Why --no-install-recommends may not be good

[ueltume]

I tried an install with --no-install-recommends and one without it. Let me tell you, with --no-install-recommends my openoffice.org icons did not show, my windows partition in pcmanfm did not show, the trash function did not function well and other minor things. But WITHOUT using --no-install-recommends everything works perfectly. The openoffice.org icons are visible, my windows partition is displayed in the sidebar of pcmanfm, the trash works like it should and all my small issues are fixed. Besides, saving the "extra space" with --no-install-recommends is not worth it because the applications do not even take that much space.

[kevin01123]

I learned long ago that convenience > disk space used.

[ueltume]

Thank you for phrasing this in a consice sentence.

[dark_stang]

Storage space is super cheap these days anyway. I picked up a 1TB WD Black drive a few months back for $60, that's $0.06/GB... So all that extra software will only cost you a few pennies.

[kevin01123]

Not to mention all that time wasted trying to figure out what the hell package(s) to install to get full functionality.

[secipolla]

I use no-install-recommends with specific packages.
Like for instance I have installed gdm3 like that because I have Xfce and don't want some extra apps that it brings as recommends and that aint fundamental.
It's useful if you know what's going on.

So two reasons among others could be uncluttering the menu or for old rigs prevent installation and activation of uneeded services.
Also what's convenience for some (regarding extra features) in inconvenience for others.

[emariz]

Had you cared to read the information about the packages that were not going to be installed, you wouldn't be whining now.
Read the package's description and online documentation, understand the dependency chain and learn how to use the package manager. Then try again.

[kevin01123]

Had you cared to read the information about the packages that were not going to be installed, you wouldn't be whining now.
Read the package's description and online documentation, understand the dependency chain and learn how to use the package manager. Then try again.

While it may or may not be true that he did that, condescending to him/her does little to inspire an individual.

[dust hill resident]

A condescending person is worse than a whining person any day.

I think what secipolla is sensible. --no-install-recommends is good when used on specific packages rather than everything you install.

[secipolla]

Also one can choose which recommended package to (not) install.
Suppose package foo has, among others, bar as a dependency and we don't want it to be installed. Just append a minus sign after bar.

Code: Select all

apt-get install foo bar-

[kevin01123]

Also one can choose which recommended package to (not) install.
Suppose package foo has, among others, bar as a dependency and we don't want it to be installed. Just append a minus sign after bar.

Code: Select all

apt-get install foo bar-

I didn't know this, thank you.

[craigevil]

bahhumbug.

The first thing I do after a base install is edit my apt.conf or I should say create a new apt.conf

Code: Select all

$ cat /etc/apt/apt.conf

// auto-remove breaks on meta packages
APT::Get::AutomaticRemove "0";
APT::Get::HideAutoRemove "1";

// Recommends are as of now still abused in many packages
APT::Install-Recommends "0";
APT::Install-Suggests "0";
Debug::pkgAutoRemove "0";

// PDiffs reduce the required download for apt-get update, but increase the
// CPU requirements and quite often fail.
// Acquire::PDiffs "0";

// Remove apt unauthenticated warnings
APT::Get::AllowUnauthenticated "0";

Seven years of running sid and never had any issues caused by packages not being installed. I do however take a look at the Recommended or Suggested packages when doing an install and sometimes install them.

Not everyone has the money for tons of drive space. I am currently using a THinkpad R40 that only has a 16gb HD, once I copy a few of my books to the drive and install all of the things I need I only have 5GB free.

Code: Select all

$ df -h
Filesystem            Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/mapper/debian-root
                       16G  9.2G  5.1G  65% /
tmpfs                 632M  8.0K  632M   1% /lib/init/rw
udev                  627M  216K  627M   1% /dev
tmpfs                 632M  572K  632M   1% /dev/shm
/dev/sda1             228M   35M  181M  17% /boot


[sjukfan]

Depends on the box really, even if I usually turn off recommends. But as with craigevil's laptop there's some occasions where you don't want extra everything. One of my computers is running off a 6Gb microdrive and there you don't want anything unnecessary.

[nadir]

What kind of nonsense is that?
Sometimes one might want recommends, sometimes not. Just cause OpenOffice sucks without the recommends does ot mean that --no-install-recommends is bad in general.

And honestly: that barely is a serious issue. Just install the recommends after you figure out that the first try did not work and go on with it. You make it sound as if the world has fallen into pieces.

[Mr James]

Unless one is on a PC from the dark ages with a tiny HDD, I see no reason to use --without-recommends