Unable to remove pkg boinctasks-js

Support and Help
1

Ubuntu Version

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

Desktop Environment (if applicable)

Cinnamon

Problem Description

I am trying to remove boinctasks-js but I am unable to remove the package. Not found. Here is the error:

mickee@mickee-H61H2-TI:~$ sudo apt remove boinctasks-js
Error: Unable to locate package boinctasks-js

and here is the results of grep:

mickee@mickee-H61H2-TI:~$ ps -e|grep boinc*
2226 ? 00:02:00 boinc
93208 ? 00:00:11 boinctasks-js
93271 ? 00:00:00 boinctasks-js
93272 ? 00:00:00 boinctasks-js
93296 ? 00:00:12 boinctasks-js
93315 ? 00:00:00 boinctasks-js
93340 ? 00:00:34 boinctasks-js
95311 ? 00:00:00 boinctasks-js

Error Messages / Logs

mickee@mickee-H61H2-TI:~$ ps -e|grep boinc*
2226 ? 00:02:00 boinc
93208 ? 00:00:11 boinctasks-js
93271 ? 00:00:00 boinctasks-js
93272 ? 00:00:00 boinctasks-js
93296 ? 00:00:12 boinctasks-js
93315 ? 00:00:00 boinctasks-js
93340 ? 00:00:34 boinctasks-js
95311 ? 00:00:00 boinctasks-js

and

mickee@mickee-H61H2-TI:~$ sudo apt remove boinctasks-js
Error: Unable to locate package boinctasks-js

What I’ve Tried

tried using the actual .deb file, gdebi not currently working, tried synaptic, but I could not find the pkg

2

boinctasks

Screenshot from 2026-09-01 09-50-36
Screenshot from 2026-09-01 09-50-361380×461 124 KB

3

What is the output of dpkg -l | grep boinc

4

mickee@mickee-H61H2-TI:~$ dpkg -l | grep boinc
ii boinc 8.2.9+dfsg-1build1 all metapackage for the BOINC client and the manager
ii boinc-client 8.2.9+dfsg-1build1 amd64 core client for the BOINC distributed computing infrastructure
ii boinc-manager 8.2.9+dfsg-1build1 amd64 GUI to control and monitor the BOINC core client
ii libboinc7t64:amd64 8.2.9+dfsg-1build1 amd64 libraries of BOINC the client depends on

5

I am wondering if there is a problem with sudo or pam? I have been doing research and really find nothing
 apt install works right

6

How did you originally install the package? Using gdebi and the .deb file downloaded from berkeley.edu? A script? Apt?

7

‘boinctasks-js’ is not a package, it’s a program that’s part of a package. Use which boinctasks-js to find the fully qualified name of that file then use dpkg with the ‘-S’ option and the full name you got from ‘which’. (Alternatively use command line substitution to do both steps in one: dpkg -S $(which boinctasks-js)). That will give you the name of the package you need to remove to get rid of boinctasks-js. Be aware that this is likely to break boinc.

1 Like
8

you know it was when I used apt in terminal

9

thanks! I will try that and let you know the result

10

Before you start suspecting PAM, sudo, or cosmic rays for breaking “apt” - don’t worry, your pack mgr is completely innocent here! :slightly_smiling_face:

The reason “dpkg -l” and “apt” can’t find “boinctasks-js” is almost certainly because **it was installed as a Snap package**, not an APT/deb package.

If you run “dpkg -S $(which boinctasks-js)”, it will likely just return “no path found matching pattern /snap/bin/
”, leading you further down the rabbit hole.

Try checking your Snaps instead:

1- Check if its managed by snap - “snap list | grep boinc”

2- If it shows up there, remove it with - “sudo snap remove boinctasks-js”

And if “snap list” doesn’t show it either, check “which boinctasks-js” or “readlink /proc/$(pgrep -o boinctasks-js)/exe” to see if it’s an appImage or manual install sitting in “/opt” or your home directory


11

You want to use the –purge option with that, snaps do automatically take a compressed backup of the user data when you remove them (in case you re-install the snap at a later point) purging prevents that.

2 Likes
12

Totally forgot about snapd saving snapshots on remove by default :slight_smile: Thanks for the catch, Oliver! :wink:

1 Like
13

that worked
 I forgot it was a snap. Thank you!

14

Well, @steelf was the one, I just made a side comment, you should mark his post as the solution, credit where credit is due :wink:

3 Likes
15

Haha, appreciate it, @ogra ! :-)) The main thing is that it’s sorted out and works! :wink:

1 Like
16

That worked! Thanks, I forgot it was a snap

1 Like
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