Why does apt-get install python3 with a trailing hyphen remove a lot of packages? [duplicate]





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This question already has an answer here:




  • apt-get install with '-' (minus / hyphen) removes packages

    2 answers



  • “sudo apt-get install foo-” causes removing foo package and everything depending on it [duplicate]

    2 answers




While is was installing something with the sudo apt-get install command I accidentally accepted the command



sudo apt-get install python3-


(yeah I know it is stupid to just accept this but I did a lot of those and i just continued to click y).



By executing the command I deleted my whole visual desktop of Ubuntu (I just had the plain shell but I recovered the visual desktop by now). I don't know if I am just stupid but nevertheless I want to create awareness that you shouldn't use the command.



If you can explain to me why happened what happened feel free to explain it to me.










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marked as duplicate by pomsky, karel, Zanna command-line
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23 hours ago


This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.














  • 8





    Documented features are not bugs.

    – guiverc
    yesterday






  • 2





    I’m curious -why- this was decided to be the intended behavior. Seems unnecessary, and as the OP found, destructive.

    – Scot
    yesterday











  • @Scot I agree with you. Since there is already a dedicated command to remove packages I don't see the need for this feature. Seems like somebody wanted to include a "pro feature" that hurts new users and provides basically 0 value... The only case in which it would be useful is when you want to remove a package but your hand types install anyway and you realize at the end... but does this happen often enough to justify this feature? I don't think so.

    – Giacomo Alzetta
    23 hours ago


















8
















This question already has an answer here:




  • apt-get install with '-' (minus / hyphen) removes packages

    2 answers



  • “sudo apt-get install foo-” causes removing foo package and everything depending on it [duplicate]

    2 answers




While is was installing something with the sudo apt-get install command I accidentally accepted the command



sudo apt-get install python3-


(yeah I know it is stupid to just accept this but I did a lot of those and i just continued to click y).



By executing the command I deleted my whole visual desktop of Ubuntu (I just had the plain shell but I recovered the visual desktop by now). I don't know if I am just stupid but nevertheless I want to create awareness that you shouldn't use the command.



If you can explain to me why happened what happened feel free to explain it to me.










share|improve this question









New contributor




Mettigel4_1 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











marked as duplicate by pomsky, karel, Zanna command-line
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23 hours ago


This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.














  • 8





    Documented features are not bugs.

    – guiverc
    yesterday






  • 2





    I’m curious -why- this was decided to be the intended behavior. Seems unnecessary, and as the OP found, destructive.

    – Scot
    yesterday











  • @Scot I agree with you. Since there is already a dedicated command to remove packages I don't see the need for this feature. Seems like somebody wanted to include a "pro feature" that hurts new users and provides basically 0 value... The only case in which it would be useful is when you want to remove a package but your hand types install anyway and you realize at the end... but does this happen often enough to justify this feature? I don't think so.

    – Giacomo Alzetta
    23 hours ago














8












8








8









This question already has an answer here:




  • apt-get install with '-' (minus / hyphen) removes packages

    2 answers



  • “sudo apt-get install foo-” causes removing foo package and everything depending on it [duplicate]

    2 answers




While is was installing something with the sudo apt-get install command I accidentally accepted the command



sudo apt-get install python3-


(yeah I know it is stupid to just accept this but I did a lot of those and i just continued to click y).



By executing the command I deleted my whole visual desktop of Ubuntu (I just had the plain shell but I recovered the visual desktop by now). I don't know if I am just stupid but nevertheless I want to create awareness that you shouldn't use the command.



If you can explain to me why happened what happened feel free to explain it to me.










share|improve this question









New contributor




Mettigel4_1 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.













This question already has an answer here:




  • apt-get install with '-' (minus / hyphen) removes packages

    2 answers



  • “sudo apt-get install foo-” causes removing foo package and everything depending on it [duplicate]

    2 answers




While is was installing something with the sudo apt-get install command I accidentally accepted the command



sudo apt-get install python3-


(yeah I know it is stupid to just accept this but I did a lot of those and i just continued to click y).



By executing the command I deleted my whole visual desktop of Ubuntu (I just had the plain shell but I recovered the visual desktop by now). I don't know if I am just stupid but nevertheless I want to create awareness that you shouldn't use the command.



