How to use the command deborphan (with examples)

Deborphan is a command-line tool that is used to display orphan packages on operating systems using the APT package manager. Orphan packages are packages that are no longer required by any other package and can be safely removed from the system. This helps to declutter the system and free up disk space.

Use case 1: Display library packages that are not required by another package

Code:

deborphan

Motivation: The motivation behind using this use case is to identify library packages that are installed on the system but are not being used by any other package. These unused packages can take up valuable disk space and may be candidates for removal.

Explanation: The deborphan command without any arguments will list all the orphan packages, including library packages. Library packages are usually stored in the “libs” section of the package repository. This use case specifically displays the library packages that are not required by any other package.

Example Output:

libexample1
libexample2

Use case 2: List orphan packages from the “libs” section and packages that look like library names

Code:

deborphan --guess-all

Motivation: The motivation behind using this use case is to identify not only the orphan library packages but also those packages that have a name that looks like a library name. Sometimes, packages may be mislabeled or not categorized correctly, resulting in orphan packages that are not listed in the “libs” section. Including the packages with library-like names helps to ensure that none of the potential orphan packages are missed.

Explanation: The --guess-all argument instructs deborphan to consider packages that have a name resembling a library name as orphan packages. This expands the scope of the search beyond just the “libs” section of the package repository.

Example Output:

libexample1
libexample2
liblikeexample

Use case 3: Find packages that are only recommended or suggested by another package

Code:

deborphan --nice-mode

Motivation: The motivation behind using this use case is to identify packages that are not strictly required by any other package but are only recommended or suggested by another package. These packages are not dependencies but may have been installed due to recommendations or suggestions during package installation. Identifying these packages allows for a more targeted approach to package management and potentially frees up additional disk space.

Explanation: The --nice-mode argument instructs deborphan to consider packages that are only recommended or suggested by another package as potential orphan packages. This helps to identify packages that are not strictly required by any other package but are still installed on the system.

Example Output:

recommended-package
suggested-package1
suggested-package2

Conclusion:

The deborphan command provides a convenient way to identify orphan packages on operating systems using the APT package manager. By using various command line options, such as --guess-all and --nice-mode, different types of orphan packages can be identified, including those from the “libs” section and those that are only recommended or suggested by other packages. This helps to keep the system clean, free from unnecessary packages, and optimize disk space usage.