nala-autoremove/autopurge(8)

📦
version 0.16.0 · 3 versions
, in debian trixie, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

🎀 NAME 🎀

nala-autoremove / nala-autopurge — the twin commands that yeet (or fully obliterate) packages you literally do not need anymore. This page lives in the Nala User Manual, and it's your bestie for clearing out the clutter. 🧹✨

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

nala autoremove [--options]
nala autopurge [--options]

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

Okay so, automatically remove or purge any packages that are no longer needed. That's the whole vibe. 🫶

And "no longer needed" means what? Usually it's dependencies that got installed automatically back in the day, and now no package depends on them anymore. So they're just... sitting there. Taking up space. Doing nothing. Not the main character energy we're looking for. 💀

autoremove and autopurge get documented together because they are almost the same command. Fr fr.

And lowkey the secret? nala autopurge is really just nala autoremove --purge. That's it. That's the plot twist. 🦋

🔥 OPTIONS 🔥

  • --config — Purge configuration files for packages that are no longer installed. Like, the package left, but its little config files are still hanging around the group chat. This kicks them out too. ✌️
  • --purge — Purge any packages that would be removed during the transaction. Not just uninstall — purge. The full send. 💅
  • --debug — Print helpful information for solving issues. If you're submitting a bug report, try running the command again with --debug and hand the output to the devs — it may be helpful. Basically it's the "show your work" of bug reports. 👑
  • --raw-dpkg — Force nala not to format dpkg output. This disables all formatting and it would look as if you were using apt. A more in-depth explanation of what this switch does: nala will fork a tty instead of a pty for dpkg. Also, nala will not display a progress bar for dpkg with this turned on. Additionally, the language of the output will not be forced into English in this mode. So yeah — raw, unfiltered, no glow-up. 🫣
  • -d, --download-only — Packages are only retrieved, not unpacked or installed. You're just grabbing them. Window shopping, but make it apt. 🛍️
  • --remove-essential — Allow the removal of essential packages. > This is very dangerous, but we thought you should have the option. Not me warning you and then handing you the keys anyway. 😭🔪
  • --assume-yes, --assume-no — The auto-answer squad, so you don't have to sit there mashing keys.
    • -y, --assume-yes — Automatically select yes for any prompts which may need your input. If the configuration option assume_yes is true, this switch will set it back to default behavior. Yes bestie, always yes. ✅
    • -n, --assume-no — Automatically select no for any prompts which may need your input. The "I said what I said" setting. 🚫
  • --simple, --no-simple — Pick your summary aesthetic:
    • --simple — Show a more simple and condensed transaction summary. Minimal. Clean. Very demure. ✨
    • --no-simple — Show the standard table transaction summary with more information. This variant is the default. The full spreadsheet experience. 📊
  • -o, --option — Set options to pass through to apt, nala, or dpkg. The "hey bestie, pass this along" flag. 💌

Example — force dpkg to install new config files without prompting:

nala install --option Dpkg::Options::="--force-confnew"

Disable scrolling text for nala:

nala install --option Nala::scrolling_text="false"

Allow nala to update unauthenticated repositories:

nala install --option* APT::Get::AllowUnauthenticated="true"
  • -v, --verbose — Disable scrolling text and print extra information. It's giving lore dump. 🗣️
  • -h, --help — Shows this man page. Hi. Hello. You're here. 🎀
  • --update, --no-update — Refresh the package list, or don't. Your call, your rules.
    • --update — Update the package list before the requested operation.

Example:

nala install --update neofetch

is equivalent to

apt update && apt install neofetch

[Default for: upgrade]

  • --no-update — Do NOT update the package list before the requested operation.

[Default for: install, remove, purge, autoremove, autopurge]

  • --fix-broken, --no-fix-broken — For when things are lowkey a mess. 🩹
    • --fix-broken — Attempts to fix broken packages. This variant is the default. 🛠️
    • --no-fix-broken — Stops nala from performing extra checks.
This can result in a broken install! Bestie, we are begging you. 🙈

If you just want to fix broken packages:

nala install --fix-broken

Copyright (C) 2021, 2022 Blake Lee

And that's the whole page, bestie — version 0.16.0, dated 21 Apr 2025, straight from the nala-autoremove/autopurge(8) page of the Nala User Manual. Go clear out those orphaned dependencies and live your unbothered, disk-space-rich life. 🦋💖 Slay, periodt. ✨

📦 where this page comes from