This causes the package to be removed but leaves the conffiles installed. When a package will be removed, but later replaced, it is sometimes desirable to keep the conffile. An extreme example would be the passwd file. The password package could be successfully removed without damaging current system operations only if the passwd file remains intact after the package has been removed. This option provides that capability and allows for a package's removal and replacement without loss of the conffile.
The -a | --pending option in place of a package name will cause dpkg to remove all packages marked for removal in the status file. This status file looks much like a Packages file with the addition of a Status: field. dselect (discussed in the next section) edits this file based on the choices selected using its interface. It is possible to edit the file /var/lib/dpkg/status (where this data is kept), but it must be done carefully. As with all of the files in this ``database'' maintained by dpkg and dselect, disastrous results can come from improper changes. A reasonable amount of knowledge and understanding should be acquired before changes are attempted in these files.
Use the tools provided to manage the package system. Only the most dire of circumstances will warrant abandoning the tools in favor of modifying the files directly.