apt/doc/apt-mark.8.xml

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<refentry>

 <refentryinfo>
   &apt-author.moconnor;
   &apt-author.team;
   &apt-email;
   &apt-product;
   <!-- The last update date -->
   <date>9 August 2009</date>
 </refentryinfo>
 
 <refmeta>
   <refentrytitle>apt-mark</refentrytitle>
   <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
 </refmeta>
 
 <!-- Man page title -->
 <refnamediv>
    <refname>apt-mark</refname>
    <refpurpose>mark/unmark a package as being automatically-installed</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>

 <!-- Arguments -->
 <refsynopsisdiv>
   <cmdsynopsis>
	<command>apt-mark</command>
	<arg><option>-hv</option></arg>
	<arg><option>-f=<replaceable>FILENAME</replaceable></option></arg>
	<group choice="plain">
		<arg choice="plain">
			<group choice="req">
				<arg choice="plain">markauto</arg>
				<arg choice="plain">unmarkauto</arg>
			</group>
			<arg choice="plain" rep="repeat"><replaceable>package</replaceable></arg>
		</arg>
		<arg choice="plain">showauto</arg>
	</group>
   </cmdsynopsis>
 </refsynopsisdiv>
 
 <refsect1><title>Description</title>
   <para><command>apt-mark</command> will change whether a package has
   been marked as being automatically installed.
   </para>
   <para>
     When you request that a package is installed, and as a result
     other packages are installed to satisfy its dependencies, the
     dependencies are marked as being automatically installed.  Once
     these automatically installed packages are no longer depended on
     by any manually installed packages, they will be removed by e.g.
     <command>apt-get</command> or <command>aptitude</command>.
   </para>
     <variablelist>
       <varlistentry><term>markauto</term>
	 <listitem><para><literal>markauto</literal> is used to mark a
     package as being automatically installed, which will cause the
     package to be removed when no more manually installed packages
     depend on this package.
       </para></listitem>
       </varlistentry>

       <varlistentry><term>unmarkauto</term>
	 <listitem><para><literal>unmarkauto</literal> is used to mark a
     package as being manually installed, which will prevent the
     package from being automatically removed if no other packages
     depend on it.
       </para></listitem>
       </varlistentry>

       <varlistentry><term>showauto</term>
	 <listitem><para><literal>showauto</literal> is used to print a
     list of manually installed packages with each package on a new line.
       </para></listitem>
       </varlistentry>
     </variablelist>
 </refsect1>
 
 <refsect1><title>options</title>
   
   <variablelist>
	<varlistentry>
		<term><option>-f=<filename><replaceable>FILENAME</replaceable></filename></option></term>
		<term><option>--file=<filename><replaceable>FILENAME</replaceable></filename></option></term>
     <listitem><para>
      
     Read/Write package stats from <filename><replaceable>FILENAME</replaceable></filename>
     instead of the default location, which
     is <filename>extended_status</filename> in the directory defined
     by the Configuration Item: <literal>Dir::State</literal>.</para></listitem>
     </varlistentry>
   
     <varlistentry><term><option>-h</option></term>
     <term><option>--help</option></term>
     <listitem><para>Show a short usage summary.
     </para>
     </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
     
     <varlistentry>
      <term><option>-v</option></term>
      <term><option>--version</option></term>
      <listitem><para>Show the program version.
     </para>
     </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     
   </variablelist>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1><title>Files</title>
   <variablelist>
      <varlistentry><term><filename>/var/lib/apt/extended_states</filename></term>
      <listitem><para>Status list of auto-installed packages.
		      Configuration Item: <literal>Dir::State</literal>
		      sets the path to the <filename>extended_states</filename> file.
      </para></listitem>
      </varlistentry>
   </variablelist>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1><title>See Also</title>
   <para>&apt-get;,&aptitude;,&apt-conf;</para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1><title>Diagnostics</title>
   <para><command>apt-mark</command> returns zero on normal operation, non-zero on error.</para>
 </refsect1>

 &manbugs;
 
</refentry>