These instructions are for Ubuntu 12.04 running the Unity desktop 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 of Ubuntu, but no guarantee is made.
When the Lubuntu Desktop is installed in Ubuntu 12.04, it installs several packages and libraries it requires as well as some optional packages. Not all these packages and libraries are uninstalled when you uninstall Lubuntu Desktop. Several packages (like abiword and chromium browser) do not get uninstalled.
Quick Uninstall
This is not recommended because it will remove all packages normally installed with Lubuntu Desktop. This may include packages you previously installed (like abiword or chromium browser) or that were installed as dependencies for other packages.
Note: this uninstall command assumes Lubuntu Desktop was installed on a fresh Ubuntu 12.04.
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 purge --auto-remove abiword abiword-common abiword-plugin-grammar abiword-plugin-mathview ace-of-penguins audacious audacious-plugins audacious-plugins-data blueman chromium-browser chromium-browser-l10n chromium-codecs-ffmpeg elementary-icon-theme esound-common galculator gdebi gdebi-core gecko-mediaplayer 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 libaacs0 libabiword-2.9 libaudclient2 libaudcore1 libaudiofile1 libbinio1ldbl libbluray1 libbs2b0 libcddb2 libcompfaceg1 libcue1 libencode-locale-perl libept1.4.12 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 libgmlib0 libgmtk0 libgmtk0-data libgoffice-0.8-8 libgoffice-0.8-8-common libgringotts2 libgsf-1-114 libgsf-1-common libgtkmathview0c2a libguess1 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 libid3tag0 libimlib2 libio-socket-inet6-perl libio-socket-ssl-perl libjpeg-progs libjpeg-turbo-progs liblink-grammar4 libloudmouth1-0 liblwp-mediatypes-perl liblwp-protocol-https-perl libmailtools-perl libmcrypt4 libmenu-cache1 libmowgli2 libmpg123-0 libnet-dbus-perl libnet-http-perl libnet-ssleay-perl libobrender27 libobt0 libonig2 liboobs-1-5 libopts25 libots0 libpisock9 libresid-builder0c2a libsidplay2 libsocket6-perl libtar0 libtidy-0.99-0 libtie-ixhash-perl libtimedate-perl libuniconf4.6 liburi-perl libvdpau1 libwebcam0 libwv-1.2-4 libwvstreams4.6-base libwvstreams4.6-extras libwww-perl libwww-robotrules-perl libxfce4ui-1-0 libxfce4util-bin libxfce4util-common libxfce4util4 libxfconf-0-2 libxml-parser-perl libxml-twig-perl libxml-xpath-perl libxss1 lightdm-gtk-greeter link-grammar-dictionaries-en lm-sensors lubuntu-artwork lubuntu-artwork-12-04 lubuntu-core lubuntu-default-settings lubuntu-desktop lubuntu-icon-theme lubuntu-software-center lxappearance lxappearance-obconf lxinput lxkeymap lxlauncher lxmenu-data lxpanel lxpanel-indicator-applet-plugin lxrandr lxsession lxsession-edit lxshortcut lxtask lxterminal mplayer2 mtpaint ntp obconf openbox openbox-themes osmo pcmanfm pidgin pidgin-data pidgin-libnotify pidgin-microblog plymouth-theme-lubuntu-logo plymouth-theme-lubuntu-text python-pysqlite2 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 show you on how to uninstall only the packages that were installed when Lubuntu Desktop was installed. The instructions are generic and work for any installed package.
It involves:
- identifying which packages were installed and
- creating a command to uninstall only those packages
It leaves intact any packages you may have installed (like abiword or chromium browser) or that were installed as dependencies for other programs instead of blindly assuming that they were installed along with Lubuntu Desktop.