One paragraph of "Debian GNU/Linux Installation Guide"[1] causes me grief. It is part of "6.3.5. Installing the Base System"[2].

That paragraph states:
When packages are installed using the package management system, it will
by default also install packages that are recommended by those packages.
Recommended packages are not strictly required for the core functionality > of 
the selected software, but they do enhance that software and should,
in the view of the package maintainers, normally be installed together with
that software.

I like the MATE Desktop. If the package mate-desktop-environment is in stalled *WITHOUT* "recommended" packages I get my desired skeletal Debian system.

I believe changing one screen of the standard would give me what I want and likely satisfy the maintainers mentioned above. In the screen titled "Software selection", change the first line from "Debian desktop environment" to "Install the desktop selected below with all recommended utilities". If that option and the Gnome option are selected by default the effect would be the same as the current installer. If I deselect the first line and select MATE, I get my desired system.

Does such an installer already exist?
TIA

[1]  https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/index.en.html
[2]  https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/ch06s03.en.html


Reply via email to