25/11/2017 uninstall - How to remove xubuntu-desktop?

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How to remove xubuntu-desktop?

A few days ago I installed Xubuntu on top of a normal Ubuntu system:

sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

I didn't play around for long on Xubuntu before I realised that I liked Ubuntu 2D better. Now my problem is how do I uninstall Xubuntu and all
of it's dependencies and the recommended packages like Thunar and Abiword.

For now I just run:

sudo apt-get remove xubuntu-*

but I still have a lot left from Xubuntu. It would be nice if by doing

apt-get remove xubuntu-desktop

all of the packages installed with the metapackages were also removed, but that is not the case.

xubuntu uninstall

edited Feb 1 '13 at 13:10 asked Jan 2 '12 at 2:31

BuZZ-dEE buzu
7,987 11 48 68 173 1 2 4

See also: How to completely remove desktop? Wilf Nov 22 '14 at 20:11

5 Answers

You can try this -

sudo apt-get remove abiword abiword-common abiword-plugin-grammar abiword-plugin-

mathview bison blueman brltty-x11 catfish elementary-icon-theme exo-utils flex
gigolo gimp gimp-data gmusicbrowser gnome-icon-theme-full gnome-system-tools gnome-
time-admin gnumeric gnumeric-common gnumeric-doc gstreamer0.10-gnomevfs gthumb
gthumb-data gtk2-engines-pixbuf gtk2-engines-xfce indicator-application-gtk2
indicator-messages-gtk2 indicator-sound-gtk2 indicator-status-provider-pidgin
leafpad libabiword-2.8 libaiksaurus-1.2-0c2a libaiksaurus-1.2-data libaiksaurusgtk-
1.2-0c2a libao-common libao4 libaudio-scrobbler-perl libbabl-0.0-0 libclutter-1.0-0
libclutter-1.0-common libclutter-gtk-1.0-0 libcogl-common libcogl5 libconfig-
inifiles-perl libencode-locale-perl libept1 libexo-1-0 libexo-common libfile-
listing-perl libfont-afm-perl libgarcon-1-0 libgarcon-common libgdome2-0 libgdome2-
cpp-smart0c2a libgegl-0.0-0 libgimp2.0 libglade2-0 libgnomevfs2-extra libgoffice-
0.8-8 libgoffice-0.8-8-common libgsf-1-114 libgsf-1-common libgstreamer-perl
libgtk2-notify-perl libgtk2-trayicon-perl libgtkmathview0c2a libhtml-form-perl
libhtml-format-perl libhtml-parser-perl libhtml-tagset-perl libhtml-tree-perl
libhttp-cookies-perl libhttp-daemon-perl libhttp-date-perl libhttp-message-perl
libhttp-negotiate-perl libid3tag0 libido-0.1-0 libilmbase6 libio-socket-ssl-perl
libjpeg-progs libkeybinder0 liblink-grammar4 libloudmouth1-0 liblwp-mediatypes-perl
liblwp-protocol-https-perl libmad0 libmailtools-perl libnet-dbus-perl libnet-http-
perl libnet-ssleay-perl liboobs-1-5 libopenexr6 libotr2 libots0 libpolkit-gtk-1-0
libsexy2 libtagc0 libthunarx-2-0 libtie-ixhash-perl libtimedate-perl libtumbler-1-0
liburi-perl libwv-1.2-3 libwww-perl libwww-robotrules-perl libxfce4ui-1-0
libxfce4util-bin libxfce4util-common libxfce4util4 libxfcegui4-4 libxfconf-0-2
libxml-parser-perl libxml-twig-perl libxml-xpath-perl libxss1 lightdm-gtk-greeter
link-grammar-dictionaries-en m4 mpg321 murrine-themes orage parole pastebinit
pidgin pidgin-data pidgin-libnotify pidgin-microblog pidgin-otr plymouth-theme-
xubuntu-logo plymouth-theme-xubuntu-text python-configobj python-glade2
quadrapassel ristretto screensaver-default-images synaptic system-tools-backends

