Samac's Super Slimline Speedy Slackware

samac · 02-15-2009, 02:45 PM

Many threads have been written on the subject(so please don't get grumpy with me) of what is the smallest installation that I can have, however this is largely irrelevant as the installed minimal system will be able to do approximately nothing.

The following list is for a system with a purpose. It is a bootable minimal system that can download packages from the Official Slackware repository (using slackpkg) and the slackbuilds.org repository (using sbopkg).

All the packages listed are from a standard Slackware 12.2 install apart from sbopkg (a wonderful program by Chess Griffin) available here.

The packages are:

Code:

aaa_base-12.2.0-noarch-1
aaa_elflibs-12.2.0-i486-1
aaa_terminfo-5.6-noarch-1
bash-3.1.017-i486-2
bin-11.1-i486-1
binutils-2.18.50.0.9-i486-1
bzip2-1.0.5-i486-1
coreutils-6.12-i486-1
devs-2.3.1-noarch-25
dhcpcd-2.0.8-i486-1
dialog-1.1_20070930-i486-1
diffutils-2.8.1
e2fsprogs-1.41.3-i486-1
etc-12.2-noarch-1
findutils-4.2.31-i486-1
gawk-3.1.6-i486-1
gcc-4.2.4-i486-1
gcc-g++-4.2.4-i486-1
getty-ps-2.1.0b-i486-1
glibc-2.7-i486-17
glibc-solibs-2.7-i486-17
gnupg-1.4.9-i486-1
grep-2.5.3-i486-1
gzip-1.3.12-i486-1
kbd-1.12-i486-2
kernel-headers-2.6.27.7_smp-x86-1
kernel-huge-smp-2.6.27.7_smp-i686-1
kernel-modules-smp-2.6.27.7_smp-i686-1
lftp-3.7.4-i486-1
lilo
make-3.81-i486-1
module-init-tools-3.5-i486-1
nano-2.0.9-i486-1
net-tools-1.60-i486-2
network-scripts-12.2-noarch-4
openssl-solibs-0.9.8i-i486-2_slack12.2
pkgtools-12.1.0-noarch-7
procps-3.2.7-i486-2
rsync-3.0.4-i486-1
sbopkg-0.26.2-noarch-1_cng
sed-4.1.5-i486-1
shadow-4.0.3-i486-15
slackpkg-2.70.5-noarch-1
sysvinit-2.86-i486-6
sysvinit-scripts-1.2-noarch-26
tar-1.16.1-i486-1
udev-135-i486-2
util-linux-ng-2.14.1-i486-1
wget-1.11.4-i486-1
which-2.16-i486-1

There are some caveats:
You will only be able to compile the simplest of programs.
You will require to install dependencies and Slackware packages when you add programs to this list.
This is command line only.
You will have to modify it to suit your file system and hardware.
If you have an American keyboard you will not need kbd.
if you don't like nano or lftp, choose another editor and ftp client.
Lilo and grub are a matter of choice.

The next stage is a basic X setup, so if anyone has a minimal X list, please add it on.

Once the list is fully complete I intend to load the system into RAM at boot using isolinux and an intrd.

If that works I will have the makings of a live cd and also possibly an installable ramdisk version, if I can figure out how to make the filesystem both persistant and in RAM, so additions to the system stay on the hard drive.

samac

adriv · 02-15-2009, 03:04 PM

I would like to see a list of what's needed for a minimalistic Slackware with X, that can be used as a desktop computer (!) for every-day-use.
And (this is not unimportant), is such a list of packages in daily use faster than a full install, when you use a slim window manager like IceWM or Fluxbox?

TuxSurfer · 02-15-2009, 04:37 PM

Interesting! Great resource, thanks for this!

samac · 02-16-2009, 01:53 AM

Quote:

I would like to see a list of what's needed for a minimalistic Slackware with X, that can be used as a desktop computer (!) for every-day-use

Well if you use this as a base and then add what you need for a desktop computer, then you can do the tests.

I think the speed difference will be small, but a small system should have less to administrate.

samac

gegechris99 · 02-16-2009, 05:03 AM

Hello,

Code:

...
kernel-headers-2.6.27.7_smp-x86-1
kernel-huge-smp-2.6.27.7_smp-i686-1
kernel-modules-smp-2.6.27.7_smp-i686-1
...

Regarding the kernel packages, I'm not sure you need the "modules" package if you use the huge kernel.

I haven't checked the .config files, but huge kernel should mean that everything is compiled into the kernel so no need for any module.

samac · 02-16-2009, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Regarding the kernel packages, I'm not sure you need the "modules" package if you use the huge kernel.

I checked this out and dhcpcd doesn't work without the kernel modules. However checking this led me to find out that I required diffutils to be installed and that bind could be removed.

I have modified the list.

samac

samac · 02-16-2009, 06:22 PM

Here is X, well blackbox and xterm. This is as basic as it gets. You will have to edit /etc/inittab and run xorgsetup, but this should allow you to log in graphically.

