How to delete all desktop environments except Unity?
I am using Ubuntu 12.04 with many desktop environments like Unity,Gnome,Lubuntu,Xubuntu , Cinnamon and many . Now i'd like to remove all except Ubuntu because they all are messing with my main unity desktop . so i want to keep ubuntu-desktop and want to remove all other .
Assuming you installed using the PPA referenced here, you can remove Cinnamon along with its dependencies using the following commands:
sudo apt-get install ppa-purge
sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove cinnamon
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo ppa-purge ppa:gwendal-lebihan-dev/cinnamon-stable
To remove Xubuntu-Desktop and its associated packages:
sudo apt-get remove abiword abiword-common abiword-plugin-grammar abiword-plugin-mathview bison blueman brltty-x11 catfish elementary-icon-theme exo-utils flex gigolo gimp gimp-data gmusicbrowser gnome-icon-theme-full gnome-system-tools gnome-time-admin gnumeric gnumeric-common gnumeric-doc gstreamer0.10-gnomevfs gthumb gthumb-data gtk2-engines-pixbuf gtk2-engines-xfce indicator-application-gtk2 indicator-messages-gtk2 indicator-sound-gtk2 indicator-status-provider-pidgin leafpad libabiword-2.8 libaiksaurus-1.2-0c2a libaiksaurus-1.2-data libaiksaurusgtk-1.2-0c2a libao-common libao4 libaudio-scrobbler-perl libbabl-0.0-0 libclutter-1.0-0 libclutter-1.0-common libclutter-gtk-1.0-0 libcogl-common libcogl5 libconfig-inifiles-perl libencode-locale-perl libept1 libexo-1-0 libexo-common libfile-listing-perl libfont-afm-perl libgarcon-1-0 libgarcon-common libgdome2-0 libgdome2-cpp-smart0c2a libgegl-0.0-0 libgimp2.0 libglade2-0 libgnomevfs2-extra libgoffice-0.8-8 libgoffice-0.8-8-common libgsf-1-114 libgsf-1-common libgstreamer-perl libgtk2-notify-perl libgtk2-trayicon-perl libgtkmathview0c2a libhtml-form-perl libhtml-format-perl libhtml-parser-perl libhtml-tagset-perl libhtml-tree-perl libhttp-cookies-perl libhttp-daemon-perl libhttp-date-perl libhttp-message-perl libhttp-negotiate-perl libid3tag0 libido-0.1-0 libilmbase6 libio-socket-ssl-perl libjpeg-progs libkeybinder0 liblink-grammar4 libloudmouth1-0 liblwp-mediatypes-perl liblwp-protocol-https-perl libmad0 libmailtools-perl libnet-dbus-perl libnet-http-perl libnet-ssleay-perl liboobs-1-5 libopenexr6 libotr2 libots0 libpolkit-gtk-1-0 libsexy2 libtagc0 libthunarx-2-0 libtie-ixhash-perl libtimedate-perl libtumbler-1-0 liburi-perl libwv-1.2-3 libwww-perl libwww-robotrules-perl libxfce4ui-1-0 libxfce4util-bin libxfce4util-common libxfce4util4 libxfcegui4-4 libxfconf-0-2 libxml-parser-perl libxml-twig-perl libxml-xpath-perl libxss1 lightdm-gtk-greeter link-grammar-dictionaries-en m4 mpg321 murrine-themes orage parole pastebinit pidgin pidgin-data pidgin-libnotify pidgin-microblog pidgin-otr plymouth-theme-xubuntu-logo plymouth-theme-xubuntu-text python-configobj python-glade2 quadrapassel ristretto screensaver-default-images synaptic system-tools-backends tango-icon-theme tango-icon-theme-common tcl8.5 thunar thunar-archive-plugin thunar-data thunar-media-tags-plugin thunar-volman ttf-droid ttf-lyx tumbler tumbler-common xchat xchat-common xfburn xfce-keyboard-shortcuts xfce4-appfinder xfce4-cpugraph-plugin xfce4-dict xfce4-fsguard-plugin xfce4-indicator-plugin xfce4-mailwatch-plugin xfce4-mixer xfce4-mount-plugin xfce4-netload-plugin xfce4-notes xfce4-notes-plugin xfce4-notifyd xfce4-panel xfce4-places-plugin xfce4-power-manager xfce4-power-manager-data xfce4-quicklauncher-plugin xfce4-screenshooter xfce4-session xfce4-settings xfce4-smartbookmark-plugin xfce4-systemload-plugin xfce4-taskmanager xfce4-terminal xfce4-utils xfce4-verve-plugin xfce4-volumed xfce4-weather-plugin xfconf xfdesktop4 xfdesktop4-data xfwm4 xfwm4-themes xscreensaver xscreensaver-data xscreensaver-gl xubuntu-artwork xubuntu-default-settings xubuntu-desktop xubuntu-docs xubuntu-icon-theme xubuntu-wallpapers
To remove Lubuntu-Desktop and its associated packages:
sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove abiword abiword-common abiword-plugin-grammar abiword-plugin-mathview ace-of-penguins audacious audacious-plugins audacious-plugins-data blueman chromium-browser chromium-browser-l10n chromium-codecs-ffmpeg elementary-icon-theme esound-common galculator gdebi gdebi-core gecko-mediaplayer giblib1 gnome-icon-theme-full gnome-mplayer gnome-system-tools gnome-time-admin gnumeric gnumeric-common gnumeric-doc gpicview gtk2-engines-pixbuf guvcview hardinfo indicator-status-provider-pidgin leafpad libaacs0 libabiword-2.9 libaudclient2 libaudcore1 libaudiofile1 libbinio1ldbl libbluray1 libbs2b0 libcddb2 libcompfaceg1 libcue1 libencode-locale-perl libept1.4.12 libesd0 libexo-1-0 libexo-common libexo-helpers libfile-listing-perl libfluidsynth1 libfm-data libfm-gtk-data libfm-gtk1 libfm1 libfont-afm-perl libgdome2-0 libgdome2-cpp-smart0c2a libglade2-0 libgmlib0 libgmtk0 libgmtk0-data libgoffice-0.8-8 libgoffice-0.8-8-common libgringotts2 libgsf-1-114 libgsf-1-common libgtkmathview0c2a libguess1 libhtml-form-perl libhtml-format-perl libhtml-parser-perl libhtml-tagset-perl libhtml-tree-perl libhttp-cookies-perl libhttp-daemon-perl libhttp-date-perl libhttp-message-perl libhttp-negotiate-perl libid3tag0 libimlib2 libio-socket-inet6-perl libio-socket-ssl-perl libjpeg-progs libjpeg-turbo-progs liblink-grammar4 libloudmouth1-0 liblwp-mediatypes-perl liblwp-protocol-https-perl libmailtools-perl libmcrypt4 libmenu-cache1 libmowgli2 libmpg123-0 libnet-dbus-perl libnet-http-perl libnet-ssleay-perl libobrender27 libobt0 libonig2 liboobs-1-5 libopts25 libots0 libpisock9 libresid-builder0c2a libsidplay2 libsocket6-perl libtar0 libtidy-0.99-0 libtie-ixhash-perl libtimedate-perl libuniconf4.6 liburi-perl libvdpau1 libwebcam0 libwv-1.2-4 libwvstreams4.6-base libwvstreams4.6-extras libwww-perl libwww-robotrules-perl libxfce4ui-1-0 libxfce4util-bin libxfce4util-common libxfce4util4 libxfconf-0-2 libxml-parser-perl libxml-twig-perl libxml-xpath-perl libxss1 lightdm-gtk-greeter link-grammar-dictionaries-en lm-sensors lubuntu-artwork lubuntu-artwork-12-04 lubuntu-core lubuntu-default-settings lubuntu-desktop lubuntu-icon-theme lubuntu-software-center lxappearance lxappearance-obconf lxinput lxkeymap lxlauncher lxmenu-data lxpanel lxpanel-indicator-applet-plugin lxrandr lxsession lxsession-edit lxshortcut lxtask lxterminal mplayer2 mtpaint ntp obconf openbox openbox-themes osmo pcmanfm pidgin pidgin-data pidgin-libnotify pidgin-microblog plymouth-theme-lubuntu-logo plymouth-theme-lubuntu-text python-pysqlite2 python-xklavier scrot sylpheed sylpheed-doc sylpheed-i18n sylpheed-plugins synaptic system-tools-backends transmission ttf-lyx uvcdynctrl uvcdynctrl-data wvdial xfburn xfce-keyboard-shortcuts xfce4-power-manager xfce4-power-manager-data xfconf xfonts-100dpi xpad xscreensaver xscreensaver-data
To remove Gnome-Shell/Gnome-Fallback and its associated packages:
sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove alacarte cups-pk-helper gir1.2-accountsservice-1.0 gir1.2-caribou-1.0 gir1.2-clutter-1.0 gir1.2-cogl-1.0 gir1.2-coglpango-1.0 gir1.2-folks-0.6 gir1.2-gdesktopenums-3.0 gir1.2-gee-1.0 gir1.2-gjsdbus-1.0 gir1.2-gkbd-3.0 gir1.2-json-1.0 gir1.2-mutter-3.0 gir1.2-networkmanager-1.0 gir1.2-panelapplet-4.0 gir1.2-polkit-1.0 gir1.2-telepathyglib-0.12 gir1.2-telepathylogger-0.2 gir1.2-upowerglib-1.0 gir1.2-xkl-1.0 gjs gnome-applets gnome-applets-data gnome-contacts gnome-icon-theme-full gnome-panel gnome-panel-data gnome-session-fallback gnome-shell gnome-shell-common gnome-themes-standard indicator-applet-complete libcaribou-common libcaribou0 libclutter-1.0-0 libclutter-1.0-common libcogl-common libcogl-pango0 libcogl9 libgjs0c libmozjs185-1.0 libmutter0 libpanel-applet-4-0 mutter-common python-gmenu
Clean up any now-unnecessary .deb packages and libraries:
sudo apt-get autoclean
Ensure that all package dependencies are still intact (while upgrading your existing packages):
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
The graphical way of doing this is via Synaptic Package Manager, you can filter the options there and remove all the packages you need to remove from the other desktops.
Example: In the filter bar you can find Kubuntu-Desktop, you click it and then you'll see all the packages installed there and you can choos the ones you need/want to remove
Oh and you can install Synaptic from the software center