Bug 728794

Created attachment 517067 [details]
yum grouperase "KDE Software Compilation"

Here's the text output of attempting this with command-line yum (and entering "N" at the prompt). I have a few extra repos, so can't be sure this is a Fedora issue.

Should have mentioned the same thing happens with command-line yum.

One of the first packages it wants to remove is cups-pk-helper, which is one of the default packages in "KDE Software Compilation". That triggers removing the gnome-related packages:

[root@compaq-pc ~]# yum erase cups-pk-helper
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit, security
Setting up Remove Process
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package cups-pk-helper.x86_64 0:0.1.2-1.fc15 will be erased
--> Processing Dependency: cups-pk-helper for package: 1:control-center-3.0.2-1.fc15.x86_64
--> Running transaction check
---> Package control-center.x86_64 1:3.0.2-1.fc15 will be erased
--> Processing Dependency: libgnome-control-center.so.1()(64bit) for package: empathy-3.0.2-3.fc15.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: libgnome-control-center.so.1()(64bit) for package: 1:gnome-bluetooth-3.0.1-1.fc15.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: control-center for package: orca-3.0.1-1.fc15.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: control-center for package: 1:gnome-bluetooth-3.0.1-1.fc15.x86_64
--> Running transaction check
---> Package empathy.x86_64 0:3.0.2-3.fc15 will be erased
---> Package gnome-bluetooth.x86_64 1:3.0.1-1.fc15 will be erased
--> Processing Dependency: libgnome-bluetooth-applet.so.0()(64bit) for package: gnome-shell-3.0.2-4.fc15.x86_64
---> Package orca.x86_64 0:3.0.1-1.fc15 will be erased
--> Running transaction check
---> Package gnome-shell.x86_64 0:3.0.2-4.fc15 will be erased
--> Processing Dependency: gnome-shell for package: gnome-panel-3.0.0.1-4.fc15.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: gnome-shell for package: gnome-tweak-tool-3.0.5-2.fc15.noarch
--> Running transaction check
---> Package gnome-panel.x86_64 0:3.0.0.1-4.fc15 will be erased
--> Processing Dependency: gnome-panel for package: alacarte-0.13.2-3.fc15.noarch
---> Package gnome-tweak-tool.noarch 0:3.0.5-2.fc15 will be erased
--> Running transaction check
---> Package alacarte.noarch 0:0.13.2-3.fc15 will be erased
--> Processing Dependency: alacarte for package: awn-extras-applets-0.4.2-0.1.bzr1523.fc15.x86_64
--> Running transaction check
---> Package awn-extras-applets.x86_64 0:0.4.2-0.1.bzr1523.fc15 will be erased
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

===============================================================================
 Package            Arch   Version                Repository              Size
===============================================================================
Removing:
 cups-pk-helper     x86_64 0.1.2-1.fc15           @anaconda-InstallationRepo-201105131943.x86_64
                                                                         121 k
Removing for dependencies:
 alacarte           noarch 0.13.2-3.fc15          @fedora                367 k
 awn-extras-applets x86_64 0.4.2-0.1.bzr1523.fc15 @updates                10 M
 control-center     x86_64 1:3.0.2-1.fc15         @updates                12 M
 empathy            x86_64 3.0.2-3.fc15           @updates                13 M
 gnome-bluetooth    x86_64 1:3.0.1-1.fc15         @updates               538 k
 gnome-panel        x86_64 3.0.0.1-4.fc15         @updates               9.4 M
 gnome-shell        x86_64 3.0.2-4.fc15           @updates               3.0 M
 gnome-tweak-tool   noarch 3.0.5-2.fc15           @updates               255 k
 orca               x86_64 3.0.1-1.fc15           @updates                12 M

Transaction Summary
===============================================================================
Remove       10 Package(s)

Installed size: 61 M
Is this ok [y/N]: N
Exiting on user Command
Complete!
[root@compaq-pc ~]#

This appears to be the expected behavior of yum groupremove. From the yum man page:

       groupremove
              Is used to remove all  of  the  packages  in  a  group,  unlike
              "groupinstall"   this  will  remove  everything  regardless  of
              group_package_types. It is worth pointing out that packages can
              be  in  more  than one group, so "groupinstall X Y" followed by
              "groupremove Y" does  not  do  give  you  the  same  result  as
              "groupinstall X".

              The  groupremove_leaf_only  configuration changes the behaviour
              of this command to only remove packages which  aren't  required
              by something else.

From the yum.conf man page:

              groupremove_leaf_only Either `0'  or  `1'.  Used  to  determine
              yum's  behaviour  when  the  groupremove  command  is  run.  If
              groupremove_leaf_only is `0' (default) then all packages in the
              group  will  be  removed.  If groupremove_leaf_only is `1' then
              only those packages  in  the  group  that  aren't  required  by
              another package will be removed.

(In reply to comment #4)
> This appears to be the expected behavior of yum groupremove. From the yum man
> page:

The fact that the wrong behavior is documented, doesn't make it the desired behavior.

yum has history now, and it's able to find out if a package was installed by the user, or it was a dependency. Therefore, it shouldn't matter if a package is a leaf, if it was installed by the user, it should not be removed.

(In reply to comment #6)
> yum has history now, and it's able to find out if a package was installed by
> the user, or it was a dependency. Therefore, it shouldn't matter if a package
> is a leaf, if it was installed by the user, it should not be removed.

But who cares about convenience. People should manually specify all the commands they want to remove in rpm by looking at /var/log/yum.log.

Because we all are geeks, and have too much time.