[Discussion] Possibility of removing games from the default GNOME desktop install

[hndf]

Hello,

first of all I want to thank the whole community and especially the maintainers for bringing and keeping such an amazing distro alive


Though I have personally found a good workaround by creating my own custom installation script installing a really minimalist GNOME environment - one thing that bothers me over and over again:
I often install new VMs for various purposes while traveling. I usually have a minimal netinstall ISO with me and then install a basic gnome installation inside a VM
However, the fun little games are always automatically installed but these are of no use for me as I prefer not to waste a lot of time gaming whenever possible

This makes my system bloated, steals mental focus when choosing the application I am looking for in the applications list.
Also I guess the also use up quite a bit of download size.
This is a problem - especially with low performing mobile data / limited data plans on cellular data - especially in Germany
Also, I guess it would be a general improvement on saving resources when the games would not be included in the default gnome installation but rather be an extra checkbox in the list of things to install in the initial installation wizard of debian

Is there a realistic chance this can be changed?

Best regards

[sunrat]

Just install the basic netinstall without a desktop environment and add a minimal one after booting to your install. gnome-core package may be what you are looking for, no games. https://packages.debian.org/bookworm/gnome-core

[jmgibson1981]

This is an interesting suggestion. I like it. I know I stopped using install media some time ago for this reason. Now I just do a debootstrap chroot build and once it's assembled reboot into it. gnome-core and a few other necessities are my defaults. I do similar if I'm doing an Ubuntu installation, in this case ubuntu-desktop-minimal package along with the other necessities such as kernel and stuff.

[None1975]

This is an interesting suggestion. I like it.

And if you want to have even fewer packages, install only the gnome-shell package. This way you will have a functional system with minimal gnome packages.

[hndf]

Yeah I know I can do that (and already do) but it would be so much easier when I could just click it that way and I don't have to wget and run an installation script from github after the install wizard finished and I boot into the system for the first time

[alancristhian]

What about group them all in the application picker? In a group named "Games" or "GNOME Games". I remember the first time I installed the desktop version of Debian, I didn't know which were video games and which weren't.