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entropyagent

Member

Registered: 2020-05-15

Posts: 48  

[SOLVED] Chimaera: "apt purge slim" will remove "task-xfce-desktop*" +much more

Hi all

I recently installed Chimaera with runit & XFCE using "devuan_chimaera_4.0.0_amd64_desktop.iso" , dated 2021-10-12. It seems to be working OK.

I wanted to be able to switch users, so tried to purge Slim and install Lightdm.

The attempt to purge slim seems to want to remove quite a lot of the system

$ sudo apt -s purge slim
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  coinor-libcbc3 coinor-libcgl1 coinor-libclp1 coinor-libcoinmp1v5 coinor-libcoinutils3v5
  coinor-libosi1v5 cups-pk-helper dnsmasq-base exfalso fonts-font-awesome fonts-lato
  fonts-opensymbol gimp-data gir1.2-atspi-2.0 gir1.2-gst-plugins-base-1.0 gir1.2-gstreamer-1.0
  gir1.2-gtksource-3.0 gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-4.0 gir1.2-keybinder-3.0 gir1.2-notify-0.7
  gir1.2-packagekitglib-1.0 gir1.2-polkit-1.0 gir1.2-secret-1 gir1.2-soup-2.4 gir1.2-webkit2-4.0
  gir1.2-wnck-3.0 gnome-keyring gnome-keyring-pkcs11 gstreamer1.0-gtk3 gstreamer1.0-pulseaudio
  hyphen-en-us iptables javascript-common libabw-0.1-1 libamd2 libao-common libao4 libappstream4
  libatk-adaptor libaudio2 libayatana-appindicator3-1 libayatana-ido3-0.4-0
  libayatana-indicator3-7 libbabl-0.1-0 libbluetooth3 libboost-filesystem1.74.0
  libboost-iostreams1.74.0 libboost-locale1.74.0 libboost-thread1.74.0 libbrlapi0.8 libcamd2
  libccolamd2 libcdr-0.1-1 libcholmod3 libck-connector0 libclucene-contribs1v5 libclucene-core1v5
  libcmis-0.5-5v5 libcolamd2 libdotconf0 libe-book-0.1-1 libeot0 libepubgen-0.1-1 libetonyek-0.1-1
  libexiv2-27 libexttextcat-2.0-0 libexttextcat-data libfreehand-0.1-1 libgegl-0.4-0
  libgegl-common libgexiv2-2 libgimp2.0 libglib2.0-bin libgpgmepp6 libip4tc2 libip6tc2 libjim0.79
  libjs-jquery libjs-sphinxdoc libjs-underscore libjuh-java libjurt-java liblangtag-common
  liblangtag1 libldb2 liblibreoffice-java libmbim-glib4 libmbim-proxy libmetis5 libmhash2
  libmm-glib0 libmspub-0.1-1 libmwaw-0.3-3 libmythes-1.2-0 libndp0 libneon27-gnutls
  libnetfilter-conntrack3 libnfnetlink0 libnm0 libnma-common libnma0 libnumbertext-1.0-0
  libnumbertext-data libodfgen-0.1-1 liborcus-0.16-0 liborcus-parser-0.16-0 libpackagekit-glib2-18
  libpagemaker-0.0-0 libpam-gnome-keyring libqmi-glib5 libqmi-proxy libqrcodegencpp1 libqxp-0.0-0
  libraptor2-0 librasqal3 libraw20 librdf0 libreoffice-base-core libreoffice-calc
  libreoffice-common libreoffice-core libreoffice-draw libreoffice-gtk3 libreoffice-help-common
  libreoffice-help-en-us libreoffice-impress libreoffice-math libreoffice-style-colibre
  libreoffice-writer librevenge-0.0-0 libridl-java libsmbclient libspeechd2 libstaroffice-0.0-0
  libstemmer0d libsuitesparseconfig5 libtalloc2 libteamdctl0 libtevent0 libumfpack5 libuno-cppu3
  libuno-cppuhelpergcc3-3 libuno-purpenvhelpergcc3-3 libuno-sal3 libuno-salhelpergcc3-3
  libunoloader-java libvisio-0.1-1 libwbclient0 libwpd-0.10-10 libwpg-0.3-3 libwps-0.4-4
  libxmlsec1 libxmlsec1-nss libyajl2 libyaml-0-2 libzmf-0.0-0 lp-solve
  mobile-broadband-provider-info modemmanager mythes-en-us network-manager network-manager-gnome
  node-normalize.css orca p11-kit p11-kit-modules packagekit packagekit-tools perl-tk
  python3-brlapi python3-cairo python3-cups python3-cupshelpers python3-dbus python3-feedparser
  python3-gi-cairo python3-ldb python3-louis python3-musicbrainzngs python3-mutagen
  python3-pyatspi python3-pyinotify python3-smbc python3-speechd python3-talloc python3-uno
  python3-xdg quodlibet samba-libs sound-icons speech-dispatcher speech-dispatcher-audio-plugins
  speech-dispatcher-espeak-ng sphinx-rtd-theme-common system-config-printer
  system-config-printer-common system-config-printer-udev uno-libs-private ure usb-modeswitch
  usb-modeswitch-data xbrlapi xkbset xsane xsane-common
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  slim* task-xfce-desktop*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 2 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Purg task-xfce-desktop [3.68+devuan4u1]
Purg slim [1.3.6-5.2+devuan1]

