Ubuntu 11.10 – How to Completely Uninstall / Remove the Lubuntu Desktop

These instructions are for Ubuntu 11.10 on which the Lubuntu Desktop was installed using either the Ubuntu Software Center or sudo apt-get on the command line.

The instructions may be the same for other versions, but no guarantee is made.

When the Lubuntu Desktop is installed in Ubuntu 11.10, it installs several additional packages and libraries. Not all these packages and libraries are uninstalled when you uninstall the Lubuntu Desktop – several packages, Abiword, do not get removed.

Quick Uninstall

This is not recommended because it will remove all packages that are installed with Lubuntu Desktop. This may include packages you previously installed (like Abiword).

NOTE: this uninstall command assumes Lubuntu Desktop was installed on a fresh Ubuntu 11.10.

1) Open a terminal (instructions can be found here).

2) Enter the following command (it is very long and a single line):

sudo apt-get remove --auto-remove abiword abiword-common abiword-plugin-grammar abiword-plugin-mathview ace-of-penguins audacious audacious-plugins chromium-browser chromium-browser-l10n chromium-codecs-ffmpeg elementary-icon-theme esound-common galculator gdebi gdebi-core giblib1 gnome-icon-theme-full gnome-mplayer gnome-system-tools gnome-time-admin gnumeric gnumeric-common gnumeric-doc gpicview gtk2-engines-pixbuf guvcview hardinfo indicator-status-provider-pidgin leafpad libabiword-2.8 libaiksaurus-1.2-0c2a libaiksaurus-1.2-data libaiksaurusgtk-1.2-0c2a libaudclient2 libaudcore1 libaudiofile0 libbinio1ldbl libcddb2 libcompfaceg1 libcue1 libdiscid0 libencode-locale-perl libept1 libesd0 libexo-1-0 libexo-common libexo-helpers libfile-listing-perl libfluidsynth1 libfm-data libfm-gtk-data libfm-gtk1 libfm1 libfont-afm-perl libgdome2-0 libgdome2-cpp-smart0c2a libglade2-0 libgoffice-0.8-8 libgoffice-0.8-8-common libgringotts2 libgsf-1-114 libgsf-1-common libgtkmathview0c2a libhtml-form-perl libhtml-format-perl libhtml-parser-perl libhtml-tagset-perl libhtml-tree-perl libhttp-cookies-perl libhttp-daemon-perl libhttp-date-perl libhttp-message-perl libhttp-negotiate-perl libimlib2 libio-socket-ssl-perl libjpeg-progs liblink-grammar4 libloudmouth1-0 liblwp-mediatypes-perl liblwp-protocol-https-perl libmailtools-perl libmcrypt4 libmcs1 libmenu-cache1 libmowgli2 libmusicbrainz3-6 libnet-dbus-perl libnet-http-perl libnet-ssleay-perl libobrender27 libobt0 libonig2 liboobs-1-5 libopenal1 libopts25 libots0 libpisock9 libpolkit-gtk-1-0 libresid-builder0c2a libsidplay2 libsvga1 libtar0 libtie-ixhash-perl libtimedate-perl libuniconf4.6 liburi-perl libvdpau1 libwebcam0 libwv-1.2-3 libwvstreams4.6-base libwvstreams4.6-extras libwww-perl libwww-robotrules-perl libxfce4ui-1-0 libxfce4util-bin libxfce4util-common libxfce4util4 libxfcegui4-4 libxfconf-0-2 libxml-parser-perl libxml-twig-perl libxml-xpath-perl libxss1 libxvidcore4 link-grammar-dictionaries-en lm-sensors lubuntu-artwork lubuntu-core lubuntu-default-settings lubuntu-desktop lubuntu-icon-theme lxappearance lxappearance-obconf lxde-common lxde-core lxdm lxinput lxkeymap lxlauncher lxmenu-data lxpanel lxpanel-indicator-applet-plugin lxrandr lxsession lxsession-edit lxshortcut lxtask lxterminal mplayer mtpaint ntp obconf openbox openbox-themes osmo pcmanfm pidgin pidgin-data pidgin-libnotify pidgin-microblog plymouth-theme-lubuntu-logo plymouth-theme-lubuntu-text python-xklavier scrot sylpheed sylpheed-doc sylpheed-i18n sylpheed-plugins synaptic system-tools-backends transmission ttf-lyx uvcdynctrl uvcdynctrl-data wvdial xfburn xfce-keyboard-shortcuts xfce4-power-manager xfce4-power-manager-data xfconf xfonts-100dpi xpad xscreensaver xscreensaver-data

It is easiest to copy the line and paste it into the terminal (right-click on the terminal and select Paste from the popup menu).

Preferred Uninstall

The better way to uninstall it is to follow the directions on this page. This will allow you to uninstall only the packages that were installed when Lubuntu Desktop was installed. The instructions are generic and work for any installed package.

This involves (1) identifying which packages were installed and (2) creating a command to uninstall only those packages.

This leaves intact any packages you may have installed (like Abiword) instead of blindly assuming that they were installed as part of Lubuntu Desktop.