https://askubuntu.com/questions/92084/how-to-remove-xubuntu-desktop 1/4
25/11/2017 uninstall - How to remove xubuntu-desktop? - Ask Ubuntu
tango-icon-theme tango-icon-theme-common tcl8.5 thunar thunar-archive-plugin
thunar-data thunar-media-tags-plugin thunar-volman ttf-droid ttf-lyx tumbler
tumbler-common xchat xchat-common xfburn xfce-keyboard-shortcuts xfce4-appfinder
xfce4-cpugraph-plugin xfce4-dict xfce4-fsguard-plugin xfce4-indicator-plugin xfce4-
mailwatch-plugin xfce4-mixer xfce4-mount-plugin xfce4-netload-plugin xfce4-notes
xfce4-notes-plugin xfce4-notifyd xfce4-panel xfce4-places-plugin xfce4-power-
manager xfce4-power-manager-data xfce4-quicklauncher-plugin xfce4-screenshooter
xfce4-session xfce4-settings xfce4-smartbookmark-plugin xfce4-systemload-plugin
xfce4-taskmanager xfce4-terminal xfce4-utils xfce4-verve-plugin xfce4-volumed
xfce4-weather-plugin xfconf xfdesktop4 xfdesktop4-data xfwm4 xfwm4-themes
xscreensaver xscreensaver-data xscreensaver-gl xubuntu-artwork xubuntu-default-
settings xubuntu-desktop xubuntu-docs xubuntu-icon-theme xubuntu-wallpapers && sudo
apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

Source: http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/puregnome

Update: on (X)Ubuntu 13.10 the code above might yield an error on packages libabiword-
2.8 and ttf-droid , so you might actually have to run this:

sudo apt-get remove abiword abiword-common abiword-plugin-grammar abiword-plugin-

mathview alacarte bison blueman brltty-x11 catfish espeak exo-utils flex fonts-
droid fonts-lyx gigolo gmusicbrowser gnome-system-tools gnome-time-admin
gstreamer0.10-gnomevfs gthumb gthumb-data gtk2-engines-pixbuf indicator-
application-gtk2 indicator-sound-gtk2 leafpad libabiword-3.0 libbison-dev
libdigest-crc-perl libexo-1-0 libexo-common libexo-helpers libfl-dev libgarcon-1-0
libgarcon-common libgdome2-0 libgdome2-cpp-smart0c2a libglade2-0 libgnomevfs2-0
libgnomevfs2-common libgnomevfs2-extra libgsf-1-114 libgsf-1-common libgstreamer-
perl libgtk2-notify-perl libgtk2-trayicon-perl libgtkmathview0c2a libgtkspell0
libido-0.1-0 libindicate-gtk3 libintl-perl libjpeg-progs libjpeg-turbo-progs
libkeybinder0 liblink-grammar4 libloudmouth1-0 libnet-dbus-perl liboobs-1-5 libotr2
libots0 librarian0 libsexy2 libtagc0 libthunarx-2-0 libtidy-0.99-0 libtie-ixhash-
perl libtumbler-1-0 libunique-1.0-0 libvte-common libvte9 libwv-1.2-4 libxfce4ui-1-
0 libxfce4ui-utils libxfce4util-bin libxfce4util-common libxfce4util6 libxfcegui4-4
libxfconf-0-2 libxml-parser-perl libxml-twig-perl libxml-xpath-perl lightdm-gtk-
greeter link-grammar-dictionaries-en m4 orage parole pastebinit pavucontrol pidgin
pidgin-data pidgin-libnotify pidgin-microblog pidgin-otr plymouth-theme-xubuntu-
logo plymouth-theme-xubuntu-text python-configobj rarian-compat ristretto
screensaver-default-images scrollkeeper shimmer-themes system-tools-backends tcl8.5
thunar thunar-archive-plugin thunar-data thunar-media-tags-plugin thunar-volman
tumbler tumbler-common xbrlapi xchat xchat-common xfburn xfce-keyboard-shortcuts
xfce4-appfinder xfce4-cpugraph-plugin xfce4-dict xfce4-indicator-plugin xfce4-
mailwatch-plugin xfce4-netload-plugin xfce4-notes xfce4-notes-plugin xfce4-notifyd
xfce4-panel xfce4-places-plugin xfce4-power-manager xfce4-power-manager-data xfce4-
quicklauncher-plugin xfce4-screenshooter xfce4-session xfce4-settings xfce4-
systemload-plugin xfce4-taskmanager xfce4-terminal xfce4-verve-plugin xfce4-volumed
xfce4-weather-plugin xfce4-xkb-plugin xfconf xfdesktop4 xfdesktop4-data xfwm4
xscreensaver xscreensaver-data xscreensaver-gl xubuntu-artwork xubuntu-default-
settings xubuntu-desktop xubuntu-docs xubuntu-icon-theme xubuntu-wallpapers && sudo
apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

