Background
I issued the following command and then rebooted the machine.
$ sudo aptitude remove linux-headers-3.2.0-67-generic-pae \
> linux-image-3.2.0-67-generic-pae linux-headers-3.13.0-33-generic \
> linux-image-3.13.0-33-generic linux-image-extra-3.13.0-33-generic
Problem
I checked the list of installed packages, and the above removed package was still there, though in the status of rc.1
How can that package disappear from the list?
Solution
Use purge instead of remove in the above command.
$ sudo aptitude purge linux-image-3.2.0-67-generic-pae
[sudo] password for owner:
The following packages will be REMOVED:
linux-image-3.2.0-67-generic-pae{p}
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 0 B will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] Y
(Reading database ... 349931 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-image-3.2.0-67-generic-pae (3.2.0-67.101) ...
Purging configuration files for linux-image-3.2.0-67-generic-pae (3.2.0-67.101)
...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.2.0-67-generic-pae /
boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-67-generic-pae
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.2.0-67-generic-pae /
boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-67-generic-pae
$ sudo aptitude purge linux-image-3.13.0-33-generic linux-image-extra-3.13.0-33-
generic
The following packages will be REMOVED:
linux-image-3.13.0-33-generic{p} linux-image-extra-3.13.0-33-generic{p}
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 2 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 0 B will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] Y
(Reading database ... 349931 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-image-3.13.0-33-generic (3.13.0-33.58) ...
Purging configuration files for linux-image-3.13.0-33-generic (3.13.0-33.58) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.13.0-33-generic /boo
t/vmlinuz-3.13.0-33-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.13.0-33-generic /boot
/vmlinuz-3.13.0-33-generic
Removing linux-image-extra-3.13.0-33-generic (3.13.0-33.58) ...
Purging configuration files for linux-image-extra-3.13.0-33-generic (3.13.0-33.5
8) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 3.13.0-33-generic /boo
t/vmlinuz-3.13.0-33-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 3.13.0-33-generic /boot
/vmlinuz-3.13.0-33-generic
After running the above two commands, the above three removed Linux
kernel images with status rc shouldn’t be seen in the list of
packages anymore.2
The bold lines represent the packages that are going to be completely removed.
$ dpkg -l | grep linux
ii fonts-linuxlibertine 5.3.0-2 all Linux Libertine family of fonts
ii libselinux1:i386 2.2.2-1ubuntu0.1 i386 SELinux runtime shared libraries
ii libv4l-0:i386 1.0.1-1 i386 Collection of video4linux support lib
raries
ii libv4lconvert0:i386 1.0.1-1 i386 Video4linux frame format conversion l
ibrary
ii linux-firmware 1.127.5 all Firmware for Linux kernel drivers
ii linux-generic 3.13.0.35.42 i386 Complete Generic Linux kernel and hea
ders
ii linux-generic-pae 3.13.0.35.42 i386 Transitional package.
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-34 3.13.0-34.60 all Header files related to Linux kernel
version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-34-generic 3.13.0-34.60 i386 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13
.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-35 3.13.0-35.62 all Header files related to Linux kernel
version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-35-generic 3.13.0-35.62 i386 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13
.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-generic 3.13.0.35.42 i386 Generic Linux kernel headers
ii linux-headers-generic-pae 3.13.0.35.42 i386 Transitional package
rc linux-image-3.13.0-33-generic 3.13.0-33.58 i386 Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0
on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-3.13.0-34-generic 3.13.0-34.60 i386 Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0
on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-3.13.0-35-generic 3.13.0-35.62 i386 Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0
on 32 bit x86 SMP
rc linux-image-3.2.0-67-generic-pae 3.2.0-67.101 i386 Linux kernel image for version 3.2.0
on 32 bit x86 SMP
rc linux-image-extra-3.13.0-33-generic 3.13.0-33.58 i386 Linux kernel extra modules for versio
n 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-3.13.0-34-generic 3.13.0-34.60 i386 Linux kernel extra modules for versio
n 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-3.13.0-35-generic 3.13.0-35.62 i386 Linux kernel extra modules for versio
n 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-generic 3.13.0.35.42 i386 Generic Linux kernel image
ii linux-image-generic-pae 3.13.0.35.42 i386 Transitional package
ii linux-libc-dev:i386 3.13.0-35.62 i386 Linux Kernel Headers for development
ii linux-sound-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu4 all base package for ALSA and OSS sound s
ystems
ii pptp-linux 1.7.2-7 i386 Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PP
TP) Client
ii syslinux 3:4.05+dfsg-6+deb8u1 i386 collection of boot loaders
ii syslinux-common 3:4.05+dfsg-6+deb8u1 all collection of boot loaders (common fi
les)
ii syslinux-legacy 2:3.63+dfsg-2ubuntu5 i386 Bootloader for Linux/i386 using MS-DO
S floppies
ii util-linux 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu20.1 i386 Miscellaneous system utilities
There’s no lines beginning with rc.
$ dpkg -l | grep linux
ii fonts-linuxlibertine 5.3.0-2 all Linux Libertine family of fonts
ii libselinux1:i386 2.2.2-1ubuntu0.1 i386 SELinux runtime shared libraries
ii libv4l-0:i386 1.0.1-1 i386 Collection of video4linux support lib
raries
ii libv4lconvert0:i386 1.0.1-1 i386 Video4linux frame format conversion l
ibrary
ii linux-firmware 1.127.5 all Firmware for Linux kernel drivers
ii linux-generic 3.13.0.35.42 i386 Complete Generic Linux kernel and hea
ders
ii linux-generic-pae 3.13.0.35.42 i386 Transitional package.
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-34 3.13.0-34.60 all Header files related to Linux kernel
version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-34-generic 3.13.0-34.60 i386 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13
.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-35 3.13.0-35.62 all Header files related to Linux kernel
version 3.13.0
ii linux-headers-3.13.0-35-generic 3.13.0-35.62 i386 Linux kernel headers for version 3.13
.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-generic 3.13.0.35.42 i386 Generic Linux kernel headers
ii linux-headers-generic-pae 3.13.0.35.42 i386 Transitional package
ii linux-image-3.13.0-34-generic 3.13.0-34.60 i386 Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0
on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-3.13.0-35-generic 3.13.0-35.62 i386 Linux kernel image for version 3.13.0
on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-3.13.0-34-generic 3.13.0-34.60 i386 Linux kernel extra modules for versio
n 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-3.13.0-35-generic 3.13.0-35.62 i386 Linux kernel extra modules for versio
n 3.13.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-generic 3.13.0.35.42 i386 Generic Linux kernel image
ii linux-image-generic-pae 3.13.0.35.42 i386 Transitional package
ii linux-libc-dev:i386 3.13.0-35.62 i386 Linux Kernel Headers for development
ii linux-sound-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu4 all base package for ALSA and OSS sound s
ystems
ii pptp-linux 1.7.2-7 i386 Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PP
TP) Client
ii syslinux 3:4.05+dfsg-6+deb8u1 i386 collection of boot loaders
ii syslinux-common 3:4.05+dfsg-6+deb8u1 all collection of boot loaders (common fi
les)
ii syslinux-legacy 2:3.63+dfsg-2ubuntu5 i386 Bootloader for Linux/i386 using MS-DO
S floppies
ii util-linux 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu20.1 i386 Miscellaneous system utilities