Re: LEAN Debian install: Exploring task selection menu
On Tue 15 Sep 2020 at 21:23:20 (+0200), Fabrice BAUZAC-STEHLY wrote:
> Brian writes:
> > On Mon 14 Sep 2020 at 08:12:50 -0400, Greg Wooledge wrote:
> >
> > The Debian desktop environment installs task-desktop. This package
> > recommends desktop task packages. task-gnome-desktop is the first one
> > listed, so it will be the one installed. In that sense, the installer
> > does know what the default is.
> >
> > Suppose a user installs with base-installer/install-recommends set to
> > false. With the Debian desktop environment being the only option ticked,
> > a user would not install task-gnome-desktop but would get xorg and
> > enough software to use X. The suggested scheme would not cater for this.
>
> When during a Debian install a random user gets in front of the tasksel
> dialog, they probably don't know about this complex behaviour. I think
> we should make this dialog less ambiguous to let users know what boxes
> to check according to what they want.
>
> Do you think the behaviour "without Recommends" should be an option
> presented to the user?
No. On the basis of little evidence, I think naive users need software
installed that offers its full functionality. The more sophisticated
users who yearn after simplicity can easily find out how to prevent
Recommends from being installed.
But also bear in mind that not so many people have actually run the
debian-installer itself without Recommended packages being installed.
I certainly never have (I don't know how to do it), even though at
one time I ran an already installed system in that manner. Perhaps
a "show of hands" is in order. Is it pain-free?
Cheers,
David.
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