Which is the same as the rst code, but with libabiword-3.0 instead of 2.8 and without
ttf-droid .

edited Nov 28 '13 at 2:18 answered Jan 2 '12 at 2:42

Waldir Leoncio ManyRoads
1,488 4 16 35 401 3 5

Just asking because I want to remove Xubuntu o of my system as well, did this completely get rid of the xubuntu
apps and les? Jordan Jan 30 '12 at 16:34

@Jordan yes, but if you really want to be shore that everything is gone, use purge instead of remove . Alvar
Jun 2 '12 at 17:11

+1 for showing the Source, as the answer here is possibly out of date. The source's version worked for me whereas
the answer here couldn't nd some of the packages to remove matb33 Oct 10 '12 at 20:01

What about Ubuntu 14.04? Peter Raeves Oct 7 '14 at 9:28

why would you uninstall pidgin? vinni_f Nov 5 '14 at 3:51

The following command will remove 95% of Xubuntu and XFCE -- instead of the other
commands mentioned that remove only 50% ... 60% ... of the packages.

sudo apt-get autoremove --purge xubuntu-* && sudo apt-get autoremove --purge xfce*

If you're willing to be more radical... You can run the following command. This one remove
almost everything about xubuntu/xfce:

sudo apt-get autoremove --purge $( dpkg-query -l *xubuntu* | grep ii | tr -s " " |

cut -d" " -f2; dpkg-query -l *xfce* | grep 'ii' | tr -s " " | cut -d" " -f2 )

https://askubuntu.com/questions/92084/how-to-remove-xubuntu-desktop 2/4
25/11/2017 uninstall - How to remove xubuntu-desktop? - Ask Ubuntu
edited Jun 2 '12 at 17:06 answered Jun 2 '12 at 2:24
Bruno Pereira PetronioPadilha
54.7k 24 169 198 281 3 3

What's the advantage of this method over that one? Eliah Kagan Jun 2 '12 at 16:45

The site uses English as main language and posts should be made in English. Next time do not bother to use
multiple languages please. Bruno Pereira Jun 2 '12 at 17:05

@ Eliah Kagan - i guess at least that of being usable in lubuntu too? the other one is for ubuntu? cipricus Jan 5 '13
at 22:59

1 This works in 13.04, the other one is version dependent. Javier Rivera Jul 5 '13 at 13:06

Review the list of packages to remove:

$ apt-cache depends xubuntu-desktop | awk '/^\s+Depends: /{print $2;}' | column

alsa-base inputattach software-
properties-gtk xfce4-notifyd
alsa-utils language-selector-gnome thunar
xfce4-panel
anacron libasound2-plugins thunar-volman
xfce4-session
bc libpam-systemd tumbler
xfce4-settings
ca-certificates libsasl2-modules ubuntu-drivers-
common xfdesktop4
dmz-cursor-theme libxp6 ubuntu-extras-
keyring xfwm4
doc-base lightdm unzip
xkb-data
fonts-dejavu-core lightdm-gtk-greeter update-manager
xorg
fonts-freefont-ttf memtest86+ wireless-tools
xterm
foomatic-db-compressed-ppds openprinting-ppds wpasupplicant
xubuntu-artwork
genisoimage pm-utils xdg-user-dirs
xubuntu-default-settings
ghostscript-x printer-driver-pnm2ppa xdg-user-dirs-gtk
zenity
gtk2-engines-pixbuf rfkill xfce4-appfinder
zip

Then either write the above to a le and edit, or just uninstall them all and then reinstall the
ones you need for Ubuntu:

apt-cache depends xubuntu-desktop \

| awk '/^\s+Depends: /{print $2;}' \
| sudo xargs apt-get purge -y`
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

edited Jul 13 '16 at 7:20 answered Dec 11 '14 at 3:39

hobs Dan Garthwaite
427 3 17 149 1 3

Uninstalling lightdm will prevent you from logging back in and require some fancy recovery mode footwork to
unbrick your laptop. Not to mention all the other essentials listed above that are also dependencies of
Ubuntu/Debian. So subtract the Ubuntu dependencies rst! hobs Jul 11 '16 at 2:20

Caveat emptor - I would assume you would install the DM of your choice from the command line after this.
Dan Garthwaite Jul 11 '16 at 16:02

No, you'd have to reinstall all of Ubuntu distro. The op wants Ubuntu, which needs many of the things you
uninstalled, like anacron, memtest86, wpasupplicant, etc. hobs Jul 11 '16 at 16:11

