[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Colin Watson) writes: > I don't think that's what Sean meant. If, in dselect, you use '-' to > mark a package for removal - or use 'apt-get remove' - then a package's > configuration files won't be removed, and some state about the package > will remain in the system. However, if you use '_' in dselect, or > 'apt-get --purge remove', then the package's configuration files will be > removed too, and /var/lib/dpkg/status will forget that it ever existed.
Getting OT: That's not quite correct. The `Package:', `Status:', `Priority:' and `Section:' entries of a purged package remains forever, so the status file grows on and on over the years and keeps even entries of packages which no longer exists. I wonder if this slows down the installation process and if `purging' the status file from those purged package entries would help, but I didn't dare that as yet. Greetings, joachim