Need expert help on default selection and dependencies in dselect

[Onno <Onno@Novaweb.nl>]

Hi All,

I'm using Debian a few years now and it's the best distro around, but 
there are two annoying topics that irritate me when I'm installing 
debian and using dselect.

1) By default, the first time you use dselect it automatically selects 
   a standard system. Using R doesn't help, you have to purge the 
   packages you don't want by hand.
 
My question: What must be done to disable this auto selection when you 
             use dselect for the first time. 

Expert question: What must be done to disable -a few packages- for auto 
                 selection when you use dselect for the first time.

2) I do not want to use debconf or debconf-tiny. It's probably a 
   personal thing and it may work for others but I simply don't like 
   them. I just purge them when I'm installing a debian system but some 
   packages do not only recommend or suggest debconf they simply depend 
   on it. As far as I know a package should always be able to install in 
   'text' mode and optional have debconf as a suggestion so I think it's 
   wrong(?) to force people to use debconf or debconf-tiny.

My question: What is the best way to avoid debconf in packages that 
             depend on it?

Expert question: Can I make dselect ignore depends on debconf?  

Please cc me because I'm not subscribed (anymore?).

Sincerely,

Onno