As an aside, this is probably the first time I noticed the "Purg" miss-spelling.

Anyway, are there spells and incantations to stop apt removing most of the desktop if I purge slim?

If it helps  (do my sources look OK? I had to edit it after the install left it looking to the "cdrom"):

$ sudo apt-cache policy
Package files:
 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     release a=now
 500 http://deb.devuan.org/merged chimaera-security/non-free amd64 Packages
     release v=4.0,o=Devuan,a=stable-security,n=chimaera-security,l=Devuan-Security,c=non-free,b=amd64
     origin deb.devuan.org
 500 http://deb.devuan.org/merged chimaera-security/main amd64 Packages
     release v=4.0,o=Devuan,a=stable-security,n=chimaera-security,l=Devuan-Security,c=main,b=amd64
     origin deb.devuan.org
 500 http://deb.devuan.org/merged chimaera-updates/main amd64 Packages
     release v=4.0.0,o=Devuan,a=stable-updates,n=chimaera-updates,l=Devuan,c=main,b=amd64
     origin deb.devuan.org
 500 http://deb.devuan.org/merged chimaera/contrib amd64 Packages
     release v=4.0,o=Devuan,a=stable,n=chimaera,l=Devuan,c=contrib,b=amd64
     origin deb.devuan.org
 500 http://deb.devuan.org/merged chimaera/non-free amd64 Packages
     release v=4.0,o=Devuan,a=stable,n=chimaera,l=Devuan,c=non-free,b=amd64
     origin deb.devuan.org
 500 http://deb.devuan.org/merged chimaera/main amd64 Packages
     release v=4.0,o=Devuan,a=stable,n=chimaera,l=Devuan,c=main,b=amd64
     origin deb.devuan.org
Pinned packages:

There are no pinned packages.

Perhaps I could just disable slim and install lightdm, but that seems a little less than elegant?

Hope you can help - Thanks in anticipation.

Camtaf

Member

Registered: 2019-11-19

Posts: 436  

Re: [SOLVED] Chimaera: "apt purge slim" will remove "task-xfce-desktop*" +much more

Looks like it's a meta package that has slim as a dependancy - I'd try installing lightdm first, then see if it still wants to remove xfce.

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: London

Registered: 2019-03-24

Posts: 3,125  

Website

Re: [SOLVED] Chimaera: "apt purge slim" will remove "task-xfce-desktop*" +much more

The problem and potential solutions are described here:

https://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=104157

LightDM & SLiM can be co-installed, use this to select between the two:

# apt install lightdm
# dpkg-reconfigure lightdm

I don't recommend either though because they run X under the root user. GDM runs X under the normal user, which is _much_ better.

