Ubuntu – Completely uninstall related packages installed with a package

aptpackage-managementuninstall

How do I remove exactly same stuff I have installed or system have installed with adding support for a language for example? Is there a procedure I can follow? Apt-get remove, autoremove or purge is not what I am looking for, it leaves stuff behind.

I am currently looking into debfoster, but I hope that I am overseeing something easier and more native.

In this moment I have to restore my system from a snapshot to get it into previous setup, I am working on international application, when I install and uninstall for example Chinese, I will end up with several unwanted fonts that were not there before and it makes my testing pointless.

Update:

To update and clarify my question, I already know that package installations are logged a month ago I asked How to properly remove Chinese support and I found a solution, packages installed including fonts I want to delete are only in /var/log/dpkg.log. I am looking for automation or some tool, that will automate this so I do not have to process logs every time I install and uninstall new language or an application. Apparently Ubuntu has a tiny flaw and it does not uninstall fonts on language removal, I do install a new language and then delete it several times a day for testing, I have a script I made today where I put everything from logs that does not uninstall and I still hope I am reinventing a wheel and there is already some procedure in place that keeps track of what files and other stuff package is touching and making sure it will be deleted on removal.

Best Answer

If you installed "stuff" via a package manager (apt-get, dpkg, synaptic), it's all logged in /var/log/apt/*. It's a simple matter of editing to generate the apt-get purge commands.

If you installed "stuff" some other way (sudo make install, /usr/bin/cpan, ...) you have to uninstall it using the same method.

To make your life easier in the future, especially if you use the second method, consider installing and using installwatch. From the man page:

trusty (1) installwatch.1.gz
Provided by: checkinstall_1.6.2-4ubuntu1_i386

NAME

       installwatch — Track installation of software

SYNOPSIS

       installwatch [options]  [command]

DESCRIPTION

       installwatch  is  a  program that is used in order to track the changes
       made  while  installing  local  software  (i.e.   "make  install").  It
       monitors  the requested command, and produces a log which indicates all
       created and modified files.