remove unneeded configuration files in debian

dpkg-query -l| grep -v "ii " | grep "rc " | awk '{print $2" "}' | tr -d "\n" | xargs aptitude purge -y

This will, for an application that has already been removed but had its configuration left behind, purge that configuration from the system. To test it out first, you can remove the last -y, and it will show you what it will purge without actually doing it. I mean it never hurts to check first, "just in case." ;)

-3

By: thepicard

2009-04-28 19:25:53

awk grep tr xargs Debian awk xargs grep aptitude dpkg-query tr

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What Others Think

All 3 (so far) methods at http://www.commandlinefu.com/commands/view/2021 are nicer than this.

sud0er · 735 weeks and 1 day ago

well this does it all at once.

thepicard · 735 weeks ago

What's the sense in grep -v "ii " | grep "rc "? Somehow this doesn't make any sense at all. grep "^rc " is more than just sufficient. Additionally, aptitude is quite ressource hungy, a simple dpkg -P is more straighter.

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What do you think?

Any thoughts on this command? Does it work on your machine? Can you do the same thing with only 14 characters?

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