Re: Bug#696154: cloud.debian.org: Please install 'less' by default on official Debian AMIs.
2012/12/17 Charles Plessy <plessy@debian.org>:
> Hi Anders,
> it depends the path we chose. How about using a metapackage to control the
> contents of the machine image ? In that case, the metapackage could either
> come from an ad-hoc source package, or why not taskel ?
Metapackages are great or cfengine or puppet or whatever makes you tick.
> To Thomas: less is installed on almost all Debian systems where
> popularity-contest is installed, and is used in almost a half of these systems.
> So instances used interactively, this is definitely a command that is missing.
Which then should be installed by those who needs/want it. I think
you as an admin/user should add what you need, not remove what you
don't need. That is easiest for all parts.
> But in the long run, we need a solid criterion to decide what is included and
> what is not. Do you or others know about evaluations on the costs caused by
> adding extra kilobytes or megabytes to a machine image ?
Why install anything that isn't in a minimal standard Debian
installation and are not *strictly* needed to a cloud installation?
And no, it's not about extra megabytes, that could be ignored. It's
allways easier to add then to remove packages later. And it's much
easier to verify function and security aspects on a small
installation.
But that is just my 50 öre, I don't do any real work (yet).
/Anders Jackson
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