Extra desktop environments should not install extra applications

[hexafraction]

I often try new desktop environments just for performance reasons, or just to try them out, and I have noticed that each has its many dependencies of the distro's "favorite" text editor, disc burner, etc. Often, these dependencies become highly redundant, culminating in at least 3 almost-identical programs in each category. I expect that these applications not be downloaded with each new desktop environment, straining one's internet connection. I think that a good solution is to set up other meta-packages, but without dependencies directly crucial to the operation of the environment.

Edit:I found these packages are recommends, but are quite difficult to override with Synaptic, which wants to treat them like dependencies in many cases.

[Harald Sitter (apachelogger)]

It's called envrionment for a reason. If you just want the plain workspace software from KDE install plasma-desktop.

[Daniel Letzeisen (dtl131)]

Those are the metapackages for an entire distro and they are supposed to depend on all of the apps needed for that version of Ubuntu. What you seem to be wanting is lxde-core, xfce4, and kde-plasma-desktop. Those are the metapackages that depend on the minimum amount of apps needed to run the DE.
BTW, there is an option in Synaptic to treat recommended packages as optional.

If you disagree,, set the bug back to New and get more opinions. Thanks.

[hexafraction (rarkenin)]

OK, sorry for misunderstanding...