[Bug 1771019] Re: unused packages aren't removed automatically

[nlany]

** Description changed:

  It seems that some automatically installed packages are not get removed
  automatically if they depend on each other (and no manually installed
- packages depend or recommend on any of them).
+ packages depend on or recommend any of them).
  
  How to produce on Ubuntu 16.04 Desktop LTS:
  1. Select "Tasks" ( predefined groups of packages for particular purpose) from packages view, then --> End-User-->"buntu desktop This task provides the Ubuntu Desktop environment. (1366)"
- 2. Mark entire group as automatically installed ( type "M" ). As group is not meta package, some packages in this group are shown as to be removed (package status is "idA").  
- 3. Search for package "lightdm", which status is still "i A" ( but should be "idA" ),  even though "lightdm" *is unused* now-- no manually installed package depends on or recommends "lightdm".  
+ 2. Mark entire group as automatically installed ( type "M" ). As group is not meta package, some packages in this group are shown as to be removed (package status is "idA").
+ 3. Search for package "lightdm", which status is still "i A" ( but should be "idA" ),  even though "lightdm" *is unused* now-- no manually installed package depends on or recommends "lightdm".
  
  This bug prevents user to trim down ubuntu as needed. This bug exits no
- matter the "Install recommended packages automatically" is checked in
- preferences. And command "apt-get autoremove" doesn't remove such unused
- packages either.
+ matter the "Install recommended packages automatically" is checked or
+ not in preferences. And command "apt-get autoremove" doesn't remove such
+ unused packages either, so this bug may affect apt-get too.
  
  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
  Package: aptitude 0.7.4-2ubuntu2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-124.148-generic 4.4.117
  Uname: Linux 4.4.0-124-generic i686
  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
  ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.17
  Architecture: i386
  CurrentDesktop: Unity
  Date: Mon May 14 02:31:18 2018
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-12-11 (1249 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release i386 (20140722.2)
  SourcePackage: aptitude
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2018-05-10 (2 days ago)

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1771019

Title:
  unused packages aren't  removed automatically

Status in aptitude package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  It seems that some automatically installed packages are not get
  removed automatically if they depend on each other (and no manually
  installed packages depend on or recommend any of them).

  How to produce on Ubuntu 16.04 Desktop LTS:
  1. Select "Tasks" ( predefined groups of packages for particular purpose) from packages view, then --> End-User-->"buntu desktop This task provides the Ubuntu Desktop environment. (1366)"
  2. Mark entire group as automatically installed ( type "M" ). As group is not meta package, some packages in this group are shown as to be removed (package status is "idA").
  3. Search for package "lightdm", which status is still "i A" ( but should be "idA" ),  even though "lightdm" *is unused* now-- no manually installed package depends on or recommends "lightdm".

  This bug prevents user to trim down ubuntu as needed. This bug exits
  no matter the "Install recommended packages automatically" is checked
  or not in preferences. And command "apt-get autoremove" doesn't remove
  such unused packages either, so this bug may affect apt-get too.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
  Package: aptitude 0.7.4-2ubuntu2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-124.148-generic 4.4.117
  Uname: Linux 4.4.0-124-generic i686
  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
  ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.17
  Architecture: i386
  CurrentDesktop: Unity
  Date: Mon May 14 02:31:18 2018
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-12-11 (1249 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release i386 (20140722.2)
  SourcePackage: aptitude
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2018-05-10 (2 days ago)

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