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[Solved] Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

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Chiefahol2
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[Solved] Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

#1 Post by Chiefahol2 »

$ sudo aptitude install –without-recommends gdm3

https://debianforum.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=167714

Apparently this is the way to install gnome3 without the bloatware, i really don't like that it debians gnome comes bundled with dozens of programs that cannot easily be removed. :( (like evolution, screw you evolution, i'm never going to use you and i have no idea how to remove you!) xP

Does anyone know the best way to get a minimal GNOME 3 installation?

Solution: GNOME is not that minimal, but the 'gnome-core' package is essentially what you want to install to do this.
Last edited by Chiefahol2 on 2018-06-01 08:34, edited 1 time in total.

Bulkley
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Re: Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

#2 Post by Bulkley »

Minimal Gnome sounds like an oxymoron to me. Minimal and Gnome don't belong in the same sentence. Having said that, I suspect that one could install the necessary pieces without the metapackage.

arochester
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Re: Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

#3 Post by arochester »

Does anyone know the best way to get a minimal GNOME 3 installation?
Do a Netinstall.

Follow this >>> https://www.maketecheasier.com/build-li ... nd-laptop/

But where it says LXDE substitute from the stuff you quote
Gnome also has several packages to choose from. Click the links and see what is install
task-gnome-desktop
OR
gnome-core

Well, the package dependencies are a bit strange. task-gnome-desktop calls recommends Firefox. gnome-core , on the other hand, calls Firefox or Chromium as a real dependency. That makes no sense, since gnome-core of task-gnome-desktop depends. If you do not like Firefox, both metapackages will be dropped.

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

#4 Post by Wheelerof4te »

Minimal GNOME is my favorite way of installing Debian :)
In addition to the above post, I wouldn't advise leaving out the recommends. Most are vital to the functioning desktop. Package gnome-core does not install Evolution, and a lot of other utilities such as gnome-screenshot.
If you know which packages you need, you can install them all in one single command after booting to CLI from the minimal netinstall.

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Chiefahol2
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Re: Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

#5 Post by Chiefahol2 »

arochester wrote:
Does anyone know the best way to get a minimal GNOME 3 installation?
Do a Netinstall.

Follow this >>> https://www.maketecheasier.com/build-li ... nd-laptop/

But where it says LXDE substitute from the stuff you quote
That link is 7 years old :P and for wheezy. Any comment on the method i posted? I've been on Debian for years but the metapackage system still confuses me and i always end up breaking crap when messing with metapackages.
Gnome also has several packages to choose from. Click the links and see what is install
task-gnome-desktop
OR
gnome-core

Well, the package dependencies are a bit strange. task-gnome-desktop calls recommends Firefox. gnome-core , on the other hand, calls Firefox or Chromium as a real dependency. That makes no sense, since gnome-core of task-gnome-desktop depends. If you do not like Firefox, both metapackages will be dropped.
gnome-core is the other way to go, but yes even that has a few packages you might not like.
Minimal GNOME is my favorite way of installing Debian :)
In addition to the above post, I wouldn't advise leaving out the recommends. Most are vital to the functioning desktop. Package gnome-core does not install Evolution, and a lot of other utilities such as gnome-screenshot.
So you would recommend avoiding the above method and simply using:

Code: Select all

$ sudo apt install gnome-core
?

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Re: Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

#6 Post by bw123 »

Bulkley wrote:Minimal Gnome sounds like an oxymoron to me. Minimal and Gnome don't belong in the same sentence. Having said that, I suspect that one could install the necessary pieces without the metapackage.
I agree with Bulkley, you want gnome or you don't. What is to be gained from your post? You've been on debian for years, but don't understand metapackages?

Check the logic.
resigned by AI ChatGPT

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

#7 Post by Wheelerof4te »

Chiefahol2 wrote:So you would recommend avoiding the above method and simply using:

$ sudo apt install gnome-core
Yes. That will also install GNOME Software, which you can use to install other programs using convenient graphical interface, like a proud noob :D

Wowfunhappy
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Re: Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

#8 Post by Wowfunhappy »

I've been doing:

Code: Select all

apt install --no-install-reccomends gnome-session
apt install nautilus gnome-control-center
For a while now. Leaves you with far fewer stuff installed than gnome-core, and it seems to work well. (You could even leave off the second line, although IMO not having a file manager or the control center is a bridge too far.)

I can then install the Flatpak versions of the Gnome apps I want, as is my preference.

Edit: so, the full process would be to install Debian from the netinstall iso without selecting a desktop environment, then running those commands to install gnome. Then you can start gnome after bootup with startx.

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

#9 Post by Wheelerof4te »

^You should do that only if you know what you are doing, and know in advance which other packages you need to install in order to have a working system. In the end, you will end up with most of the things included in gnome-core metapackage. So not something I would recommend to a newbie.
In addition, Flatpaks+minimal is a contradiction in itself. Flatpaks are used for things you absolutely need up-to-date and software which isn't in the standard repos.

As an example, yesterday libcurl4 upgrade on Sid broke my Viber .deb installation, so I needed to get it from Flathub instead.

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Re: Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

#10 Post by debiman »

i'm thinking of something clever to say that hasn't been said yet, just to subscribe to this thread.

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Re: Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

#11 Post by sunrat »

Wheelerof4te wrote: In addition, Flatpaks+minimal is a contradiction in itself.
Indeed. Flatpaks would be one of the least minimal ways to install applications.
debiman wrote:i'm thinking of something clever to say that hasn't been said yet, just to subscribe to this thread.
:D I reckon Flatpaks and Snaps are a Microsoft conspiracy. :twisted:
“ computer users can be divided into 2 categories:
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ”
Remember to BACKUP!

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

#12 Post by Wheelerof4te »

sunrat wrote:I reckon Flatpaks and Snaps are a Microsoft conspiracy. :twisted:
No, the entire GNOME DE is a one big Microsoft conspiracy. Why else are Linux people fleeing in droves to a more traditional Windows-style desktop experience? /s
:mrgreen:

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Chiefahol2
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Re: Best way to install minimal GNOME Stretch.

#13 Post by Chiefahol2 »

Wheelerof4te wrote:
Chiefahol2 wrote:So you would recommend avoiding the above method and simply using:

$ sudo apt install gnome-core
Yes. That will also install GNOME Software, which you can use to install other programs using convenient graphical interface, like a proud noob :D
Thankyou! Except this installation process led me to an unstable desktop that is constantly freaking out over file transfers and crashing/freezing. :P I saw this in Deb 10 KDE now i'm seeing the same stuff is happening in Deb 9 GNOME. It's horrible tbh. Here is a link:

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=137694

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