On 11/06/12 05:05 PM, Richard Owlett wrote:
Gary Dale wrote:On 11/06/12 03:38 PM, Richard Owlett wrote:debian-6.0.5-i386-netinst.list gives too much and simultaneously not enough info ;/ What I'm looking for would be more along the idea of a functional inventory. I gather that what's on the CD is effectively a very minimal command line oriented install. I've some un-baked [i.e. not even half baked] ideas of what I'd want in a super lean install. It would help me get my head sorted out to read a description of netinst. Then again as my last computing course was prior to 1965 (remember CORC and CUPL ;), I may have a lot to unlearn.The netinst isn't to give you a super-lean install. It's there to give you the basics to get connected to the Internet to download the packages you need. If you want a lean install, just install the basic system. Don't choose any of the bits that give extra services or even a desktop. This is pretty lean. It gives you a box that can connect to a network.Sir, you answered the question you thought I *SHOULD have* asked. You *did NOT* answer the question I did ask ;)
Sir? You mean my knighthood has come through? ;)I did answer the question you asked by way of correcting your misapprehension of what the iso image contains. If you want to build a less minimal system, you can start removing packages you don't want. However, the basic netinst does give you a minimal but useful server.
This includes, as already mentioned, the ability to start up, recognize the basic hardware, connect to a network and have the system send e-mail messages (you do want the system to alert you to problems, don't you?). It also contains drivers for the various supported file systems (including RAID & LVM support), basic utilities like vim, nano, gcc, basic pam modules and the package manager This is shown in the software manifest.
Some of this is needed to do an install but may not be needed afterward. Others are necessary to keep your system up to date. You could pare down the system after installation but be careful.