[bt-devel] RFC: Remove modules installed by the native package manager

[Jonathan Marsden]

Frank wrote:

> Wouldn't it be easier to just either:
> 
> A) Remove the packages using the native package manager?

If the user concerned is familiar enough with it, and knows that this is 
the solution to their perceived issue, then perhaps this might be 
easier.  But these two things are not always the case.

In the past, some packages of BibleTime and SWORD have been set up to 
recommend .deb packaged data modules, and some package managers then 
installed modules automatically on the basis of those recommendations. 
This is what lead to the kind of confusion being addressed here.

Newer packages will not do that, but overall, integration of system-wide 
package management *is* a good way forward.

> B) Not install packages automatically in the first place?  I assume if 
> people install such manually, they know how to remove them?

See above.  You assume all installed packages were installed manually, 
which is not (in general) a valid assumption.

> If you do remove using PackageKit, do you ensure that the native package 
> manager's data is properly updated?  If not, that would leave the system 
> in a possibly unstable state...

PackageKit knows how to use the system's native package management tools 
to do the right thing.  It is an abstraction layer for package 
management; if it breaks package management, that would be a bug :)

Jonathan