Ubuntu
ubuntu-docs package

Is documentation relating to www-browser up to date?

Asked by Histesh Shah

This link, http://packages.ubuntu.com/precise/www-browser, has a list of browsers. My understanding is that the list is of browsers, at least one of which should be present.

I'm asking in this context: suppose a user of a new install of Lubuntu decides to use apt-get to purge Chromium which comes as the default browser and is currently the only browser on the system. The process will require the installation of Firefox in its place.

However, if the user first installs Epiphany from the Software Center, and then runs sudo apt-get purge chromium-browser, no alternative is required to be installed.

My understanding is that as long as a browser from the www-browser list is present, Chromium can be removed. But that is not what happens. If, instead of Epiphany, dillo or E-Links is present, Chromium cannot be uninstalled without requiring the installation of Firefox.

Evidently, apt-get no longer regards dillo or E-links as a www-browser. Is that correct? If so, the list of www-browsers should be updated.

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N1ck 7h0m4d4k15 (nicktux) said : 		#1

Hi ,

you can check that with this command

sudo update-alternatives --config gnome-www-browser

If dillo or E-links are listed then something else is happen. Maybe apt-get's preferences.

If are not listed , then probably you have right.

Thanks

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Histesh Shah (chimak111) said : 		#2

Hi Nik and thank you for your answer. I had made a long post over at ubuntuforums but did not get any response. The link for that post is: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=12252422#post12252422.

In short, what I'm trying to understand the difference in behaviour of apt-get:

apt-get doesn't try to install something else when I have Chromium and Epiphany and then try to remove Chromium.

apt-get tries to install Firefox if I have Chromium and dillo or Chromium and Elinks and then try to remove Chromium.

I would have thought that since Epiphany and dillo and E-Links are on the same list, as long as anyone of them is present, apt-get should just remove Chromium and not suggest anything else.

Anyway, thanks to your reply, I see that there are (at least) two "types" of browser that update-alternatives can see: gnome-www-browser (in your example) and x-www-browser.

Can you help with this problem?

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