On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 16:38:25 +0000, Carlos Rodrigues <carlos.efr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > I've tried to do a minimal installation of FC3, only to find that it > really isn't that minimal... So, my suggestion is: would it be possible > to have a really minimal installation option? I was thinking something > like the base installation of the BSDs. This comes up somewhat frequently. My understanding is that some people in the community have been working on making kickstart files and post-installation instructions to produce more minimal installs. Its a completely valid approach that people can use, and kickstart files provide a range of minimal install targets depending on the dedicate purpose once people are aware of kickstart. But if you want to make the anaconda installer's native concept of minimal more minimal then you have to re-work the comps.xml information that defines the groups anaconda uses. This isn't an unaccomplishable task, and my understanding is the red hat developers who oversee anaconda in fedora are willing to accept reasonable changes to the groupings which make the minimal option more minimal but do not affect the desktop or workstation install. But its going to take some concerted effort and concensous from community who want to see this change. Having everyone interested in making this happen individual offer small changes that the developers have to review is going to burn too much developer time that the developers don't have to spare. The real reason the minimal install option isnt better is more a matter of priorities than complete uninterest. If community members who want to see this changed can work together and provide something concrete for a groups.xml file that can be reviewed, things might actually move forward. What i personally would love to see from community members who are interested in enhancing the minimal install option in anaconda is to start publishing alternative comps.xml files that can be used to generate new iso images that other people in the community can test and try out and then give feedback on. The goal being... to craft a new comps.xml file that ONLY changes the minimal install.. but leaves the rest of anaconda functioning exactly the same. The same desktop and workstation install behavior would absolutely be a must. And keeping the visible groups in custom install the same would be desirable as well. There's no reason why interested community members can't learn how to edit the groups defined in comps.xml and try to do some coherent testing of changes before asking for the changes to be included in fedora. -jef
