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

apt-get install with '-' (minus / hyphen) removes packages“sudo apt-get install foo-” causes removing foo package and everything depending on itWhy does `apt-get install python-` remove everything?Default path changed after uninstalling python and reinstalling ubuntu-desktopPackages are removed when I use “apt-get install” with a hyphen after the package nameMust execute “sudo su” and then do apt-get update/upgrade/install, prefacing with sudo doesn't workRedirected OutputThe colors when doing “ls” at my ubuntu server diappeared just like thatapt-get remove indicator-bluetooth removes lot of packagesWhy does “sudo apt-get install gpsd” return with errors?How to restore after accidentally apt-get remove python'sudo apt autoremove python3' removed a lot of packages

.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;

7

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.

command-line apt

share|improve this question

edited Apr 8 at 5:36

Community♦

1

asked Apr 7 at 19:27

Mettigel4_1Mettigel4_1

451

marked as duplicate by pomsky, karel, Zanna command-line
Users with the  command-line badge can single-handedly close command-line questions as duplicates and reopen them as needed.

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Apr 8 at 6:11

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
  Apr 7 at 22:24
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I’m curious -why- this was decided to be the intended behavior. Seems unnecessary, and as the OP found, destructive.
  
  – Scot
  Apr 8 at 4:48
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @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
  Apr 8 at 6:11
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

7

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.

command-line apt

share|improve this question

edited Apr 8 at 5:36

Community♦

1

asked Apr 7 at 19:27

Mettigel4_1Mettigel4_1

451

marked as duplicate by pomsky, karel, Zanna command-line
Users with the  command-line badge can single-handedly close command-line questions as duplicates and reopen them as needed.

StackExchange.ready(function()
if (StackExchange.options.isMobile) return;

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Apr 8 at 6:11

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
  Apr 7 at 22:24
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I’m curious -why- this was decided to be the intended behavior. Seems unnecessary, and as the OP found, destructive.
  
  – Scot
  Apr 8 at 4:48
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @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
  Apr 8 at 6:11
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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.

command-line apt

share|improve this question

edited Apr 8 at 5:36

Community♦

1

asked Apr 7 at 19:27

Mettigel4_1Mettigel4_1

451

sudo apt-get install python3-

share|improve this question

edited Apr 8 at 5:36

Community♦

1

asked Apr 7 at 19:27

Mettigel4_1Mettigel4_1

451

share|improve this question

edited Apr 8 at 5:36

Community♦

1

asked Apr 7 at 19:27

Mettigel4_1Mettigel4_1

451

edited Apr 8 at 5:36

Community♦

1

edited Apr 8 at 5:36

Community♦

1

asked Apr 7 at 19:27

Mettigel4_1Mettigel4_1

451

asked Apr 7 at 19:27

Mettigel4_1Mettigel4_1

451

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

edited Apr 8 at 6:27

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

heemaylheemayl

68.5k11146217

• 
  
  
  

  
  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
  Apr 7 at 22:21
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @HenningMakholm Makes sense; edited.
  
  – heemayl
  Apr 8 at 6:27
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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

edited Apr 7 at 19:38

N0rbert

26.2k957123

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

vidarlovidarlo

10.9k52852

add a comment | 

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

edited Apr 8 at 6:27

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

heemaylheemayl

68.5k11146217

• 
  
  
  

  
  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
  Apr 7 at 22:21
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @HenningMakholm Makes sense; edited.
  
  – heemayl
  Apr 8 at 6:27
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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

edited Apr 8 at 6:27

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

heemaylheemayl

68.5k11146217

• 
  
  
  

  
  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
  Apr 7 at 22:21
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @HenningMakholm Makes sense; edited.
  
  – heemayl
  Apr 8 at 6:27
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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

edited Apr 8 at 6:27

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

heemaylheemayl

68.5k11146217

sudo apt-get install python3-

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

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

share|improve this answer

edited Apr 8 at 6:27

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

heemaylheemayl

68.5k11146217

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

heemaylheemayl

68.5k11146217

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

heemaylheemayl

68.5k11146217

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

edited Apr 7 at 19:38

N0rbert

26.2k957123

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

vidarlovidarlo

10.9k52852

add a comment | 

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

edited Apr 7 at 19:38

N0rbert

26.2k957123

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

vidarlovidarlo

10.9k52852

add a comment | 

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

edited Apr 7 at 19:38

N0rbert

26.2k957123

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

vidarlovidarlo

10.9k52852

share|improve this answer

edited Apr 7 at 19:38

N0rbert

26.2k957123

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

vidarlovidarlo

10.9k52852

edited Apr 7 at 19:38

N0rbert

26.2k957123

edited Apr 7 at 19:38

N0rbert

26.2k957123

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

vidarlovidarlo

10.9k52852

answered Apr 7 at 19:36

vidarlovidarlo

10.9k52852