10254
Comment: fix the removal code. grub and initramfs-tools should not be removed
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11648
fix typo
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Deletions are marked like this. | Additions are marked like this. |
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It may be useful to reduce the size of the installation footprint on Embedded systems, or on older computers or laptops with limited drive space, or in cases where a small installation is preferred. | It may be useful to reduce the size of the installation footprint on Embedded systems, or on older computers or laptops with limited drive space, or in cases where a small installation is preferred. Minimal systems in general also carry security benefits because fewer packages means that there are fewer security exploits available. |
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* Except essential packages {{{aptitude search '!?essential'}}}, you can remove what you don't need. | * Except essential packages ({{{aptitude search '?essential'}}} or {{{dpkg-query -Wf '${Package;-40}${Essential}\n' | grep yes}}}), you can remove what you don't need. |
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* DebianPkg:aptitude | * DebianPkg:aptitude TUI package manager |
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* DebianPkg:base-config | |
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* DebianPkg:bc | * DebianPkg:bc Cli calculator |
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* DebianPkg:cupsys-client Not needed by cups * DebianPkg:cupsys-bsd Not needed by cups * DebianPkg:cupsys-driver-gutenprint Not needed by cups * DebianPkg:cupsys-pdf Not needed by cups |
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* DebianPkg:gcc-3.3 | |
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* DebianPkg:gnupg | * DebianPkg:gnupg GNU privacy guard |
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* DebianPkg:nano Free Pico clone | * DebianPkg:nano Terminal text editor |
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* DebianPkg:unzip | |
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* DebianPkg:zip | |
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apt-get purge aptitude | |
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apt-get clean | |
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* DebianPkg:setmixer (replaces aumix) | * DebianPkg:alsa-utils (replaces DebianPkg:pavucontrol) |
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== Remove unnecessary packages in general == DebianPkg:Apt has an inbuilt feature to remove files that are no longer required by your system. Run the following command to remove unnecessary packages: {{{ # apt autoremove }}} Unfortunately, apt does not always manage to find and purge all unused files. This can be a problem particularly when a program has been installed outside of apt (such as with `make install`). Therefore, the best solution to removing unnecessary packages is to not install them in the first place. DebianPkg:deborphan is a useful package for finding any other unnecessary packages in the system. To find such packages run: {{{ deborphan --guess-all }}} Be careful when removing suggested packages, as they may have package dependencies that may still required by your system. Packages can be deleted manually if needed be and you know what you are doing. Just be sure to know exactly what is being removed by checking the packages information: {{{ apt show <package name> }}} When removing packages, make sure to [[https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian#Don.27t_blindly_remove_software|not break Debian!]] |
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== Remove unnecessary cups dependencies == During installation of DebianPkg:cupsys, the Debian installer may attempt to drag in unnecessary package dependencies. The cupsys daemon can function without these optional components, and they can be deselected from installation: * DebianPkg:cupsys-client * DebianPkg:cupsys-bsd * DebianPkg:cupsys-driver-gutenprint * DebianPkg:cupsys-pdf * DebianPkg:foomatic-filters * DebianPkg:hplip * DebianPkg:smclient |
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create `/etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/compress` with the content {{{ COMPRESS=xz }}} |
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* /lib/xtables/libip6t_DNAT.so * /lib/xtables/libip6t_DNPT.so * /lib/xtables/libip6t_MASQUERADE.so * /lib/xtables/libip6t_NETMAP.so * /lib/xtables/libip6t_REDIRECT.so * /lib/xtables/libip6t_SNAT.so * /lib/xtables/libip6t_SNPT.so |
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== Compress binaries/libraries using UPX == If they don't reside on btrfs with transparent filesystem compresssion on. Do this with care, some systems are not supported by UPX, and some binaries break. See: https://packages.debian.org/upx-ucl |
Reducing the size of the Debian Installation Footprint
It may be useful to reduce the size of the installation footprint on Embedded systems, or on older computers or laptops with limited drive space, or in cases where a small installation is preferred. Minimal systems in general also carry security benefits because fewer packages means that there are fewer security exploits available.
