Re: Disabling recommends - was [Re: bash-completion pros/cons]
On Wed 17 Jun 2020 at 14:15:05 -0500, David Wright wrote:
> On Wed 17 Jun 2020 at 18:15:49 (+0100), Brian wrote:
> > > On Wed, Jun 17, 2020 at 06:51:18AM -0500, Richard Owlett wrote:
>
> > > > Clarification of my immediate goal:
> > > >
> > > > Using the ISO of DVD1 I wish to install Debian with "recommends"
> > > > disabled during the installation process.
>
> > Section 5.3.2 of the Installation Guide has the preseed option
> >
> > recommends=false
> >
> > as the way of disabling recommended packages:
> >
> > By setting this option to false, the package management system
> > will be configured to not automatically install "Recommends",
> > both during the installation and for the installed system.
> >
> > My observations indicate that the first claim does not work for
> > installing the base system or additional software, but the second
> > configuration is carried out.
>
> I presume that by "second configuration" you mean that the installer
> leaves the desired option in /target/etc/apt/ when it quits.
Indeed I do.
> What's visible from the installer's logs is that Recommends are
> sometimes installed, and sometime not, and that it's controlled
> by the commandline, overriding any configuration inserted into either
> of /target/etc/apt/ or /etc/apt/¹. Of course, I have no idea how the
> d-i constructs those commandlines.
AFAICT, it appears Recommends are *always* installed using the Installer,
irrespective of preseeding. Not *sometimes*.
> > It seems me that Richard's goal is unachievable.
>
> To me, it would make a little more sense to examine the installed
> system at length and see what can be taken out. I think the "OP"
> already has received methods of determining "top-level" packages.
That is what I do. At the same time, we have the issue that
recommends=false
is apparently ignored. That is the essential issue. Should he choose to,
Richard Owlett will confirm that this is the case.
> > > > The purpose is to determine if I want to do future installs debootstrap.
> > > > I attempted to use debootstrap a few years ago and understand it
> > > > will take some time/effort to learn it.
>
> AFAICT, all installs run debootstrap, but under the hood. But having
> learnt it, perhaps you'll be able to unpick its logs better than I can.
debootstrap is only run during the installation of the base system. It
installs recommended packages. That is in contradiction to what the
Manual says.
> > Section 6.3.5 of the Installation Guide says:
> >
> > For technical reasons packages installed during the installation
> > of the base system are installed without their "Recommends".
> >
> > I observere this is not correct, irrespective of "recommends=false".
>
> I don't know exactly what they mean by "base system". It's certainly
> true that one step is carried out with --no-install-recommends set:
> it's large (wrt number of packages), replaces the kernel that has just
> been installed previously (with its Recommends) and performs an upgrade.
> Perhaps that is all that's meant.
Base System is the set of important packages installed after partitioning
is carried out.
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