If you can explain to me why happened what happened feel free to explain it to me.





This question already has an answer here:




  • apt-get install with '-' (minus / hyphen) removes packages

    2 answers



  • “sudo apt-get install foo-” causes removing foo package and everything depending on it [duplicate]

    2 answers








command-line apt






share|improve this question









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Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









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share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited yesterday









Community

1




1






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asked yesterday









Mettigel4_1Mettigel4_1

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marked as duplicate by pomsky, karel, Zanna command-line
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23 hours ago


This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.









marked as duplicate by pomsky, karel, Zanna command-line
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23 hours ago


This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.










  • 8





    Documented features are not bugs.

    – guiverc
    yesterday






  • 2





    I’m curious -why- this was decided to be the intended behavior. Seems unnecessary, and as the OP found, destructive.

    – Scot
    yesterday











  • @Scot I agree with you. Since there is already a dedicated command to remove packages I don't see the need for this feature. Seems like somebody wanted to include a "pro feature" that hurts new users and provides basically 0 value... The only case in which it would be useful is when you want to remove a package but your hand types install anyway and you realize at the end... but does this happen often enough to justify this feature? I don't think so.

    – Giacomo Alzetta
    23 hours ago














  • 8





    Documented features are not bugs.

    – guiverc
    yesterday






  • 2





    I’m curious -why- this was decided to be the intended behavior. Seems unnecessary, and as the OP found, destructive.

    – Scot
    yesterday











  • @Scot I agree with you. Since there is already a dedicated command to remove packages I don't see the need for this feature. Seems like somebody wanted to include a "pro feature" that hurts new users and provides basically 0 value... The only case in which it would be useful is when you want to remove a package but your hand types install anyway and you realize at the end... but does this happen often enough to justify this feature? I don't think so.

    – Giacomo Alzetta
    23 hours ago








8




8





Documented features are not bugs.

– guiverc
yesterday





Documented features are not bugs.

– guiverc
yesterday




2




2





I’m curious -why- this was decided to be the intended behavior. Seems unnecessary, and as the OP found, destructive.

– Scot
yesterday





I’m curious -why- this was decided to be the intended behavior. Seems unnecessary, and as the OP found, destructive.

– Scot
yesterday













@Scot I agree with you. Since there is already a dedicated command to remove packages I don't see the need for this feature. Seems like somebody wanted to include a "pro feature" that hurts new users and provides basically 0 value... The only case in which it would be useful is when you want to remove a package but your hand types install anyway and you realize at the end... but does this happen often enough to justify this feature? I don't think so.

– Giacomo Alzetta
23 hours ago





@Scot I agree with you. Since there is already a dedicated command to remove packages I don't see the need for this feature. Seems like somebody wanted to include a "pro feature" that hurts new users and provides basically 0 value... The only case in which it would be useful is when you want to remove a package but your hand types install anyway and you realize at the end... but does this happen often enough to justify this feature? I don't think so.

– Giacomo Alzetta
23 hours ago










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















22














This is not a bug; this is documented in the man page. From man apt-get's install section1 (emphasis mine):




If a hyphen is appended to the package name (with no intervening space), the identified package will be removed if it is installed. Similarly a plus sign can be used to designate a package to install.




So, when you did:



sudo apt-get install python3-


you've removed the python3 package and all the dependent packages (which includes the packages you mentioned).





Fix:



Firstly, you can install the ubuntu-desktop metapackage to get the default desktop environment back:



sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop


Now, to re-install the removed packages, go to /var/log/apt/history.log, pick the packages, and run sudo apt-get install on them.



You might also want to peek into /var/log/dpkg.log.





1 If you have less as the man pager, you can go to the install section of man apt-get directly:



LESS='+/^[[:blank:]]+install' man apt-get





share|improve this answer





















  • 6





    It might be worth mentioning that sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop will get most of the desktop environment back with a single command, without needing to hunt down individual package names. (Of course that doesn't cover whatever one has installed manually on top of the defaults, but further recovery can proceed in an environment that may be more familiar than the Linux console).

