Hello guys!

I want to completely remove qemu and all its optional packages. I went about removing most of them, but now I have this list of packages still installed:

$ pacman -Q | grep qemu
qemu-base 9.1.2-1
qemu-common 9.1.2-1
qemu-img 9.1.2-1
qemu-system-x86 9.1.2-1
qemu-system-x86-firmware 9.1.2-1

If I try to remove them with pacman -R <list of those package> I get the following message:

checking dependencies...
error: failed to prepare transaction (could not satisfy dependencies)
:: removing qemu-base breaks dependency 'qemu' required by libguestfs
 -> exit status 1

When I add libguestfs to that list, I get the following output:

pacman -R qemu-base qemu-common qemu-img qemu-system-x86 qemu-system-x86-firmware libguestfs
checking dependencies...
:: e2fsprogs optionally requires lvm2: for e2scrub
:: grub optionally requires dosfstools: For grub-mkrescue FAT FS and EFI support
:: grub optionally requires lzop: For grub-mkrescue LZO support
:: grub optionally requires mtools: For grub-mkrescue FAT FS support
:: htop optionally requires strace: attach to a running process
:: libblockdev-fs optionally requires btrfs-progs: for BTRFS filesystem support
:: libblockdev-fs optionally requires dosfstools: for VFAT filesystem support
:: libblockdev-fs optionally requires exfatprogs: for exFAT filesystem support
:: libblockdev-fs optionally requires f2fs-tools: for F2FS filesystem support
:: libblockdev-fs optionally requires nilfs-utils: for nilfs filesystem support
:: libblockdev-fs optionally requires xfsprogs: for XFS filesystem support
:: libvirt optionally requires lvm2: Logical Volume Manager support
:: libvirt optionally requires qemu-base: QEMU/KVM support
:: mkinitcpio optionally requires lzop: Use lzo compression for the initramfs image
:: reflector optionally requires rsync: rate rsync mirrors
:: steamtinkerlaunch optionally requires rsync: optional for backing up steamuser files from proton games
:: steamtinkerlaunch optionally requires strace: write a strace log of the launched game
:: udisks2 optionally requires btrfs-progs: for BTRFS support in libblockdev-fs
:: udisks2 optionally requires dosfstools: for FAT support in libblockdev-fs
:: udisks2 optionally requires exfatprogs: for exFAT support in libblockdev-fs
:: udisks2 optionally requires f2fs-tools: for F2FS support in libblockdev-fs
:: udisks2 optionally requires nilfs-utils: for NILFS support in libblockdev-fs
:: udisks2 optionally requires xfsprogs: for XFS support in libblockdev-fs

Packages (50) augeas-1.14.1-3  btrfs-progs-6.11-1  capstone-5.0.3-1  debootstrap-1.0.137-1  distro-info-1.10-1  distro-info-data-0.63-1  dosfstools-4.2-5  dtc-1.7.2-1  edk2-ovmf-202411-1  exfatprogs-1.2.6-1  f2fs-tools-1.16.0-3  gptfdisk-1.0.10-1  hivex-1.3.23-10
              iniparser-4.2.4-1  jfsutils-1.1.15-9  libewf-20140816-1  libldm-0.2.5-3  libslirp-4.8.0-1  libtraceevent-1:1.8.4-1  libtracefs-1.8.1-1  libxdp-1.4.3-1  lrzip-0.651-3  lsscsi-0.32-2  lvm2-2.03.28-1  lzop-1.04-4  mtools-1:4.0.46-1
              multipath-tools-0.10.0-1  ndctl-79-1  nilfs-utils-2.2.11-1  perl-libintl-perl-1.33-4  rsync-3.3.0-2  seabios-1.16.3-1  sleuthkit-4.12.1-3  squashfs-tools-4.6.1-2  strace-6.12-1  supermin-5.3.5-1  sysfsutils-2.1.1-2  syslinux-6.04.pre3.r3.g05ac953c-3
              thin-provisioning-tools-1.1.0-1  vde2-2.3.3-5  virtiofsd-1.13.0-1  wolfssl-5.7.4-1  xfsprogs-6.11.0-1  yara-4.5.1-1  libguestfs-1.54.0-1  qemu-base-9.1.2-1  qemu-common-9.1.2-1  qemu-img-9.1.2-1  qemu-system-x86-9.1.2-1  qemu-system-x86-firmware-9.1.2-1

Total Removed Size:  208.05 MiB

:: Do you want to remove these packages? [Y/n] n
 -> exit status 1

I’m seeing stuff in there about grub and some other packages I definitely DO NOT want to remove, so I’m wondering how I can proceed.

Thanks in advance!

  • pogodem0n@lemmy.world
    3·
    6 days ago

    I don’t see anything out of the ordinary. Pacman will warn you about those optional dependencies. But since you did not install them explicitly, there shouldn’t be any problems. Packages listed next to grub are completely optional and do not break your bootloader whatsoever.

    Edit: I tried to replicate what you had and it looks like you installed qemu (qemu-base is the default provider for qemu, the first one in the list when installing) and libguestfs explicitly. You should remove them with # pacman -Rs qemu-base libguestfs.

    • promitheasOP
      1·
      6 days ago

      This was it. I got confused because I was using pacman -Q to search for the packages relating to qemu, but actually using yay to uninstall. Running simply pacman -R <package list> uninstalled them all without any dependency issues.

      Could you please give me a short explanation of why that would happen when running it with an alias? Thanks!

      • Strit@lemmy.linuxuserspace.show
        3·
        5 days ago

        I don’t know yay’s codebase very well, but it might be that it uses the “cascade” option that some AUR helpers use. Cascade removes the packages, it’s dependencies and any packages that they depend on. It’s a sure way to blow up your system.

        I will always use regular pacman when removing packages. As long as the package is installed on the system, pacman knows about it and can remove it correctly.

        • promitheasOP
          2·
          4 days ago

          Yea that seems like a good rule to have. Ill start doing that too, thanks