Understanding the Differences Between apt-get remove and apt-get purge

apt-get purge

• Completely removes a package and its configuration files.
• Also removes any packages that depend on the package being purged.
• Can be used to free up disk space.

apt-get remove

• Removes a package but leaves its configuration files intact.
• Does not remove any packages that depend on the package being removed.
• Can be used to downgrade a package to a previous version.

Comparison

Feature	apt-get purge	apt-get remove
Removes package	Yes	Yes
Removes configuration files	Yes	No
Removes dependent packages	Yes	No
Can be used to free up disk space	Yes	No
Can be used to downgrade a package	No	Yes

Example

To purge the apache2 package, you would use the following command:

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sudo apt-get purge apache2

To remove the apache2 package, but leave its configuration files intact, you would use the following command:

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sudo apt-get remove apache2

Additional notes

• apt-get purge is a more destructive command than apt-get remove. It should be used with caution.
• If you are not sure whether you should use apt-get purge or apt-get remove, it is best to use apt-get remove.
• You can also use the apt-get autoremove command to automatically remove any packages that are no longer needed.