Contents
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Reducing the size of the Debian Installation Footprint
- Remove non-critical packages
- Reconfigure apt so that it does not install additional packages
- Replace packages with smaller equivalents
- Remove unwanted files at install time
- Remove unnecessary packages in general
- Remove unnecessary locale files
- Remove foreign language man files
- Remove unnecessary kernel modules
- Build a smaller kernel using fewer options
- Reduce the size of the X installation footprint
- Reduce the size of the initramfs
- Remove unnecessary ipv6 files
- Remove /etc/alternatives
- Replace the getty processes with the ngetty single process daemon
- Use busybox built-ins instead of full packages
- Rebuilding packages using the Tiny C Compiler
- Compress binaries/libraries using UPX
Remove non-critical packages
Except essential packages (aptitude search '?essential' or dpkg-query -Wf '${Package;-40}${Essential}\n' | grep yes), you can remove what you don't need.
The following packages are non-critical and can be removed:
aptitude TUI package manager
bc Cli calculator
dhcp DHCP Client
dhcp3-client DHCP Client
dhcp3-common DHCP Client
doc-debian Debian Project Documentation
doc-linux-text Linux How To and FAQ Documents
eject Eject compact disks
fdutils Floppy Disk Utilities
file Determines file type
foomatic-filters Not needed by cups
groff Additional files to supplement groff-base
gnupg GNU privacy guard
gnu-efi Extensible Firmware Support
grub Grand Unified Boot Loader
hplip Not needed by cups
laptop-detect Tool to detect whether system is being used on a laptop
libavahi-compat-libdnssd1 This is required by cups
libc6-amd64 Not recommended for generic 486 machines using generic IA32 architecture
libc6-i686 Not recommended for generic 486 machines using generic IA32 architecture
mtr-tiny Full screen traceroute
nano Terminal text editor
ncurses-term Additional terminal type definitions
ppp Point to Point Protocol
pppconfig A text menu for configuring PPP
pppoe PPP over ethernet driver
pppoeconf Configures PPP/ADSL connections
read-edid Information collection for plug and play monitors
reportbug Debian Bug Reporting Tool
smclient Not needed by cups
tasksel An initial installation tool
tcsh C Shell
vim-common Alternative vi editor engine
vim-tiny An alternative vi editor
w3m Terminal Based World Wide Web Browser
The following packages cannot be removed, even though marked as optional:
busybox (This is currently required by the kernel due to a dependency bug)
# Remove non-critical packages (don't remove busybox -> don't sure if this ist still a problem on debian 7) # ~i -> list all installed packages # !~M -> don't list automatic installed packages # !~prequired -> don't list packages with priority required # !~pimportant -> don't list packages with priority important # !~R~prequired -> don't list dependency packages of required packages # !~R~pimportant -> don't list dependency packages of important packages # !~R~R~prequired -> don't list dependency packages of dependency packages of required packages -.- (two levels should be enough. Have not found a recursive option) # !~R~R~pimportant -> ... required packages # !busybox -> don't list busybox # !grub -> don't list grub (we need a boot manager. If LILO or something else is used change this) # !initramfs-tools -> don't list initramfs-tools (else the kernel is gone) apt-get purge $(aptitude search '~i!~M!~prequired!~pimportant!~R~prequired!~R~R~prequired!~R~pimportant!~R~R~pimportant!busybox!grub!initramfs-tools' | awk '{print $2}') apt-get purge aptitude apt-get autoremove apt-get clean
Reconfigure apt so that it does not install additional packages
Add the following entries to the /etc/apt/apt.conf configuration file:
APT::Install-Recommends "0" ; APT::Install-Suggests "0" ;
Replace packages with smaller equivalents
- Replace packages with smaller equivalents :
debconf-english (replaces debconf-il8n)
levee (replaces nvi and vim-tiny)
lpr replaces lpr-ng or CUPS)
madplay (replaces mpg123, mpg321 and mp3-decoder)
mutt (replaces GUI MailUserAgent: Evolution, Thunderbird)
alsa-utils (replaces pavucontrol)
irssi (replaces GUI IRC clients)
dash (replaces bash, this currently breaks)
Remove unwanted files at install time
Unwanted files, like most of the files from the following sections, can be removed at install time by using dpkg filters, see dpkg(1) --path-exclude and --path-include options.
