Debian-installer can't be (and isn't) told not to install recommends by default.

[thingy]

Hi

I did a command line install of Ubuntu 8.10-beta using the ubuntu-8.10-beta-alternate-amd64.iso.

I was not expecting it to pull in dependancies like:

consolekit
dbus
dbus-x11
libck-connector0
libdbus-glib-1-2
libpam-ck-connector
libx11-6
libx11-data
libaxu6
libxcb-xlib0
libxcb1
libxdmcp6
libext6
libxmuu1
x11-common
xauth
xml-core

which are all "Recommends" type of dependancies for various packages in ubuntu-standard.

A command line install should not have *any* of the above packages since the command line install seed is usually used to build minimal lightweight installs of Ubuntu.

I believe that the fault doesn't lie in the ubuntu-standard package itself, but may lie in the installer.

regards

Jinesh

[thingy (jchoksi)]

This probably is a debian-installer bug but I don't want to e-mail the Debian Install System Team <email address hidden> regarding this since they'll probably bite my head off for reporting an Ubuntu issue to them. :-(

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Beginning with Intrepid recommends are now installed by default by apt. There was an announcement to the Ubuntu development mailing list about this - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2008-June/025529.html . What type of installation did you choose with the alternate CD? Thanks in advance.

[thingy (jchoksi)]

I chose a command line install. Pressed F4 to select it from the boot menu.

hmm I just read the mailing list thread but I feel I have no options since I
am unable to specify the parameter that would ask apt(debian-installer) to
not install the recommended dependancies.

Is there any way that the debian-installer can be told *not* to install
recommends yet apt is configured to install recommends by default?

I think having a minimal system is important for a lot of people and yes we
can always simply remove the unwanted packages but there will always be
cruft left behind(in /etc ?) which is highly unwanted.

2008/10/13 Brian Murray <email address hidden>

> Beginning with Intrepid recommends are now installed by default by apt.
> There was an announcement to the Ubuntu development mailing list about
> this - https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-
> devel/2008-June/025529.html<https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2008-June/025529.html>. What type of installation did you choose
> with the alternate CD? Thanks in advance.
>
> ** Changed in: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> Performing a command line install is pulling in recommended dependancies
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/281940
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Sarah Kowalik (hobbsee-deactivatedaccount)]

Changing the bug to focus on: "Is there any way that the debian-installer can be told *not* to install
recommends yet apt is configured to install recommends by default?", as the rest of it is intentional.