I noticed while updating my system just how many packages I have installed that I don’t recognize.

I tend to think that minimalism is better for security, so I’d like to remove any packages that I’m not using, but this is a bit of a scary task.

Does anybody have a safe method for reviewing and purging unused or bloat packages while obviously making sure not to accidentally remove important dependencies?

I’m on arch btw.

  • cravl@slrpnk.net
    8·
    3 days ago

    For anyone reading this on a Debian-based system, you can get a good start without risking removing anything important like this:

    1. Run apt-mark showmanual, and copy any package names you don’t think you need into a list.
    2. Run apt-mark auto <pkg1> <pkg2> ...
    3. Run apt autoremove
    • pathos@lemmy.ml
      11·
      2 days ago

      Sorry, just to clarify, <pkg1> etc. will be the ones deleted or not deleted?

      • cravl@slrpnk.net
        1·
        7 hours ago

        Like @pathos said, that’s the list from the previous step. Because you’re autoremoving, it will only remove packages that aren’t dependencies of any other packages still installed.