desktop-packages team mailing list archive

[Matthew Paul Thomas <mpt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for this report, Julien, and sorry for the slow response.

I've discussed this further with Michael. The package data is cached for
a good reason, in case you uninstalled the package by mistake and want
to reinstall it. However, it should be easier to remove extra files if
you are low on disk space. In that case, it doesn't particularly matter
what kind of files they are.

So I've expanded the proposed "Show Residual Settings" command (to show
files that would have been deleted by an apt-get purge, but weren't
deleted by an apt-get remove) to a "Show Residual Files" command that
also shows cached packages. So you could delete files of either or both
kinds at once.
<https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwareCenter?action=diff&rev2=578&rev1=577>

** Changed in: software-center (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided => Low

** Changed in: software-center (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Triaged

** Description changed:

- Binary package hint: software-center
+ 'Remove' does not actually remove data (until later).  When I click to
+ remove an app in Software Center, the app data (200mb in the case of
+ Vendetta) is left on my computer for days until apt clears the cache.
+ If a user wanted to clear space on their machine and was uninstalling
+ applications for the purpose of clearing space, this would be very
+ frustrating. Many users are people who do not know how to clear the apt
+ cache (or in many cases, don't even know apt exists, never mind a cache)
  
- Bug Description: 'Remove' does not actually remove data (until later).
- When I click to remove an app in Software Center, the app data (200mb in
- the case of Vendetta) is left on my computer for days until apt clears
- the cache.  If a user wanted to clear space on their machine and was
- uninstalling applications for the purpose of clearing space, this would
- be very frustrating. Many users are people who do not know how to clear
- the apt cache (or in many cases, don't even know apt exists, never mind
- a cache)
- 
- OS: Ubuntu 10.04
- Steps To Reproduce:  See email thread below...
- Expected Result: 
- At best: a prompt asking the user if they would like to remove all data associated with the application immediately.  A warning that removing the application.  
+ <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwareCenter#residual>: "In the “File” menu,
+ immediately following the “Remove Including Settings” item should be a
+ “Show Residual Files” item..."
  
  
  On Wed, Dec 01, 2010 at 04:21:34PM -0800, Julien Funk wrote:
  > Hey Michael,
  > I was recently testing the zero $ purchase of Vendetta online.  The
- > software installed properly after downloading 200mb of content.  
+ > software installed properly after downloading 200mb of content.
  >
  > Next, I removed it using Software Center and reinstalled it again.
  > Everything installed and uninstalled visually.  I was unable to find
- > Vendetta in the list.  
- > 
+ > Vendetta in the list.
+ >
  > Next, I installed it again.  It installed in a matter of seconds without
- > downloading the 200mb of content again.  
- > 
+ > downloading the 200mb of content again.
+ >
  > I would expect a prompt when 'Remove' was clicked to delete all content
- > associated with the application.  
+ > associated with the application.
  
  [mvo]
  Right, this has to do with the way apt works, it will cache the
  downloaded deb package for a certain amount of time (around two days
- by default) in /var/cache/apt/archives. This is true for all debs. 
+ by default) in /var/cache/apt/archives. This is true for all debs.
  
  I agree that its kind of odd (and unexpected) that remove does not
  remove the package but only the content of the package.
  
  Cheers,
-  Michael
+  Michael
  [/mvo]

** Summary changed:

- 'Remove' does not actually remove data (until later)
+ Can't delete cached package data from USC

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Desktop
Packages, which is subscribed to software-center in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/684495

Title:
  Can't delete cached package data from USC

Status in “software-center” package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged

Bug description:
  'Remove' does not actually remove data (until later).  When I click to
  remove an app in Software Center, the app data (200mb in the case of
  Vendetta) is left on my computer for days until apt clears the cache.
  If a user wanted to clear space on their machine and was uninstalling
  applications for the purpose of clearing space, this would be very
  frustrating. Many users are people who do not know how to clear the
  apt cache (or in many cases, don't even know apt exists, never mind a
  cache)

  <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwareCenter#residual>: "In the “File”
  menu, immediately following the “Remove Including Settings” item
  should be a “Show Residual Files” item..."

  
  On Wed, Dec 01, 2010 at 04:21:34PM -0800, Julien Funk wrote:
  > Hey Michael,
  > I was recently testing the zero $ purchase of Vendetta online.  The
  > software installed properly after downloading 200mb of content.
  >
  > Next, I removed it using Software Center and reinstalled it again.
  > Everything installed and uninstalled visually.  I was unable to find
  > Vendetta in the list.
  >
  > Next, I installed it again.  It installed in a matter of seconds without
  > downloading the 200mb of content again.
  >
  > I would expect a prompt when 'Remove' was clicked to delete all content
  > associated with the application.

  [mvo]
  Right, this has to do with the way apt works, it will cache the
  downloaded deb package for a certain amount of time (around two days
  by default) in /var/cache/apt/archives. This is true for all debs.

  I agree that its kind of odd (and unexpected) that remove does not
  remove the package but only the content of the package.

  Cheers,
   Michael
  [/mvo]

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