Uninstall software linux safely remove programs no leftovers

Safely uninstalling Linux programs requires methodical removal of software and associated data. Here are best practices:

Using Package Managers

APT (Debian/Ubuntu):

• sudo apt purge package_name removes binaries and configuration files
• For orphaned dependencies: sudo apt autoremove --purge

DNF/YUM (Fedora/RHEL):

• sudo dnf remove --remove-leaves package_name
• Clean cache: sudo dnf clean all

Pacman (Arch):

• sudo pacman -Rns package_name removes with dependencies
• Orphan detection: pacman -Qtdq sudo pacman -Rns -

Manual Cleanup Techniques

• Check residual configs: ~/.config/, ~/.cache/, /etc/
• Locate remaining files: sudo find / -name "package_name"
• Verify service remnants: systemctl list-unit-files grep package

Specialized Tools

For thorough removal:

• Deborphan: Finds orphaned libraries (Debian-based)
• Stacer: GUI-based system cleaner with application removal
• Snap/Flatpak: Use respective remove --purge commands

Always verify package names with dpkg -l grep search_term or equivalent before removal to prevent accidental deletions.