Why is Evolution running processes?

I just learned about the ps command. It looks like Evolution is running a number of processes. I’ve never even launched the program. I am using Geary for email while I wait for BlueMail to be released as a flatpak.

Why is Evolution running in the background? Can I delete the program, or is it necessary for the system to run?

I’m not familiar with Geary, but since you discoverd ps … may I introduce you to pstree ?

Even cooler! Its seems that Evolution is running as a subprocess of systemd. But again, why? I don’t use it. I’ve never launched it. Is it somehow required by the system to run?

AFAIK, Gnome uses evolution-data-server and such things. You can remove Evolution (the PIM), but if you try to remove everything *-evolution-* it will remove other Gnome/Apps stuff.

I’m not in front of my CL box to check, maybe it is possible to remove evolution completely. :man_shrugging:

The calendar in gnome iirc is powered by some evolution bit. If you don’t want to be running anything you don’t know about, gnome is going to take some researching.

systemtl --user | grep evolution show the files for these are:

evolution-addressbook-factory.service                                                    loaded active     running   Evolution address book service
evolution-calendar-factory.service                                                       loaded active     running   Evolution calendar service
evolution-source-registry.service                                                        loaded active     running   Evolution source registry

I was able to mask the units to prevent startup with:
systemctl --user mask evolution-addressbook-factory.service evolution-calendar-factory.service evolution-source-registry.service.

This might have unintended consequences for other applications that try to use those services.

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I don’t think I want to run the risk of unintended consequences. I’ve got my laptop running pretty stable. You and the others answered my question. Thanks.