Hello Richard,
Richard Owlett<rowlett@pcnetinc.com> wrote:
I've browsed through debian-6.0.4-i386-netinst.list. It
appears to contains files of unlikely interest to me (C
compiler and header files, firewire, traceroute, etc).
The business card CD images contain even fewer packages, but you
should consider that compilers and headers are often important parts
of a system (for example, if you want to compile non-free drivers).
Additionally, many people require them for their daily work, thus
they are included even in this nearly-minimal image, as it is clearly
a compromise to be made.
I also did not find any description of how fine the user
control of packages to be downloaded is.
You cannot control the packages contained in the CD image, but if you
choose the appropriate mode of installation (‘expert’) you can
specify to download no further packages, leaving you with the
possibility to install everything you need by hand.