In this post, we are going to talk about three different ways to uninstall application packages on Ubuntu Linux. Two of them don’t involve commands, while the third involves the command line and is a bit more complicated. Therefore, we’ll save that for last! Stay with us!
Uninstall Packages on Ubuntu Using Synaptic Software
The first way is to use the Synaptic Package Manager, which is separate from the Ubuntu Software Center. Synaptic Package Manager is a graphical user interface-based program, which uses advanced tools to install, update or remove packages from Ubuntu Linux systems.
It focuses on working directly with individual packages and dependencies and gives you much more control. This can often result in easy uninstallation, especially if you want to move on later. However, this package manager may not be always installed by default.
To install Synaptic Package Manager on your Linux-based system, now you can follow the below steps:
- Open Terminal.
- Type one of the commands below:
$ sudo apt-get install synaptic Or $ sudo apt install synaptic
- Enter a password (if required)
- Press “Y” to confirm.
- Press Enter.
In this way, you can install it, and then you can go ahead and open it. Now:
- You can open the GUI window with the following command:
$ sudo synaptic
- Once you open the package manager, you can go to the search bar and type the application or program you’re looking for.
- When you find the program you want, right-click and select Mark or Remove Completely.
- Then, it will tell you if there are other dependencies that are bound specifically by that program and only for that program.
- Now, you can click “Yes, Remove” and then click Apply to make the desired changes and you’re good to go.
Using Ubuntu Software Center to Uninstall Packages in Ubuntu
The next way, of course, is through the Ubuntu Software Center. However, not all apps always appear here, so we recommend you use Synaptic first.
The Ubuntu Software Center has a more general list of programs installed on your system. To uninstall the program package using this software, you can follow these steps:
- Go to Ubuntu Software Center.
- Click the Installed tab at the top to find the program you’re looking for.
- Then, select the program.
- Select “Remove”.
Now, after confirming its removal process, you may notice that if you go back to the program, it may give you the option to turn it on and the associated background extensions are still running. Even in rare cases, it may allow you to run the removed program.
Apparently, it doesn’t always update until you log out and back in, or reboot the system. So that it disappears forever and everything works fine.
Using the command line to uninstall packages in Ubuntu
A third way is to use “dpkg” on the command line. Now, if you know which application and specific package name you want to remove, you can skip this first step. However, what you should do is:
Open Terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.
Type one of the commands below to get a list of all packages:
$ dpkg -1 Or $ dpgk -list Or $ apt --installed
So that it will list all the packages installed on your system, note that there will be many.
- Then find the one that you want to remove.
- Copy or type in a notepad or something similar.
- If you want to get rid of all files, configuration files, settings, preferences, and the like related to the program, go back to the command line and type one of the commands below:
$ sudo apt-get--purge remove [Program Name] Or $ sudo apt purge [Program Name] Or $ sudo dpkg –p [Program Name]
If you want to leave those config files, preferences, or whatever, you can use one of the following commands:
$ sudo apt-get remove [Program Name] Or $ sudo dpkg –r [Program Name] Or $ sudo apt remove [Program Name]
Note: The “–purge” command removes everything related to that program to free up more disk space. Therefore, you can use this command if you will not use the program again and do not need it.
- Press Enter.
- The system will ask you, “Are you sure?”
- You can confirm the process and if you are sure enough, remove the program.
Conclusion
Here, we have talked about various ways to help you uninstall application packages and programs on your Ubuntu system. We hope that the article was helpful to you. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask us! Good luck!
