[solved[ Drowned in a sea of apps and packages

[user2635]

Hi all, this is a question which has always been at the back of my mind but I don't know how to address this.

My journey:

• Install Debian with default GNOME
• Install KDE
• Switch to KDE

Now this leaves a lot of random packages, GNOME specific packages mixed in with KDE specific packages (in terms of file manager, music player and video players). I decided not to remove GNOME packages because it seems as though removing 1 package removes a TON of dependencies. I do NOT want to waste my time going through one by one just to see which ones I wanna keep. Especially when there could be common packages between the 2 DEs.

And then you have other packages to choose from like VLC, Firefox, Thunderbird stuff! How do you guys decide what the heck to use? I think my system is a whole mess now, all I want is 1. Most feature-packed open source packages 2. Relatively stable. 3. Actively developed. Is there a website which shows the top packages people use? I want to cut out the junk in my system.

Hopefully one day, I will stop spamming the beginners questions section when I improve my knowledge

[stevepusser]

Only you can decide which video player, browser, etc. is going to fulfill your particular needs. To ask others to decide for you does nothing but start endless debates and recommendations. Since you installed the KDE metapackage, removing the GNOME metapackage won't remove anything that the KDE one needs--just let the autoremove clean all the extra stuff from your system. It's simple enough to add single programs back into your system if you decide you really want that particular GNOME app.

Good reading:
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? ... 57#p497542

That said, VLC is a good all around multimedia player that doesn't depend on any particular DE's libraries. Let the debates begin!

[user2635]

Only you can decide which video player, browser, etc. is going to fulfill your particular needs. To ask others to decide for you does nothing but start endless debates and recommendations. Since you installed the KDE metapackage, removing the GNOME metapackage won't remove anything that the KDE one needs--just let the autoremove clean all the extra stuff from your system. It's simple enough to add single programs back into your system if you decide you really want that particular GNOME app.

Good reading:
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? ... 57#p497542

That said, VLC is a good all around multimedia player that doesn't depend on any particular DE's libraries. Let the debates begin!

Thanks steve, always helpful and i'll read through the post about metapackages.

I guess I can just look at the popularity contest results, that gives me a good indication of what packages people use the most, thanks again!

[stevepusser]

Popular does not always mean best. Windows is the most popular desktop OS, for example.

[GarryRicketson]

If I based what packages I use on "popularity", I would not have the packages I use the most,
and I would still be floundering around trying to get all the stuff I don't use to work , or do the things I like to do.

Really, the best way, yes it is tedious and more effort, but browse the packages available,
then look at the documentation on the package, if it sounds like what you need and want,
then check and see how well it is supported, etc. and finally check for bug reports,have they been fixed, etc. Finally the true test, try it .

[alan stone]

> How do you guys decide what the heck to use?
The Problem With Perfectionism.