    – Henning Makholm
    yesterday













  • @HenningMakholm Makes sense; edited.

    – heemayl
    23 hours ago



















10














No, you didn't find a bug. From man apt-get:




If a hyphen is appended to the package name (with no intervening space), the identified package will be removed if it is installed. Similarly a plus sign can be used to designate a package to install. These latter features may be used to override decisions made by apt-get's conflict resolution system.




It's intentional. I'm not sure it's good design, but it is worth reading what changes apt proposes before proceeding.



Combined with globbing it may produce some rather... spectacular results at times.






share|improve this answer
































    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes








    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    22














    This is not a bug; this is documented in the man page. From man apt-get's install section1 (emphasis mine):




    If a hyphen is appended to the package name (with no intervening space), the identified package will be removed if it is installed. Similarly a plus sign can be used to designate a package to install.




    So, when you did:



    sudo apt-get install python3-


    you've removed the python3 package and all the dependent packages (which includes the packages you mentioned).





    Fix:



    Firstly, you can install the ubuntu-desktop metapackage to get the default desktop environment back:



    sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop


    Now, to re-install the removed packages, go to /var/log/apt/history.log, pick the packages, and run sudo apt-get install on them.



    You might also want to peek into /var/log/dpkg.log.





    1 If you have less as the man pager, you can go to the install section of man apt-get directly:



    LESS='+/^[[:blank:]]+install' man apt-get





    share|improve this answer





















    • 6





      It might be worth mentioning that sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop will get most of the desktop environment back with a single command, without needing to hunt down individual package names. (Of course that doesn't cover whatever one has installed manually on top of the defaults, but further recovery can proceed in an environment that may be more familiar than the Linux console).

      – Henning Makholm
      yesterday













    • @HenningMakholm Makes sense; edited.

      – heemayl
      23 hours ago
















    22














    This is not a bug; this is documented in the man page. From man apt-get's install section1 (emphasis mine):




    If a hyphen is appended to the package name (with no intervening space), the identified package will be removed if it is installed. Similarly a plus sign can be used to designate a package to install.




    So, when you did:



    sudo apt-get install python3-


    you've removed the python3 package and all the dependent packages (which includes the packages you mentioned).





    Fix:



    Firstly, you can install the ubuntu-desktop metapackage to get the default desktop environment back:



    sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop


    Now, to re-install the removed packages, go to /var/log/apt/history.log, pick the packages, and run sudo apt-get install on them.



    You might also want to peek into /var/log/dpkg.log.





    1 If you have less as the man pager, you can go to the install section of man apt-get directly:



    LESS='+/^[[:blank:]]+install' man apt-get





    share|improve this answer





















    • 6





      It might be worth mentioning that sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop will get most of the desktop environment back with a single command, without needing to hunt down individual package names. (Of course that doesn't cover whatever one has installed manually on top of the defaults, but further recovery can proceed in an environment that may be more familiar than the Linux console).

      – Henning Makholm
      yesterday













    • @HenningMakholm Makes sense; edited.

      – heemayl
      23 hours ago














    22












    22








    22







    This is not a bug; this is documented in the man page. From man apt-get's install section1 (emphasis mine):




    If a hyphen is appended to the package name (with no intervening space), the identified package will be removed if it is installed. Similarly a plus sign can be used to designate a package to install.




    So, when you did:



    sudo apt-get install python3-


    you've removed the python3 package and all the dependent packages (which includes the packages you mentioned).





    Fix:



    Firstly, you can install the ubuntu-desktop metapackage to get the default desktop environment back:



    sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop


    Now, to re-install the removed packages, go to /var/log/apt/history.log, pick the packages, and run sudo apt-get install on them.



    You might also want to peek into /var/log/dpkg.log.





    1 If you have less as the man pager, you can go to the install section of man apt-get directly:



    LESS='+/^[[:blank:]]+install' man apt-get





    share|improve this answer















    This is not a bug; this is documented in the man page. From man apt-get's install section1 (emphasis mine):




    If a hyphen is appended to the package name (with no intervening space), the identified package will be removed if it is installed. Similarly a plus sign can be used to designate a package to install.