Code:

blackbox-0.65.0-i486-4
encodings-1.0.2-noarch-1
font-alias-1.0.1-noarch-1
font-cursor-misc-1.0.0-noarch-2
font-misc-misc-1.0.0-noarch-3
fontconfig-2.6.0-i486-2
libICE-1.0.4-i486-1
libSM-1.0.3-i486-1
libX11-1.1.5-i486-1
libXau-1.0.4-i486-1
libXaw-1.0.4-i486-1
libXdmcp-1.0.2-i486-1
libXext-1.0.4-i486-1
libXfont-1.3.2-i486-1
libXft-2.1.13-i486-1
libXinerama-1.0.3-i486-1
libXmu-1.0.4-i486-1
libXp-1.0.0-i486-1
libXpm-3.5.7-i486-1
libXrender-0.9.4-i486-1
libXt-1.0.5-i486-1
libfontenc-1.0.4-i486-1
libxcb-1.1-i486-1
libxkbfile-1.0.5-i486-1
mkfontdir-1.0.4-noarch-1
mkfontscale-1.0.4-i486-1
pixman-0.12.0-i486-1
utempter-1.1.4-i486-1
x11-skel-7.1-noarch-6
xauth-1.0.3-i486-1
xdm-1.1.7-i486-1
xf86-input-keyboard-1.3.1-i486-1
xf86-input-mouse-1.3.0-i486-1
xf86-video-vesa-1.3.0-i486-2
xinit-1.0.8-i486-1
xkbcomp-1.0.4-i486-1
xkeyboard-config-1.4-noarch-1
xorg-server-1.4.2-i486-1
xterm-232-i486-1

Remember all you will be able to do is open an xterm.
You may have to install in a different order e.g. font-misc-misc will not install properly unless encodings, mkfontdir and mkfontscale are installed before it.

Boot time to X is 22 seconds.

If you want a bit more functionality install man, man-pages, groff, less and slocate. This will make finding things easier and learning how the commands work a doddle.

samac

kite · 02-17-2009, 01:51 AM

It is a interesting subject. It will be helpful if you could provide a tagfile for easy installation from official slackware installation DVD.

samac · 02-17-2009, 02:06 AM

I believe there is a script called something like tagfilegenerator.sh (though it might be something else). This is an easy way for you to generate tagfiles, if you want them. I don't use them myself, I usually do a full install then slim down the k's, i.e koffice, kde and the kernels. This thread is just me playing and learning, not a serious attempt at anything fork like, and after all it might be useful to someone.

samac

Alien Bob · 02-17-2009, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samac

I believe there is a script called something like tagfilegenerator.sh (though it might be something else).

The script http://www.slackware.com/~alien/tool...e_generator.sh checks your local /var/log/packages directory and creates a set of tagfiles that are a reflection of the installed system. Using these tagfiles in a new Slackware installation, you will end up with exactly the same packages installed on the new computer as you have on the original computer.

Code:

# ./tagfile_generator.sh -h
  -h              This help.
  -s <slackdir>   The slackware root directory, below which
                  you find the package directories a,ap,....y
  -d <destdir>    Destination directory for generating tagfiles

Eric

adriv · 02-21-2009, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samac

Well if you use this as a base and then add what you need for a desktop computer, then you can do the tests.

I think the speed difference will be small, but a small system should have less to administrate.

samac

I've seen your list ( a couple of postings above this one) and although I'm always interested in stuff like this, your idea of an X desktop doesn't fit my needs at all.

Guess it will allways be a matter of personal taste & desires.

Alien Bob's tagfile script is something to remember, thanks!

samac · 02-21-2009, 12:49 PM

Quote:

've seen your list ( a couple of postings above this one) and although I'm always interested in stuff like this, your idea of an X desktop doesn't fit my needs at all.

Of course it doesn't meet your needs, you are the only one who knows what you need. The above package lists will give you a base system that will boot into X and run an xterm, slackpkg and sbopkg. This is enough to allow you to create your very own installation with only the packages you need. No extras.

However as it will be your system, and you are the only one who knows what you need, you will have to be the one to do the work. I don't think that is too unreasonable.

samac

Noddegamra · 04-12-2009, 06:17 AM

Even though this thread is about 2 months old, I find it rather interesting.

And I would like to add just a few of my own notes, of course.

I tried this with -current (downloaded on the 27th of March, so not absolutely current

) and the one thing I noticed that 'ls' didn't work, because it couldn't load libcap.so.2. So it'd probably be a good idea to include the libcap package in the 'a' series if you don't want to remember the file contents of every directory.

I'll be trying it with 12.2 shortly.

If anyone wants, I could put up the tagfiles created from these lists (plus my addition), but they aren't that hard to generate using a slightly modified version of Alien Bob's script.

Alien Bob · 04-12-2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noddegamra

I tried this with -current (downloaded on the 27th of March, so not absolutely current

) and the one thing I noticed that 'ls' didn't work, because it couldn't load libcap.so.2. So it'd probably be a good idea to include the libcap package in the 'a' series if you don't want to remember the file contents of every directory.

I guess you are not -current enough then:

Code:

Tue Apr 7 20:12:35 CDT 2009
a/aaa_elflibs-12.34-i486-1.tgz: Added libcap, needed for coreutils.

Eric

Noddegamra · 04-12-2009, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alien Bob

I guess you are not -current enough then:

Code:

Tue Apr 7 20:12:35 CDT 2009
a/aaa_elflibs-12.34-i486-1.tgz: Added libcap, needed for coreutils.

Eric

Ahh, yes, that would do it. Thank you.

I must say, I love your mirror-slackware-current script.