How to Optimize a Debian Installation for Minimal Disk Usage

Work in progress.

Packages

Optimize APT Configuration For Disk Usage

• Disable installation of recommended packages by default

Reduce Disk Space Used By /var/lib/apt/lists/

• Acquire::GzipIndexes "true";

• Disable deb-src lines from sources.list

• Don't use contrib und non-free if you don't need it

• Disable downloading Translations/Long Package Descriptions

• Run apt-get clean automatically

Finding Packages

Big Packages

• dpigs from debian-goodies

• aptitude -o "Aptitude::UI::Flat-View-As-First-View=true" -o "Aptitude::Pkg-Display-Limit=~i" -o "Aptitude::UI::Default-Sorting=~installsize" (does not yet work properly, see 814037)

Packages Which Are Only Recommended

• aptitude -o 'Aptitude::Pkg-Display-Limit=!?reverse-depends(~i) ( ?reverse-recommends(~i) | ?reverse-suggests(~i) ) ~M !?essential'

Unused Libraries

• aptitude -o 'Aptitude::Pkg-Display-Limit=( ^lib !-dev$ !-dbg$ !-utils$ !-tools$ !-bin$ !-doc$ !-progs$ !-clients$ !-examples$ !^libreoffice | -data$ | -common$ | -base$ !^r-base ) !~M ~i'

Removing Usually Unnecessary Packages

• debconf-i18n + multiple of its perl module dependenices

• nano

• aptitude

Replacing Default Packages With Smaller Ones

• systemd → sysvinit-core (-15 MB)

• openssh-server → dropbear

• vim or vim-tiny → nvi

• rsyslog → dsyslog or busybox-syslogd

Deduplication

• hardlink /usr/share/doc/ (hardlink)