Trying to optimize OpenVZ Debian template(s)

TigersWay

Hi,

We have been talking a lot about this one the previous forum, but I'm still looking for a nice way to purge openvz Debian template(s) of everything not really needed... Not really minimal, but as much as possible.

I am working on a different idea:

aptitude install '!~i ?or(~prequired,~pimportant)' will install whatever was required or important and not yet installed.

aptitude purge '~i !~M !~prequired !~pimportant' will try to purge everything neither required nor important, but manually installed.

It's working not so bad, but because of some 'wrong' dependencies, I still have to find the 'right' solution to answer (and apply) the second part.

Any tip, or idea to improve this?
Thanks

TigersWay

Woow Really? No one has any idea?

maxexcloo

I worked on a nice simple script that did this, take a look:
http://www.github.com/maxexcloo/Minimal

TigersWay

Thanks @maxexclo. I also used this way, and some lines from @Dannix, but it does not satisfy my probably twisted mind :-)

I'm more around something like this right now (not yet 100% working):

aptitude -R install '?or(~prequired,~pimportant)' '~i !~prequired !~pimportant'_
aptitude install ssh

skagerrak

Doesn't a dpkg --clear-selections give you the most minimal system? You could get the list of needed software then via dpkg --get-selections > minimal.txt.

TigersWay

Well, dpkg is not very smart, you need to find a way to select your own set of packages (minimal.txt), which is only a copy of something you had to build manually first.
While aptitude seems to be a little bit better and offer a priority tag which allows to select the required and important packages.....

But I said "seems", because it does not totally work.