Feature Request: Package Uninstall Capabilities

Type: Feature Request (FR)
Submitted: 2025-01-27
Submitted By: AI Agent (Cursor) acting as user/client for dev-toolkit
Priority: HIGH
Status: ACCEPTED

Implementing Task: E2:S06:T01 GitHub Issue: #5

Summary

Add uninstall capabilities for ai-dev-kit packages/frameworks to support users who need to (a) uninstall any given package, (b) recover from installation/configuration errors, and (c) handle breaking changes from package updates.

Description

What Functionality is Desired?

Uninstall Capabilities:

Package Uninstall: Remove a specific framework/package from a project
Cleanup Utilities: Remove all traces of a package (files, config, dependencies)
Rollback Support: Revert to previous package version or remove package entirely
Recovery Mode: Clean up failed installations or misconfigurations
Breaking Change Recovery: Handle breaking changes by uninstalling problematic updates

Uninstall Methods:

CLI command: ai-dev-kit uninstall <package>
Manual cleanup guide for each backend
Automated cleanup scripts
Recovery utilities for failed installations

What Problem Does This Solve?

Current Problems:

No way to uninstall packages once installed
Users stuck with packages they no longer need
Cannot recover from installation errors
Cannot rollback from breaking changes
Manual cleanup required (error-prone, incomplete)
Framework files remain after "removal"

Solution:

Uninstall command removes packages cleanly
Cleanup utilities remove all traces
Recovery mode fixes failed installations
Rollback support handles breaking changes
Framework becomes manageable and reversible

What is the Use Case?

Use Case A: Uninstall Unused Package A project installed a framework but no longer needs it. User wants to remove it cleanly without leaving orphaned files or configuration.

Use Case B: Recover from Installation Errors A package installation failed or was misconfigured, leaving the project in a broken state. User needs to clean up and start fresh.

Use Case C: Handle Breaking Changes A package update introduced breaking changes that break the project. User needs to uninstall the problematic version and either rollback or remove entirely.

Use Case D: Clean Up Failed Migrations A migration from one package version to another failed. User needs to clean up the partial migration and restore to a working state.

Use Case E: Remove Package to Switch Backends A project wants to switch from Git submodule to npm package manager. User needs to uninstall Git submodule version before installing npm version.

Who Would Benefit from This Feature?

Primary Beneficiaries:

Users who installed packages they no longer need
Users recovering from installation errors
Users handling breaking changes from updates
Users switching between installation methods
Users cleaning up failed migrations

Secondary Beneficiaries:

Framework adoption (removes fear of commitment)
Framework credibility (shows framework is manageable)
User confidence (can experiment without risk)

Requirements

Functional Requirements

FR-1: Uninstall command can remove packages
- Remove package files
- Remove package configuration
- Remove package dependencies
- Update project configuration
FR-2: Cleanup utilities remove all traces
- Remove framework files
- Remove configuration entries
- Remove Git submodule references (if applicable)
- Remove package manager dependencies (if applicable)
- Clean up backup files
FR-3: Recovery mode fixes failed installations
- Detect failed installation state
- Clean up partial installations
- Restore project to working state
- Provide recovery options
FR-4: Rollback support handles breaking changes
- Uninstall current version
- Restore previous version (if available)
- Or remove package entirely
- Preserve project work
FR-5: Backend-specific uninstall support
- Git submodule uninstall
- npm package uninstall
- pip package uninstall
- CLI tool uninstall

Non-Functional Requirements

NFR-1: Safety: Uninstall requires confirmation before removing files
NFR-2: Safety: Uninstall creates backup before removal
NFR-3: Safety: Uninstall validates no dependencies before removal
NFR-4: Usability: Clear uninstall process with progress indicators
NFR-5: Reliability: Uninstall completes successfully or rolls back on failure

Scope Analysis

Problem Domain: Package Management - Uninstall and Cleanup
Affected Areas:

Estimated Complexity:

Simple (1-3 days)
Medium (1 week)
Complex (2+ weeks)
Very Complex (1+ month)

Rationale: Multiple backends (Git submodules, npm, pip, CLI), cleanup verification, recovery modes, comprehensive testing required.