Then apt-get install ubuntu-desktop Dan Garthwaite Jul 12 '16 at 13:59

This one works For Ubuntu 12.04 Copy all this in Terminal

sudo apt-get remove abiword abiword-common abiword-plugin-grammar abiword-plugin-

mathview alacarte bison blueman brltty-x11 catfish docbook-xml exo-utils flex
fonts-droid gigolo gimp gimp-data gmusicbrowser gnome-desktop-data gnome-system-
tools gnome-time-admin gnumeric gnumeric-common gnumeric-doc gstreamer0.10-gnomevfs
gthumb gthumb-data gtk2-engines-pixbuf indicator-application-gtk2 indicator-
messages-gtk2 indicator-sound-gtk2 indicator-status-provider-pidgin leafpad
libabiword-2.9 libao-common libao4 libaudio-scrobbler-perl libbabl-0.0-0 libbison-
dev libcolamd2.7.1 libconfig-inifiles-perl libdigest-crc-perl libencode-locale-perl
libept1.4.12 libexo-1-0 libexo-common libexo-helpers libfile-listing-perl libfl-dev
libfont-afm-perl libgarcon-1-0 libgarcon-common libgdome2-0 libgdome2-cpp-smart0c2a
libgegl-0.0-0 libgimp2.0 libglade2-0 libgnomevfs2-0 libgnomevfs2-common
libgnomevfs2-extra libgoffice-0.8-8 libgoffice-0.8-8-common libgsf-1-114 libgsf-1-
common libgstreamer-perl libgtk2-notify-perl libgtk2-trayicon-perl
libgtkmathview0c2a libgtkspell0 libhtml-form-perl libhtml-format-perl libhtml-
parser-perl libhtml-tagset-perl libhtml-tree-perl libhttp-cookies-perl libhttp-
daemon-perl libhttp-date-perl libhttp-message-perl libhttp-negotiate-perl

https://askubuntu.com/questions/92084/how-to-remove-xubuntu-desktop 3/4
25/11/2017 uninstall - How to remove xubuntu-desktop? - Ask Ubuntu
libid3tag0 libido-0.1-0 libilmbase6 libio-socket-inet6-perl libio-socket-ssl-perl
libjavascriptcoregtk-1.0-0 libjpeg-progs libjpeg-turbo-progs libkeybinder0
liblaunchpad-integration1 liblink-grammar4 libloudmouth1-0 liblwp-mediatypes-perl
liblwp-protocol-https-perl libmad0 libmailtools-perl libnet-dbus-perl libnet-http-
perl libnet-ssleay-perl liboobs-1-5 libopenexr6 libotr2 libots0 librarian0 libsexy2
libsocket6-perl libtagc0 libthunarx-2-0 libtidy-0.99-0 libtie-ixhash-perl
libtimedate-perl libtumbler-1-0 libunique-1.0-0 liburi-perl libvte-common libvte9
libwebkitgtk-1.0-0 libwebkitgtk-1.0-common libwv-1.2-4 libwww-perl libwww-
robotrules-perl libxfce4ui-1-0 libxfce4util-bin libxfce4util-common libxfce4util4
libxfcegui4-4 libxfconf-0-2 libxml-parser-perl libxml-twig-perl libxml-xpath-perl
libxss1 lightdm-gtk-greeter link-grammar-dictionaries-en linux-headers-3.2.0-24
linux-headers-3.2.0-24-generic linux-headers-generic lp-solve m4 mpg321 orage
parole pastebinit pavucontrol pidgin pidgin-data pidgin-libnotify pidgin-microblog
pidgin-otr plymouth-theme-xubuntu-logo plymouth-theme-xubuntu-text python-configobj
python-glade2 python-gmenu rarian-compat ristretto screensaver-default-images sgml-
data shimmer-themes synaptic system-tools-backends tcl8.5 thunar thunar-archive-
plugin thunar-data thunar-media-tags-plugin thunar-volman ttf-droid ttf-lyx tumbler
tumbler-common xchat xchat-common xfburn xfce-keyboard-shortcuts xfce4-appfinder
xfce4-cpugraph-plugin xfce4-datetime-plugin xfce4-dict xfce4-indicator-plugin
xfce4-mailwatch-plugin xfce4-netload-plugin xfce4-notes xfce4-notes-plugin xfce4-
notifyd xfce4-panel xfce4-places-plugin xfce4-power-manager xfce4-power-manager-
data xfce4-quicklauncher-plugin xfce4-screenshooter xfce4-session xfce4-settings
xfce4-systemload-plugin xfce4-taskmanager xfce4-terminal xfce4-utils xfce4-verve-
plugin xfce4-volumed xfce4-weather-plugin xfce4-xkb-plugin xfconf xfdesktop4
xfdesktop4-data xfwm4 xscreensaver xscreensaver-data xscreensaver-gl xubuntu-
artwork xubuntu-default-settings xubuntu-desktop xubuntu-docs xubuntu-icon-theme
xubuntu-wallpapers && sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop && sudo
/usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-set-defaults -g unity-greeter

