Package removal in Linux (YUM & APT)

Different type of package removal in Linux explained with examples. Learn package removal or un-install on yum or apt based system.

This article is part of YUM series. Other articles in this series can be found at below links :

• Package installation in Linux (YUM & APT)
• Package upgrade in RHEL
• Yum automatic updates
• How to download package using YUM or APT

We will be seeing how to uninstall package from YUM and APT based Linux systems. Package removal also knows as erasing package from system.

Package removal on YUM based system :

Removing package using yum

On YUM based system like Red Hat or Cent OS, package can be removed by supplying erase or remove argument to yum command along with package name. For example to remove telnet, we will use yum remove telnet

Above output will be same even if you use yum erase telnet command. Before removing it will print package details to be removed on screen and ask for confirmation to avoid unwanted removals.

Removing package using rpm command

Same task can be achieved by using rpm command with erase (-e) option.

In above example we used -e (erase), -v (verbose) and -h (print hash marks) along with name of package.

Package removal on APT based system :

Removing package using apt-get

On APT based systems like Ubuntu or Debian, package can be removed with apt-get remove <package_name> command. Note that like YUM this command dont support erase option.

apt-get to asks for confirmation before removing package from system.

Removing package using dpkg

With debian package manager command i.e. dpkg, this can be done using --remove argument.

See above output as it removes telnet.

Observe that dpkg or rpm commands dont ask for user confirmation before removing package.