26

My computer is overheating because I got too many desktop environments installed like: MATE, Cinnamon and XFCE. I uninstalled them, but XFCE failed to uninstall. I get this error.

 sudo apt-get purge xfce4
    Reading package lists... Error!
    E: Problem syncing the file - sync (5: Input/output error)
    E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
MathCubes
  • 5,732
Liso
  • 15,677

7 Answers7

31

Try this

sudo apt-get purge xfconf xfce4-utils xfwm4 xfce4-session xfdesktop4 exo-utils xfce4-panel xfce4-terminal  thunar

followed by

sudo apt autoremove
Zanna
  • 72,312
Meow
  • 1,427
11

Try these

sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoclean
sudo apt-get update

Now 

sudo apt-get purge xfce4
Maythux
  • 87,123
8

In my case (Mint with cinnamon and XFCE) I did:

sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoclean
sudo apt-get update

THEN:

sudo apt-get purge xfce4  # failed

THEN:

sudo apt-get purge xfconf
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoclean
sudo apt-get update
Zanna
  • 72,312
Wayne Henderson Philip
  • 81
  • 1
  • 1
1

From this link

You can run the following to remove xfce from your computer, completely:

dpkg -l | grep .xfce. | xargs sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove --yes
Hosein Basafa
  • 111
1

Try this:

sudo apt purge ^xfce4*

Then:

sudo apt autoremove
BeastOfCaerbannog
  • 16,703
Onluck
  • 46
0

First, check what is going to be removed

sudo dpkg -l | grep .xfce.

If you are ok with it, run this command

sudo apt autoremove --purge xfce*

Command explanation

# dpkg -l       lists all installed packages
# grep .xfce.   filters, so that only packages with keyword xfce within their names, listed
# purge         removes mentioned package
# autoremove    tries to remove dependency packages
Pran
  • 159
-3

try : sudo apt-get remove xfce4-* this helps in removing all linked packages, after you have executed sudo apt-get purge xfce4, of course.

Sam Martini
  • 1