    So, when you did:



    sudo apt-get install python3-


    you've removed the python3 package and all the dependent packages (which includes the packages you mentioned).





    Fix:



    Firstly, you can install the ubuntu-desktop metapackage to get the default desktop environment back:



    sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop


    Now, to re-install the removed packages, go to /var/log/apt/history.log, pick the packages, and run sudo apt-get install on them.



    You might also want to peek into /var/log/dpkg.log.





    1 If you have less as the man pager, you can go to the install section of man apt-get directly:



    LESS='+/^[[:blank:]]+install' man apt-get






    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited 23 hours ago

























    answered yesterday









    heemaylheemayl

    68.1k11142215




    68.1k11142215








    • 6





      It might be worth mentioning that sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop will get most of the desktop environment back with a single command, without needing to hunt down individual package names. (Of course that doesn't cover whatever one has installed manually on top of the defaults, but further recovery can proceed in an environment that may be more familiar than the Linux console).

      – Henning Makholm
      yesterday













    • @HenningMakholm Makes sense; edited.

      – heemayl
      23 hours ago














    • 6





      It might be worth mentioning that sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop will get most of the desktop environment back with a single command, without needing to hunt down individual package names. (Of course that doesn't cover whatever one has installed manually on top of the defaults, but further recovery can proceed in an environment that may be more familiar than the Linux console).

      – Henning Makholm
      yesterday













    • @HenningMakholm Makes sense; edited.

      – heemayl
      23 hours ago








    6




    6





    It might be worth mentioning that sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop will get most of the desktop environment back with a single command, without needing to hunt down individual package names. (Of course that doesn't cover whatever one has installed manually on top of the defaults, but further recovery can proceed in an environment that may be more familiar than the Linux console).

    – Henning Makholm
    yesterday







    It might be worth mentioning that sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop will get most of the desktop environment back with a single command, without needing to hunt down individual package names. (Of course that doesn't cover whatever one has installed manually on top of the defaults, but further recovery can proceed in an environment that may be more familiar than the Linux console).

    – Henning Makholm
    yesterday















    @HenningMakholm Makes sense; edited.

    – heemayl
    23 hours ago





    @HenningMakholm Makes sense; edited.

    – heemayl
    23 hours ago













    10














    No, you didn't find a bug. From man apt-get:




    If a hyphen is appended to the package name (with no intervening space), the identified package will be removed if it is installed. Similarly a plus sign can be used to designate a package to install. These latter features may be used to override decisions made by apt-get's conflict resolution system.




    It's intentional. I'm not sure it's good design, but it is worth reading what changes apt proposes before proceeding.



    Combined with globbing it may produce some rather... spectacular results at times.






    share|improve this answer






























      10














      No, you didn't find a bug. From man apt-get:




      If a hyphen is appended to the package name (with no intervening space), the identified package will be removed if it is installed. Similarly a plus sign can be used to designate a package to install. These latter features may be used to override decisions made by apt-get's conflict resolution system.




      It's intentional. I'm not sure it's good design, but it is worth reading what changes apt proposes before proceeding.



      Combined with globbing it may produce some rather... spectacular results at times.






      share|improve this answer




























        10












        10








        10







        No, you didn't find a bug. From man apt-get:




        If a hyphen is appended to the package name (with no intervening space), the identified package will be removed if it is installed. Similarly a plus sign can be used to designate a package to install. These latter features may be used to override decisions made by apt-get's conflict resolution system.




        It's intentional. I'm not sure it's good design, but it is worth reading what changes apt proposes before proceeding.



        Combined with globbing it may produce some rather... spectacular results at times.






        share|improve this answer















        No, you didn't find a bug. From man apt-get:




        If a hyphen is appended to the package name (with no intervening space), the identified package will be removed if it is installed. Similarly a plus sign can be used to designate a package to install. These latter features may be used to override decisions made by apt-get's conflict resolution system.




        It's intentional. I'm not sure it's good design, but it is worth reading what changes apt proposes before proceeding.



        Combined with globbing it may produce some rather... spectacular results at times.







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited yesterday









        N0rbert

        25.2k853118




        25.2k853118










        answered yesterday









        vidarlovidarlo

        10.7k52852




        10.7k52852















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