Skip to content
Native VMBeta

Operating a server

Uninstaller

The Uninstaller lists the packages installed on the server on request, by hand or by Native VM, and removes them. Every removal is planned, shown to you, then done exactly, or not at all.

What's listed

Every package apt marks as installed on request, less the system's own. The system's own are what the distribution counts as essential, required, important or standard, its meta-packages, the kernel and boot loader, systemd, networking, ufw, cloud agents, and what Native VM itself needs to get in, such as python3, sudo and openssh-server. So is everything those depend on, which is why Ubuntu Server's own git and htop aren't listed: removing them would take the server package with them.

The page counts what it leaves out rather than hiding it silently.

Removing a package

Choose Uninstall beside a package. Native VM first asks apt what would happen, changing nothing, and shows you the plan:

  • every package that would go, and why: the one you chose, what depends on it, and what only it needed;
  • the systemd units those packages ship;
  • the space freed;
  • what Native VM stops being able to do. Remove nginx and its sites stop answering; remove certbot and certificates stop renewing.

Old leftovers, such as previous kernels, aren't this removal's and stay.

When you confirm, Native VM asks apt again and removes the packages only if apt would remove exactly that list. If the server changed since you looked, nothing is removed, and you're told what's different. Asking again once they're gone does nothing, so retrying after a dropped connection is harmless.

What's refused

A plan is refused outright for a system package, for a package that's held with apt-mark hold (unholding it is your call, and the message says how), for a removal that would take a system package with it, and for one where apt would install a replacement.

Remove, never purge

Configuration files and data stay, so reinstalling a package brings it back as it was. Purge isn't offered on purpose: a database package's purge can delete its data.

What it doesn't touch

Snaps, pip and npm global packages, and the runtimes Native VM keeps per app under /opt/nativevm/runtimes. Removing one of those would break the apps pinned to it.

After a removal, Native VM forgets what it knew was installed, so the next step that needs a removed tool installs it again.