm command or
>> >> better still use the mv command so you could retrieve
>> >> them if needed.
>> >> HTH,
>> >>
>> >> Leonard Chatagnier
>> >> lenc5570 at sbcglobal.net
>> >
>> >
>> > Thank you for your answer. I tried apt-get remove --purge and it told me
>> > 'Package apache2 is not installed', so not removed' Now I am completely
>> lost
>> > because ls -l /etc/apache2 list me:
>> > -apache2.conf, -conf.d, -envars, -httpd.conf, -mods-available,
>> > -mods-enabled, -ports.conf, -sites-available, -sites-enabled, -ssl
>> > Why can I see the files and directories with ls -l /etc/apache2 if it is
>> not
>> > installed? I thought that ls -l would show me only what is installed, am
>> I
>> > wrong?
>> > Thanks
>> > Meg
>>
>> Obviously you tried the --purge option _after_ you uninstalled it. Am I
>> not correct? Any time you would like to completely remove software, you
>> can either use your package manager to completely remove it, or you can
>> use the --purge option with your apt command. The ls -l command lists
>> contents in the directory you are currently working in or the directory in
>> which you specify for ls to look in. ls -l doesn't _show_ you everything,
>> ls -a does; however, the uninstallation didn't completely remove
>> everything. Perhaps you could try reinstalling apache, then use the purge
>> option to completely remove it, then reinstall it, _or_ you could just
>> sudo rm everything.
>>
>> Jason
> 
> 
> It is possible that you are right. So I tried sudo apt-get install apache2
> then apt-get remove --purge apache2 as well as aptitude purge apache2 (after
> reinstalling between the two operations) then well as dpkg -P.
> Each time sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart apache 2 which is not installed
> is working!
> Is there a reason why it is working when it should have been removed (Did it
> installed twice or more times and removed one of them?)
> Now it seems that apache 2 is working with my configuration files as I
> modified  them but I'd like to understand why I can't uninstall it from the
> command line! Oh I forgot it is working but not installed! How is it
> possible?
> 
> Meg

The config files are in the root directories, so:

1. sudo apt-get install apache2
2. sudo apt-get remove --purge apache2

Then reboot.

If all else fails: System|Administration|Synaptic|Search|apache and then
use the "Remove completely" option.