Importance of ubuntu-desktop

[Markus Schönhaber]

04.12.2009 18:28, Cybe R. Wizard:

> On Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:21:06 +0100
> Markus Schönhaber <ubuntu-users at list-post.mks-mail.de> wrote:
> 
>> OK, it indeed seems that removing ubuntu-desktop is something which
>> should only be done if you know what you're doing and you can make
>> sure you remember what you did before you upgrade the system.
> 
> I don't think that is so as long as you remember to re-install
> ubuntu-desktop before you upgrade again.

Yep, that's what I meant.

> If you forget you won't get the full Ubuntu experience with your
> upgraded system but it shouldn't break anything.  

IMO that is the important question.
I don't know what update-manager does that goes beyond changing
sources.list and doing something like apt-get dist-upgrade.
Without additional info I think it's at least possible that in some
situations a missing gnome-desktop might break something during the upgrade.
The point is, I do not know for sure that it will not break something.

> In fact, my recent upgrade right through Ibex and Jackalope to Karmic
> went very smoothly, even though I /did/ forget to re-install
> ubuntu-desktop beforehand.  Days later, noticing my error, I
> re-installed it and it pulled in all the goodness that I had first
> missed.

I see two possibilities why this worked smoothly for you:
1. It will always work that way.
2. You were lucky.
As long as I don't know which one is true, I'd rather not recommend to
ignore the recommendation of the packet maintainer.

Moreover I'd consider it likely that the average user will not connect
missing packages after an upgrade to the removal of ubuntu-desktop
months ago. I'd rather expect to see some more "x.y is the worst Ubuntu
release EVER!1!11!!" posts.

But, of course, it's everyone's own choice what he does or does not do.

-- 
Regards
  mks