Remove unnecessary packages in general
Apt has an inbuilt feature to remove files that are no longer required by your system. Run the following command to remove unnecessary packages:
# apt autoremove
Unfortunately, apt does not always manage to find and purge all unused files. This can be a problem particularly when a program has been installed outside of apt (such as with make install). Therefore, the best solution to removing unnecessary packages is to not install them in the first place.
deborphan is a useful package for finding any other unnecessary packages in the system. To find such packages run:
deborphan --guess-all
Be careful when removing suggested packages, as they may have package dependencies that may still required by your system.
Packages can be deleted manually if needed be and you know what you are doing. Just be sure to know exactly what is being removed by checking the packages information:
apt show <package name>
When removing packages, make sure to not break Debian!
Remove unnecessary locale files
The introduction of LanguagePacks (tdebs) may also help in reducing the size of the installation footprint.
It is recommended that the number of locale configurations installed is kept to a minimum. By limiting the number of locale files built you can save 90% of the space taken up by storing these systems on your system and saves the compilation time for building the locale settings for each package. A side effect or reducing the number of locale options is that the compilation of the glibc library gets a lot faster.
ToDo: complete this section
Note: See the dpkg filters.
Remove foreign language man files
With appropriate privileges, it is possible to remove the foreign man pages as follows:
rm -rf /usr/share/man/?? rm -rf /usr/share/man/??_*
Note: See the dpkg filters.
Remove unnecessary kernel modules
Build a smaller kernel using fewer options
Reduce the size of the X installation footprint
- You can remove the packages xserver-xorg-video-* that you don't use. you should still keep xserver-xorg-video-vesa.
Reduce the size of the initramfs
create /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/compress with the content
COMPRESS=xz
Remove unnecessary ipv6 files
If you are using only [ipv4] internally, then the following [ipv6] files can be removed:
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_ah.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_dst.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_eui64.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_frag.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_hbh.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_hl.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_HL.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_icmp6.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_ipv6header.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_LOG.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_mh.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_REJECT.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_rt.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_DNAT.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_DNPT.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_MASQUERADE.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_NETMAP.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_REDIRECT.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_SNAT.so
- /lib/xtables/libip6t_SNPT.so
Remove /etc/alternatives
If your applications have been mapped using traditional methods, then it is possible to remove the /etc/alternatives directory.
The gain is extremely minor, and there's no much point in doing this.
Replace the getty processes with the ngetty single process daemon
The getty processes can be replaced by the ngetty single process daemon to reduce virtual memory utilization:
Use busybox built-ins instead of full packages
You can use the tiny busybox tools instead of installing full packages. Run busybox to see which applets are available. man busybox gives you details on each applets and which parameters are supported. e.g. busybox df starts the df applet from busybox.
Add busybox less to the Debian Alternatives System as pager
Debian Alternatives System doesn't link to two words like "busybox less". If you just create a symbolic link in /usr/local/bin (ln -s /bin/busybox /usr/local/bin/less) then every time you call less, busybox less will be started since echo $PATH
- /usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
The solution is to create a shell script named busybox.less that calls "busybox less $@".
cd /usr/local/bin echo /bin/busybox less \$\@ >busybox.less chmod +x busybox.less echo 'export PAGER="pager" >>/etc/profile #pager without -s because busybox less doesn't support -s (--squeeze-blank-lines), default is "pager -s" update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/pager pager /usr/local/bin/busybox.less 40 \ --slave /usr/share/man/man1/pager.1.gz pager.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/busybox.1.gz update-alternatives --config pager #activate "busybox less" manually
Rebuilding packages using the Tiny C Compiler
Rebuilding packages using the Tiny C Compiler does not reduce size of packages. Differences between tcc and gcc
Compress binaries/libraries using UPX
If they don't reside on btrfs with transparent filesystem compresssion on. Do this with care, some systems are not supported by UPX, and some binaries break. See: https://packages.debian.org/upx-ucl