Some Apps don't get removed completely. Is it Fedora's Fault or Apps?

Ask Fedora
1

So, I recently installed some apps not from the fedora’s repository but from the developer itself.

I installed Brave Browser with its own official repository (copr). And installed Mailspring with its rpm (dnf).

But then I removed those apps with DNF and I still find their data not deleted. Like - Mailspring’s autostart .desktop file is still there & all its data. These remaining files are everywhere - /etc /var ~/.config

Also, empty folder of packages installed from fedora repo using dnf & later removed, still exists in /usr /etc, …

I also tried auto remove, clean all… But still no use.

So, who’s fault is this? Is it DNF (Fedora) or Apps themselves?

Thanks.

2

That is most likely the result of improper packaging … not the fault of dnf. Packages usually come with scripts that execute during installation/removals. dnf only follows the instructions as per the package. Incomplete instructions will produce unexpected results like the leftovers you’re seeing

2 Likes
3

Thanks for the explanation! Do you know any tool / way, to remove those junk stuff completely?

4

If you are absolutely sure they were introduced by identified packages and that they are redudant, then:

sudo rmdir <folder>

Those commands apply to dnf's caching and not to the files/folders created by the packages themselves.

As per issues from packages taken from outside Fedora, you’ll have to report them to their packagers.

1 Like
5

One can get the list of files in a package in two ways:

  • if it is in a repository, you can use sudo dnf repoquery -l
  • it you have the rpm file: rpm -qpl <complete path to rpm>.

Once you have these file lists, you can remove leftover bits.

In this particular case, the packaging bug probably is that, the rpm “owns” files in the folders but not the folders themselves. So while removing the rpm using dnf does remove the files, the folders get left behind.

4 Likes
6

Note: packages do not own user configuration files in ~/.config or ~/.local. These are generally created by applications when they are run. You must remove these yourself. Neither dnf, nor rpm will touch these.

3 Likes
7

True, but if you do not remove the configuration files from the mentioned config location, you will have the application configured the same way when you install it next time. It’s up to you :smiley:

8

Thanks a Lot! With that command’s help now I can remove all those files automatically!

  1. To Remove those Files, Backup them first.
    $ sudo cp -r $(rpm -qpl App.rpm) ~/Desktop/App/

  2. Remove!
    sudo rm -r $(rpm -qpl App.rpm)

1 Like
9

This topic was automatically closed 28 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.