EDIT: try

# apt install lightdm slim-

^ That installs LightDM and removes SLiM in one swell foop.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2022-11-10 17:59:45)

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MiyoLinux

Member

Registered: 2016-12-05

Posts: 1,323  

Re: [SOLVED] Chimaera: "apt purge slim" will remove "task-xfce-desktop*" +much more

Slim takes up very little space, so you could have both Slim and LightDM on your system (if that is okay with you).

Like Camtaf said, intall lightdm first. After it's installed, you should get a window that pops up asking which display manager you want to use. Use your arrow keys to move up/down to highlight lightdm, use your space bar to mark it as your choice, then use your Tab key to highlight Okay (or whatever the word may be) and hit Enter...or just hit Enter on your keyboard after highlighting lightdm.

EDIT: If memory serves me correctly, you may have to reboot for it to take effect.

DOUBLE EDIT: Head_on_a_Stick responded while I was typing...

Last edited by MiyoLinux (2022-11-10 18:05:11)

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entropyagent

Member

Registered: 2020-05-15

Posts: 48  

Re: [SOLVED] Chimaera: "apt purge slim" will remove "task-xfce-desktop*" +much more

Thanks Camtaf, HoaS MiyoLinux

After a brief skim, some comments escape me:

So Many Words, some of which I definitely recognise:

-->  "there's a fair bit of reading I've got to get through"

-->  "aptitude is awesome,"

That thread is from 2013 - Can I just replace "aptitude" with "apt" in the suggestions? I have not used apt-get much, and it has been a few years since "aptitude" was prised from my reluctant fingers.

Could I, in theory. purge "slim", let the uninstalls decimate my packagerie, then install lightdm and most of the packages would return, bringing in some new ones? ("theoretically", because one of those packages is "network-manager")

OK, swooping felly:

sudo apt install lightdm slim-
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
  libck-connector0
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove it.
The following additional packages will be installed:
  gnome-accessibility-themes gnome-themes-extra gnome-themes-extra-data gtk2-engines-pixbuf
  liblightdm-gobject-1-0 lightdm-gtk-greeter
Suggested packages:
  accountsservice xserver-xephyr
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  slim
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  gnome-accessibility-themes gnome-themes-extra gnome-themes-extra-data gtk2-engines-pixbuf
  liblightdm-gobject-1-0 lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter
0 upgraded, 7 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 4,392 kB of archives.
After this operation, 9,588 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] 

OK, this bit looks interesting:

dpkg: slim: dependency problems, but removing anyway as you requested:
 task-xfce-desktop depends on slim | lightdm; however:
  Package slim is to be removed.
  Package lightdm is not configured yet.

I am hopeful - will find out after the reboot.

GlennW

Member

From: Brisbane, Australia

Registered: 2019-07-18

Posts: 644  

Re: [SOLVED] Chimaera: "apt purge slim" will remove "task-xfce-desktop*" +much more

I use Lightdm as well, but I just leave slim alone except for switching off slim at start time.

rc-update del slim default
rc-update add slim off

My system is single user, I set lightdm to auto login (kde5/Plasma).

When in "dependency-hell" I usually re-install all the removed packages if I can copy and paste the list of packages that were/are scheduled to be removed.

That way I can at least then I can begin the cull (of un-wanted packages) again.

This is where the "--no-suggests" may be handy with the apt command. (edited for clarity, GW)

Last edited by GlennW (2022-11-10 20:46:39)

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entropyagent

Member

Registered: 2020-05-15

Posts: 48  

Re: [SOLVED] Chimaera: "apt purge slim" will remove "task-xfce-desktop*" +much more

When in "dependency-hell" I usually re-install all the removed packages if I can copy and paste the list of packages that were/are scheduled to be removed.

That way I can at least then I can begin the cull (of un-wanted packages) again.

This is where the "--no-suggests" may be handy with the apt command. (edited for clarity, GW)

Sounds like this might be workable, but I was really reluctant to try working from an install usb/CDROM repo once "network-manager" was purged. And the

apt install lightdm slim-

tip worked very nicely indeed.

So, thanks to all the tipsters