How to Completely Uninstall Software in Linux Mint

Linux Mint is one of the most popular Linux distributions available today. Its simplicity, ease of use, and familiar user interface make it an excellent choice for Windows users looking to switch to Linux.

However, as you install more applications on your Linux Mint system, you may eventually want to remove some that you no longer need. Properly uninstalling software in Linux is important to avoid orphaned dependencies and configurations lingering on your system.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore several methods to completely uninstall software in Linux Mint:

Prerequisites

Before we get into the specifics of uninstalling software, let us go over some prerequisites:

• Have administrative privileges – You need to have sudo or root access to uninstall system-wide applications in Linux Mint.

• Know the package name – Most uninstall methods require you to specify the name of the package you want to remove.

• Close the application – Make sure the software you want to uninstall is not currently running. Some uninstallers will prompt you to close the application if it detects it is still open.

Method 1: Removing Software Using Mint Menu

The Linux Mint menu provides a simple graphical way to uninstall software. Just search for the application you want to remove and right-click on its menu entry.

Here are the detailed steps:

1. Click on the Mint menu icon in the bottom left corner to open the menu.

2. In the search bar, type the name of the application you want to uninstall.

3. Right-click on the search result and select "Uninstall":

4. This will launch the software manager and queue up the selected application for removal. Click "Apply" in the toolbar to actually uninstall it.

The main benefit of using the Mint menu is its simplicity. The process is entirely graphical and does not require using the command line.

However, this method does not always completely uninstall everything. Some configuration files and dependencies may be left behind. So it is best suited for removing simple standalone applications.

Method 2: Using Apt Package Manager

The Apt package management system is used by Debian-based distributions like Linux Mint to install, update, configure and remove software packages.

Using Apt is a more robust way to uninstall programs as it tracks and removes dependencies as well.

Here is how to use the Apt commands to fully uninstall software:

1. Open the Terminal application on your system.

2. Type the following command to remove the package (replace "package-name" with the actual name):

sudo apt remove package-name

For example, to uninstall LibreOffice Suite:

sudo apt remove libreoffice-common

3. If prompted, enter your user account password to confirm the uninstall operation.

4. You can verify that the package is removed by searching for it again:

apt list --installed | grep package-name

This apt remove process is more thorough than the graphical menus. It ensures configuration files related to the program are cleaned up after its removal.

To take it a step further, you can purge the application instead of just removing it:

sudo apt purge package-name

Purging deletes the package configuration files as well, erasing all traces of the software from your system.

Method 3: Uninstall Using Synaptic Package Manager

Synaptic is a graphical package management tool based on apt. It provides an interface to manage software repositories and individual package installations.

Follow these instructions to uninstall a program using Synaptic:

1. Launch Synaptic either by searching for it in the Mint menu or by typing the following in Terminal:

sudo synaptic

2. Type the name of the package you want to uninstall in Synaptic‘s Quick Filter field.

3. Right-click on the package name and select "Mark for Removal".

4. Next, click the Apply button in the toolbar to make the changes.

5. Enter your sudo password if prompted to confirm removing the package.

The Synaptic package manager gives you more control over the uninstall process. Its interface shows meta-information about each package including its description, dependencies, and versions.

This allows you to carefully inspect related packages before removing the target application. If other important software depends on it, you may choose to keep it installed.

Method 4: Uninstall Snap Packages

Many modern applications on Linux now use the Snap packaging format instead of traditional Deb packages. Popular examples include Spotify, Skype, Slack, etc.

Snaps follow a different model from apt packages when it comes to installations and updates. Consequently, removing them also requires special Snap commands instead of the apt tool.

Here is how to fully uninstall Snap packages in Linux Mint:

1. First, figure out if the application you want to remove was installed as a snap. The output will mention "snap" in the package name:

snap list

2. Then simply use the snap remove command with the name of the package:

sudo snap remove package-name

For instance, to uninstall the Slack snap:

sudo snap remove slack

That will completely remove the Snap application including all its data.

An important point to note is that snaps are isolated from the rest of the system by design. So removing them is a very clean process and will not affect any other programs.

Method 5: Uninstall Using Flatpak

Flatpak is a next-generation packaging standard focused on portability and security. Like Snaps, Flatpaks maintain strict isolation from other host system applications.

Software distributed as Flatpaks includes Telegram, OnlyOffice, Blender, etc.

To correctly uninstall Flatpak packages:

1. Check if the application is installed as a Flatpak:

flatpak list

2. Then simply issue the flatpak remove command:

flatpak remove package-name 

For example, to uninstall the OnlyOffice Flatpak:

flatpak remove org.onlyoffice.desktopeditors

Flatpak will cleanly remove the isolated bundle containing all the application data. So it is a very safe uninstall process.

Method 6: Manually Deleting Application Data

In some rare cases, an application may get corrupted or not fully uninstall using the package manager.

You can then try manually deleting its files and configurations as a last resort. This is an advanced procedure and requires knowing exactly which directories belong to that software.

Some common locations to cleanup include:

• /opt – Manually installed third-party applications from ISOs
• /usr/bin – Executable binaries
• ~/.[appname] – Hidden configuration in user‘s home folder
• ~/.config – Application settings and preferences

However, other vital system files or software could be accidentally deleted this way. So manually removing application files is best avoided unless absolutely necessary.

Use the main package manager uninstall methods instead whenever possible.

Uninstall Linux Mint Bundled Software

Linux Mint comes bundled with certain default applications like the VLC media player, Thunderbird email client etc.

You can uninstall even these if you wish using the apt commands we learned earlier:

sudo apt purge vlc mozilla-thunderbird

This will remove both VLC and Thunderbird including their user data and settings.

Be careful not to remove critical Mint tools like the Software Manager and Update Manager. That could cause your installation to become unstable.

Conclusion

There are several easy methods to safely and completely uninstall software in Linux Mint:

• For simple removal of standalone applications, use the Mint Menu > Right-click Uninstall.
• Leverage the apt package management system for robust uninstalls from the command line Terminal.
• Employ the Synaptic package GUI for advanced control over removing complex software bundles.
• Use specialized Snap and Flatpak commands to cleanly uninstall containerized applications.

Following this guide will prevent unused program files, settings and configurations from needlessly occupying space on your Linux Mint system.

Over time, regularly removing obsolete applications can speed up OS updates and upgrades too. So adopt these best practices for uninstalling Linux software and keeping your computer efficiently optimized.