Use Cases

Primary Use Case: Uninstall Unused Package

Actor: Project maintainer
Goal: Remove a framework package that is no longer needed
Steps:

Run ai-dev-kit uninstall workflow-mgmt
System detects package and dependencies
System shows what will be removed
User confirms uninstall
System creates backup
System removes package files
System removes configuration entries
System removes dependencies
System verifies cleanup
Project ready for new package or continues without package

Success Criteria:

Package completely removed
No orphaned files
Configuration cleaned up
Project still functional
Backup available for recovery

Additional Use Cases

Use Case 2: Recover from Installation Errors

Installation failed partway through
Project in broken state
Run ai-dev-kit uninstall --recover workflow-mgmt
System detects failed installation
System cleans up partial installation
Project restored to working state

Use Case 3: Handle Breaking Changes

Package update broke project
Run ai-dev-kit uninstall workflow-mgmt@2.1.0
System removes problematic version
Option to rollback to previous version
Or remove package entirely

Use Case 4: Switch Installation Methods

Currently using Git submodule
Want to switch to npm
Run ai-dev-kit uninstall workflow-mgmt --backend git-submodule
System removes Git submodule
Then install via npm: ai-dev-kit install workflow-mgmt --backend npm

Acceptance Criteria

Dependencies

Blocks:

Safe package experimentation (users can try packages without fear)
Recovery from installation errors
Handling breaking changes
Switching between installation methods
Framework adoption (removes commitment fear)

Blocked By:

None

Related Work:

Framework Installation Guide: docs/documentation/user-docs/framework-dependency-installation-guide.md
Framework Update Guide: docs/documentation/user-docs/framework-dependency-update-guide.md
Framework Troubleshooting: docs/documentation/user-docs/framework-dependency-troubleshooting-guide.md

Intake Decision

Intake Status: ACCEPTED
Intake Date: 2025-12-10
Intake By: AI Agent (Cursor)

Decision Flow Results:

Story Match Found: Epic 2, Story 1 → Task 1
New Story Created: [Epic X, Story Y] → Task 1
New Epic Created: [Epic X, Story 1, Task 1]

Assigned To:

Epic: Epic 2 (Workflow Management Framework)
Story: Story 1 (Release Workflow (RW) Agent Execution and Docs) - TO BE VERIFIED
Task: Task 1 (FR-008: Package uninstall capabilities) - TO BE CREATED
Version: [TBD]

Kanban Links:

Epic: Epic-2.md
Story: [TBD]
Task: [TBD]

Notes

Implementation Approach

Phase 1: Basic Uninstall (Critical)

Create uninstall command
Remove package files
Remove configuration entries
Create backup before removal

Phase 2: Cleanup Verification (High Priority)

Verify all files removed
Verify configuration cleaned
Verify dependencies removed
Report any remaining traces

Phase 3: Recovery Mode (High Priority)

Detect failed installation state
Clean up partial installations
Restore project to working state

Phase 4: Rollback Support (Medium Priority)

Uninstall current version
Restore previous version option
Or remove package entirely

Phase 5: Backend-Specific Support (Medium Priority)

Git submodule uninstall
npm package uninstall
pip package uninstall
CLI tool uninstall

Uninstall Scenarios

Clean Uninstall: Package no longer needed, remove cleanly
Recovery Uninstall: Fix failed installation, clean up errors
Rollback Uninstall: Handle breaking changes, restore previous version
Backend Switch: Remove from one backend, install via another
Partial Cleanup: Remove specific components, keep others

Safety Considerations

Backup Before Removal:

Always create backup before uninstall
Backup includes package files and configuration
Backup enables recovery if needed

Dependency Validation:

Check for dependencies before removal
Warn if dependencies exist
Provide override option for forced removal

Confirmation Required:

Interactive confirmation before removal
Show what will be removed
Require explicit confirmation

References

Installation Guide: docs/documentation/user-docs/framework-dependency-installation-guide.md
Update Guide: docs/documentation/user-docs/framework-dependency-update-guide.md
Troubleshooting Guide: docs/documentation/user-docs/framework-dependency-troubleshooting-guide.md
CLI Reference: docs/documentation/user-docs/framework-dependency-cli-reference.md
Framework Architecture: docs/architecture/standards-and-adrs/framework-dependency-architecture.md
GitHub Issue: #5

Template Usage:

This FR follows the Kanban Framework FR template
Comprehensive feature description included
Clear acceptance criteria provided
Implementation approach outlined
Safety considerations documented

This feature request is part of the Kanban Framework. See packages/frameworks/kanban/ for complete framework documentation.

Summary​

Description​

What Functionality is Desired?​

What Problem Does This Solve?​

What is the Use Case?​

Who Would Benefit from This Feature?​

Requirements​

Functional Requirements​

Non-Functional Requirements​

Scope Analysis​

Use Cases​

Primary Use Case: Uninstall Unused Package​

Additional Use Cases​

Acceptance Criteria​

Dependencies​

Intake Decision​

Notes​

Implementation Approach​

Uninstall Scenarios​

Safety Considerations​

References​