apt/dpkg - managing large updates
by boughtonp from LinuxQuestions.org on (#56037)
I have a Debian Testing machine that hasn't been used in several months.
Apt wants to download lots of packages and gigabytes to bring it up to date, and I'd like it to be fewer of both.
Specifically, I want to:
1. see what packages are larger upgrades so I can decide whether to uninstall (or hold them back), and thus reduce the download size.
2. block/remove every non-English language-related package, because they'll never be used on that machine and they're a waste of screen space.
Where I'm stuck...
1. "apt info package" has a "Download-Size" field (which differs from "Installed-Size"), but I don't see it in the dpkg-query format options. Is there a way to get at that information?
2a. There's a bunch of "task-$lang" and "task-$lang-desktop" packages, but also seems to be a few "task-$notlang" and "task-$notlang-desktop" packages - is there a way to identify the ones that are languages without going through them all individually?
2b. Same thing but regarding fonts - the machine will never display (e.g.) Korean characters and I couldn't comprehend them even if it did. Maybe I should just hold back all fonts-* packages?
Apt wants to download lots of packages and gigabytes to bring it up to date, and I'd like it to be fewer of both.
Specifically, I want to:
1. see what packages are larger upgrades so I can decide whether to uninstall (or hold them back), and thus reduce the download size.
2. block/remove every non-English language-related package, because they'll never be used on that machine and they're a waste of screen space.
Where I'm stuck...
1. "apt info package" has a "Download-Size" field (which differs from "Installed-Size"), but I don't see it in the dpkg-query format options. Is there a way to get at that information?
2a. There's a bunch of "task-$lang" and "task-$lang-desktop" packages, but also seems to be a few "task-$notlang" and "task-$notlang-desktop" packages - is there a way to identify the ones that are languages without going through them all individually?
2b. Same thing but regarding fonts - the machine will never display (e.g.) Korean characters and I couldn't comprehend them even if it did. Maybe I should just hold back all fonts-* packages?