edited Dec 17 '13 at 8:41 answered Dec 17 '13 at 8:35

minerz029 T5R
15.7k 10 52 92 11 2

The commands need to be updated to the following for Ubuntu 14.04 as libotr2 is not a valid
package. It needs to be changed to libotr5. Here is the updated code. It'll reinstall ubuntu-
desktop.

sudo apt-get remove abiword abiword-common abiword-plugin-grammar abiword-plugin-

mathview alacarte bison blueman brltty-x11 catfish espeak exo-utils flex fonts-
droid fonts-lyx gigolo gmusicbrowser gnome-system-tools gnome-time-admin
gstreamer0.10-gnomevfs gthumb gthumb-data gtk2-engines-pixbuf indicator-
application-gtk2 indicator-sound-gtk2 leafpad libabiword-3.0 libbison-dev
libdigest-crc-perl libexo-1-0 libexo-common libexo-helpers libfl-dev libgarcon-1-0
libgarcon-common libgdome2-0 libgdome2-cpp-smart0c2a libglade2-0 libgnomevfs2-0
libgnomevfs2-common libgnomevfs2-extra libgsf-1-114 libgsf-1-common libgstreamer-
perl libgtk2-notify-perl libgtk2-trayicon-perl libgtkmathview0c2a libgtkspell0
libido-0.1-0 libindicate-gtk3 libintl-perl libjpeg-progs libjpeg-turbo-progs
libkeybinder0 liblink-grammar4 libloudmouth1-0 libnet-dbus-perl liboobs-1-5 libotr5
libots0 librarian0 libsexy2 libtagc0 libthunarx-2-0 libtidy-0.99-0 libtie-ixhash-
perl libtumbler-1-0 libunique-1.0-0 libvte-common libvte9 libwv-1.2-4 libxfce4ui-1-
0 libxfce4ui-utils libxfce4util-bin libxfce4util-common libxfce4util6 libxfcegui4-4
libxfconf-0-2 libxml-parser-perl libxml-twig-perl libxml-xpath-perl lightdm-gtk-
greeter link-grammar-dictionaries-en m4 orage parole pastebinit pavucontrol pidgin
pidgin-data pidgin-libnotify pidgin-microblog pidgin-otr plymouth-theme-xubuntu-
logo plymouth-theme-xubuntu-text python-configobj rarian-compat ristretto
screensaver-default-images scrollkeeper shimmer-themes system-tools-backends tcl8.5
thunar thunar-archive-plugin thunar-data thunar-media-tags-plugin thunar-volman
tumbler tumbler-common xbrlapi xchat xchat-common xfburn xfce-keyboard-shortcuts
xfce4-appfinder xfce4-cpugraph-plugin xfce4-dict xfce4-indicator-plugin xfce4-
mailwatch-plugin xfce4-netload-plugin xfce4-notes xfce4-notes-plugin xfce4-notifyd
xfce4-panel xfce4-places-plugin xfce4-power-manager xfce4-power-manager-data xfce4-
quicklauncher-plugin xfce4-screenshooter xfce4-session xfce4-settings xfce4-
systemload-plugin xfce4-taskmanager xfce4-terminal xfce4-verve-plugin xfce4-volumed
xfce4-weather-plugin xfce4-xkb-plugin xfconf xfdesktop4 xfdesktop4-data xfwm4
xscreensaver xscreensaver-data xscreensaver-gl xubuntu-artwork xubuntu-default-
settings xubuntu-desktop xubuntu-docs xubuntu-icon-theme xubuntu-wallpapers && sudo
apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

edited Jun 19 '14 at 16:26 answered Jun 10 '14 at 4:10

Sonickyle27 user292112
346 3 14 1

https://askubuntu.com/questions/92084/how-to-remove-xubuntu-desktop 4/4