On Wed 09 Sep 2020 at 08:27:13 (-0500), Richard Owlett wrote:
> IIUC the goal of Debian designers might be summarized as maximizing
> functionality for the broadest possible audience. And when there is a
> large enough audience for "power tools" there are Debian Pure Blends.
>
> That works very well *most* of the time.
>
> But when it doesn't, it is VERY annoying ;{
>
> Problems include:
> 1. Download bandwidth or data cap constraints.
> {aggravated by treating "recommends" as "depends"}
I assume you're just talking about the installer again when you say this.
> 2. Very large undesired packages {e.g. LibreOffice}
Don't install them, then.
> 3. Applications cluttering menus for which one uses a better
> alternative. {I prefer SeaMonkey over Firefox}
AFAICT you can define menus to contain whatever you like, can't you?
> My proposed alternative is to leave unchecked all options on the
> "Software Selection" menu[1] and create appropriate pseudo-packages to
> be installed with "apt-get --no-install-recommends"
If that floats your boat. Why not just remove the packages you can't abide
when the installer finishes its job, the job it was designed to do in a
simple and reliable manner.
> MY QUESTIONS
>
> 1. How do I find which packages are explicitly installed by checking a
> specific box {primarily Mate}?
You add two small items to the hundreds of occasions on which you've
installed Debian. First, install with MATE checked. Second, install
without it checked. (Or in the opposite order.) Compare the output
of dpkg -l from the two installations.
Of course, you'll say that you only want to know which packages the
installer specifically demanded, and not those brought in as dependencies.
In which case, read the source of the d-i itself. As you run it so often,
it might be worth perusing in its own right, just for interest's sake.
After all---If retirement is not for learning, what use is it?
> 2. How do I search the repository for those packages that have a
> priority “standard”? [2]
Use dpkg-query with $Package and $Priority and grep for standard.
You'll need to set --admindir appropriately.
> 3. Especially when installing from an .iso on a flash drive, how do
> I run apt-get before closing the installer?
As I've had no need or desire to do that, I have no idea how the
regular apt-get would behave when run on a system that hasn't been
"finalised" (for want of a better term). AIUI many of the programs
that run in the d-i are hacked-about versions installed from udebs,
or wrapped up in the swiss-army penknife, busybox. Perhaps just be
patient and let the d-i "close".
> [1] Figure 4.13 of
> https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-handbook/sect.installation-steps.en.html
> [2] 6.3.5.2. Selecting and Installing Software
> https://www.debian.org/releases/jessie/i386/ch06s03.html.en
Cheers,
David.
