Is it safe to uninstall the `evolution-data-server` package on Ubuntu 20.04?

Question

Is it safe to uninstall the evolution-data-server package on Ubuntu 20.04? I have noticed that a number of Evolution processes (e.g. evolution-alarm-notify) are running.

Answer 1

No, it's not safe to uninstall the evolution-data-server package. Running a simulation of removing the package with apt -s remove evolution-data-server (the -s flag is used to simulate the specified apt action without actually applying it (see man apt-get)) returns the following:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  evolution-data-server-common fonts-cantarell fprintd gir1.2-accountsservice-1.0 gir1.2-clutter-1.0 gir1.2-clutter-gst-3.0 gir1.2-cogl-1.0 gir1.2-coglpango-1.0 gir1.2-gck-1 gir1.2-gcr-3
  gir1.2-gdm-1.0 gir1.2-geoclue-2.0 gir1.2-gnomebluetooth-1.0 gir1.2-graphene-1.0 gir1.2-gtkclutter-1.0 gir1.2-gweather-3.0 gir1.2-handy-0.0 gir1.2-json-1.0 gir1.2-mutter-6 gir1.2-nm-1.0
  gir1.2-nma-1.0 gir1.2-rsvg-2.0 gir1.2-upowerglib-1.0 gnome-shell-common libcamel-1.2-62 libebackend-1.2-10 libebook-1.2-20 libebook-contacts-1.2-3 libecal-2.0-1 libedata-book-1.2-26
  libedata-cal-2.0-1 libedataserver-1.2-24 libedataserverui-1.2-2 libfprint-2-2 libpam-fprintd libphonenumber7 switcheroo-control xwayland
Use 'apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following additional packages will be installed:
  notification-daemon policykit-1-gnome
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  chrome-gnome-shell evolution-data-server gdm3 gnome-session gnome-shell gnome-shell-extension-appindicator gnome-shell-extension-desktop-icons gnome-shell-extension-prefs
  gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock gnome-tweaks ubuntu-desktop ubuntu-desktop-minimal ubuntu-session
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  notification-daemon policykit-1-gnome
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 13 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Remv chrome-gnome-shell [10.1-5]
Remv gnome-tweaks [3.34.0-2ubuntu1]
Remv gnome-shell-extension-prefs [3.36.9-0ubuntu0.20.04.2]
Inst policykit-1-gnome (0.105-7ubuntu2 Ubuntu:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst notification-daemon (3.20.0-4 Ubuntu:20.04/focal [amd64])
Remv ubuntu-desktop [1.450.2]
Remv ubuntu-desktop-minimal [1.450.2]
Remv gdm3 [3.36.3-0ubuntu0.20.04.4]
Remv gnome-shell [3.36.9-0ubuntu0.20.04.2] [gnome-shell-extension-desktop-icons:amd64 gnome-session:amd64 ubuntu-session:amd64 gnome-shell-extension-appindicator:amd64 gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock:amd64 ]
Remv evolution-data-server [3.36.5-0ubuntu1] [gnome-shell-extension-desktop-icons:amd64 gnome-session:amd64 ubuntu-session:amd64 gnome-shell-extension-appindicator:amd64 gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock:amd64 ]
Remv gnome-session [3.36.0-2ubuntu1] [gnome-shell-extension-desktop-icons:amd64 ubuntu-session:amd64 gnome-shell-extension-appindicator:amd64 gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock:amd64 ]
Remv gnome-shell-extension-appindicator [33.1-0ubuntu0.20.04.2] [gnome-shell-extension-desktop-icons:amd64 ubuntu-session:amd64 gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock:amd64 ]
Remv gnome-shell-extension-desktop-icons [20.04.0-3~ubuntu20.04.6] [ubuntu-session:amd64 gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock:amd64 ]
Remv gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock [68ubuntu1~20.04.1] [ubuntu-session:amd64 ]
Remv ubuntu-session [3.36.0-2ubuntu1]
Conf policykit-1-gnome (0.105-7ubuntu2 Ubuntu:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf notification-daemon (3.20.0-4 Ubuntu:20.04/focal [amd64])

As you can see, some core GNOME desktop environment packages, such as gdm3, gnome-shell, etc. will get removed. A lot of other packages depend of them, so the removal of these packages will remove more or less the whole GNOME desktop environment.

Instead of trying to remove evolution-data-server, I suggest you have a look at How do I completely remove Evolution? and especially at desilvai's answer for how to disable Evolution.