How to transfer settings from one fresh install to a ubuntu newbies install

[Tom H]

On Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 9:18 PM, NoOp <glgxg at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> On 11/28/2010 05:42 AM, user1 wrote:
>>
>> How to transfer settings from one install to a ubuntu newbies install.
>
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReinstallingSamePackages

The Debian way is:

On the old box:
# dpkg --get-selections > selection.dpkg
# debconf-get-selections > selection.debconf

On the new box:
# apt-get update
# dselect update
# debconf-set-selections < selection.debconf
# dpkg --set-selections  < selection.dpkg
# apt-get dselect-upgrade

The page referenced above mentions that information about packages
that are installed automatically is lost through its procedure.

Should you want to keep that info:

On the old box:
# aptitude -F '%p' search '?installed ?automatic' > autoinstall.dpkg

On the new box:
# aptitude markauto < autoinstall.dpkg