aptitude unmarkauto seems to have behaved strangely for me. I had numerous packages that apt-get autoremove wanted to remove:
# apt-get autoremove Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following packages will be REMOVED: aisleriot ant ant-optional argyll at-spi2-core baobab browser-plugin-gnash caribou caribou-antler cheese dconf-tools empathy empathy-common espeak-data file-roller fonts-cantarell gcalctool gcr gdebi gdm3 gedit gedit-common gedit-plugins gir1.2-atspi-2.0 gir1.2-gdata-0.0 gir1.2-gnomekeyring-1.0 gir1.2-goa-1.0 gir1.2-gtop-2.0 gir1.2-gucharmap-2.90 gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-3.0 gir1.2-rb-3.0 gir1.2-tracker-0.14 gir1.2-webkit-3.0 gir1.2-wnck-3.0 glchess glines gnash gnash-common gnect gnibbles gnobots2 gnome-backgrounds gnome-color-manager gnome-dictionary gnome-disk-utility gnome-documents gnome-font-viewer gnome-games gnome-games-data gnome-games-extra-data gnome-icon-theme-extras gnome-mag gnome-nettool gnome-orca gnome-packagekit gnome-packagekit-data gnome-screenshot gnome-shell-extensions gnome-sudoku gnome-system-log gnome-tweak-tool gnome-video-effects gnomine gnotravex gnotski gnuchess gnuchess-book grilo-plugins-0.1 gtali gucharmap guile-2.0-libs hamster-applet hyphen-en-us iagno inkscape iputils-tracepath libapache-pom-java libatk-adaptor libatk-adaptor-data libatk-bridge2.0-0 libatspi1.0-0 libatspi2.0-0 libavahi-gobject0 libavahi-ui-gtk3-0 libblas3gf libboost-thread1.49.0 libbrlapi0.5 libcap2-bin libcaribou-gtk-module libcaribou-gtk3-module libcmis-0.2-0 libcolorblind0 libcommons-beanutils-java libcommons-collections3-java libcommons-compress-java libcommons-digester-java libcommons-logging-java libcommons-parent-java libdb-java libdb-je-java libdb5.1-java libdb5.1-java-jni libdee-1.0-4 libdiscid0 libdmapsharing-3.0-2 libdotconf1.0 libespeak1 libgail-common libgdict-1.0-6 libgdict-common libgdu-gtk0 libgeocode-glib0 libgexiv2-1 libgnome-mag2 libgrilo-0.1-0 libgtk-vnc-2.0-0 libgupnp-av-1.0-2 libgupnp-dlna-1.0-2 libgvnc-1.0-0 libicc2 libicu4j-java libimdi0 libjline-java libjtidy-java liblinear-tools liblinear1 liblouis-data liblouis2 liblucene2-java libmagick++5 libminiupnpc5 libmozjs17d libnatpmp1 libopencv-core2.3 libopencv-imgproc2.3 libpam-cap libplot2c2 libpstoedit0c2a libraw5 libregexp-java librhythmbox-core6 libsofia-sip-ua-glib3 libsofia-sip-ua0 libsonic0 libspeechd2 libsvm-tools libtbb2 libtelepathy-farstream2 libunique-3.0-0 libvisio-0.0-0 libwnck-common libwnck22 libxcb-xfixes0 libxz-java lightsoff mahjongg minissdpd mobile-broadband-provider-info nautilus-sendto-empathy network-manager-gnome nmap p7zip-full perlmagick pstoedit python-brlapi python-louis python-mako python-markupsafe python-pyatspi python-pyatspi2 python-speechd python-wnck python-zeitgeist quadrapassel rdesktop rhythmbox rhythmbox-data rhythmbox-plugin-cdrecorder rhythmbox-plugins rygel rygel-playbin rygel-preferences rygel-tracker shotwell shotwell-common simple-scan sound-juicer sound-theme-freedesktop speech-dispatcher swell-foop telepathy-gabble telepathy-idle telepathy-logger telepathy-rakia telepathy-salut transmission-common transmission-gtk vinagre vino xbrlapi xdg-user-dirs-gtk xulrunner-17.0 zeitgeist-core 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 203 to remove and 213 not upgraded. After this operation, 494 MB disk space will be freed. Do you want to continue [Y/n]? n Abort. # Then I ran aptitude unmarkauto on a subset of them that I wanted to keep. This caused two things to happen: First, the aptitude command wanted to remove the packages listed above:
# aptitude unmarkauto argyll baobab browser-plugin-gnash fonts-cantarell gdm3 gnash gnash-common gnome-color-manager gnome-disk-utility gnome-font-viewer gnome-nettool gnome-packagekit gnome-packagekit-data gnome-screenshot gnome-shell-extensions gnome-tweak-tool gucharmap hamster-applet hyphen-en-us inkscape iputils-tracepath pstoedit The following packages will be REMOVED: aisleriot{u} ant{u} ant-optional{u} argyll{u} at-spi2-core{u} baobab{u} browser-plugin-gnash{u} caribou{u} caribou-antler{u} cheese{u} dconf-tools{u} empathy{u} empathy-common{u} espeak-data{u} file-roller{u} fonts-cantarell{u} gcalctool{u} gcr{u} gdebi{u} gdm3{u} gedit{u} gedit-common{u} gedit-plugins{u} gir1.2-atspi-2.0{u} gir1.2-gdata-0.0{u} gir1.2-gnomekeyring-1.0{u} gir1.2-goa-1.0{u} gir1.2-gtop-2.0{u} gir1.2-gucharmap-2.90{u} gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-3.0{u} gir1.2-rb-3.0{u} gir1.2-tracker-0.14{u} gir1.2-webkit-3.0{u} gir1.2-wnck-3.0{u} glchess{u} glines{u} gnash{u} gnash-common{u} gnect{u} gnibbles{u} gnobots2{u} gnome-backgrounds{u} gnome-color-manager{u} gnome-disk-utility{u} gnome-documents{u} gnome-font-viewer{u} gnome-games{u} gnome-games-data{u} gnome-games-extra-data{u} gnome-icon-theme-extras{u} gnome-mag{u} gnome-nettool{u} gnome-orca{u} gnome-packagekit{u} gnome-packagekit-data{u} gnome-screenshot{u} gnome-shell-extensions{u} gnome-sudoku{u} gnome-system-log{u} gnome-tweak-tool{u} gnome-video-effects{u} gnomine{u} gnotravex{u} gnotski{u} gnuchess{u} gnuchess-book{u} grilo-plugins-0.1{u} gtali{u} gucharmap{u} guile-2.0-libs{u} hamster-applet{u} hyphen-en-us{u} iagno{u} inkscape{u} iputils-tracepath{u} libapache-pom-java{u} libatk-adaptor{u} libatk-adaptor-data{u} libatk-bridge2.0-0{u} libatspi1.0-0{u} libatspi2.0-0{u} libavahi-gobject0{u} libavahi-ui-gtk3-0{u} libblas3gf{u} libboost-thread1.49.0{u} libbrlapi0.5{u} libcap2-bin{u} libcaribou-gtk-module{u} libcaribou-gtk3-module{u} libcmis-0.2-0{u} libcolorblind0{u} libcommons-beanutils-java{u} libcommons-collections3-java{u} libcommons-compress-java{u} libcommons-digester-java{u} libcommons-logging-java{u} libcommons-parent-java{u} libdb-java{u} libdb-je-java{u} libdb5.1-java{u} libdb5.1-java-jni{u} libdee-1.0-4{u} libdiscid0{u} libdmapsharing-3.0-2{u} libdotconf1.0{u} libespeak1{u} libfolks-telepathy25{u} libgail-common{u} libgdict-1.0-6{u} libgdict-common{u} libgdu-gtk0{u} libgeocode-glib0{u} libgexiv2-1{u} libgnome-mag2{u} libgnome-media-profiles-3.0-0{u} libgrilo-0.1-0{u} libgtk-vnc-2.0-0{u} libgupnp-av-1.0-2{u} libgupnp-dlna-1.0-2{u} libgvnc-1.0-0{u} libicc2{u} libicu4j-java{u} libimdi0{u} libjline-java{u} libjtidy-java{u} liblinear-tools{u} liblinear1{u} liblouis-data{u} liblouis2{u} liblucene2-java{u} libmagick++5{u} libminiupnpc5{u} libmozjs17d{u} libnatpmp1{u} libopencv-core2.3{u} libopencv-imgproc2.3{u} libpam-cap{u} libplot2c2{u} libpstoedit0c2a{u} libraw5{u} libregexp-java{u} librhythmbox-core6{u} libsofia-sip-ua-glib3{u} libsofia-sip-ua0{u} libsonic0{u} libspeechd2{u} libsvm-tools{u} libtbb2{u} libtelepathy-farstream2{u} libunique-3.0-0{u} libvisio-0.0-0{u} libwnck-common{u} libwnck22{u} libxcb-xfixes0{u} libxz-java{u} lightsoff{u} mahjongg{u} minissdpd{u} mobile-broadband-provider-info{u} nautilus-sendto-empathy{u} network-manager-gnome{u} nmap{u} p7zip-full{u} perlmagick{u} pstoedit{u} python-brlapi{u} python-louis{u} python-mako{u} python-markupsafe{u} python-pyatspi{u} python-pyatspi2{u} python-speechd{u} python-wnck{u} python-zeitgeist{u} quadrapassel{u} rdesktop{u} rhythmbox{u} rhythmbox-data{u} rhythmbox-plugin-cdrecorder{u} rhythmbox-plugins{u} rygel{u} rygel-playbin{u} rygel-preferences{u} rygel-tracker{u} shotwell{u} shotwell-common{u} simple-scan{u} sound-juicer{u} sound-theme-freedesktop{u} speech-dispatcher{u} swell-foop{u} telepathy-gabble{u} telepathy-idle{u} telepathy-logger{u} telepathy-rakia{u} telepathy-salut{u} transmission-common{u} transmission-gtk{u} vinagre{u} vino{u} xbrlapi{u} xdg-user-dirs-gtk{u} xulrunner-17.0{u} zeitgeist-core{u} 0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 204 to remove and 213 not upgraded. Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 493 MB will be freed. Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] n Abort. # Second, all those packages are also now marked as being manually installed (rather than just the subset that I asked for):
# aptitude show <all-pkgs-originally-listed-by-aptget-autoremove> | grep ^Automatically | uniq Automatically installed: no # What is going on here? What did aptitude unmarkauto do? Thanks for your help.
