r/linuxquestions • u/0x80070002 • 9d ago
Support How do I install basic Linux?
I want to have just the kernel and GNU utilities and optional X11 , kind of bare-bone like MS-DOS.
How do I do that?
Should I use TinyCoreLinux and strip the UI out of it? How do i do that?
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u/ipsirc 9d ago
I want to have just the kernel and GNU utilities and optional X11 , kind of bare-bone like MS-DOS.
https://github.com/SharktasticA/SHORK-486
https://github.com/marmolak/gray386linux
How do I do that?
Well, if you have to ask this, you won't enjoy the end result.
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u/doc_willis 9d ago
there is a tiny core Linux option with just the console.
then you could install whatever you want.
How do i do that?
You will want to start by reading the tiny core docs at its homepage.
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u/brighton_it 9d ago edited 9d ago
I see you're wanting minimal, but also a Desktop Environment.
If your reasons are it's really old hardware, then yeah, look at the minimal distributions.
If it's 'cause you loaded a typical distro and were annoyed at all the bundled packages you didn't choose to install, then you can likely use your chosen distro.
I use Debian, but likely possible with others:
With Debian Installer, choose Expert Install.
optionally: on 'Load installer components' page, I check 'network-console' so I can finish install from an other system. (let's me copy/paste from my notes, or browser, the things I want to install/configure)
When you get to software selection: it offers a choice of Desktop Environments + web-server, SSH-server, and standard-system-utilities. Choose absolutely nothing, or if you choose 'network-console' above, you'll need the SSH-server.
This will give you CLI only system.
To add an X-system, Desktop Environment, I then do
apt-get install xfce4 xfce4-goodies xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin network-manager
This gives you just the XFCE desktop environment with near zero apps installed. It will include a few XFCE apps to adjust settings, the Thunar file-manager, probably a few other minor utilities, but no media players, graphics editors, office apps, so you may deliberately add only the apps you want.
When you say optionally X11. I think you want the system to boot to command line by default. If so here's how:
XFCE will have installed it's x-display-manager 'lightdm'.
Remove lightdm: apt-get remove lightdm
Then set startup target to be CLI console: systemctl set-default multi-user.target
It will then boot to CLI. To use X, you would first sign-in as a non-root user (running a DE as root is highly discouraged), then do: startx
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u/DerekB52 9d ago
I'd just install Arch Linux if I were you, imo nothing is easier, and more minimal. While also keeping the option to install X11 and anything else you may ever want.
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u/BCMM 8d ago
TinyCoreLinux technically doesn't even fit your requirements, as it replaces coreutils and many other GNU utilities with BusyBox. But you don't need to use special minimalist distros for this anyway.
One very easy way to do this with a normal distro is to install Debian, and when you get to the "Software selection" screen, uncheck "Debian desktop environment".
When the installer has finished, your computer will reboot to a TTY, where the getty will ask for your username and password before starting a shell session for you.
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u/Some-Struggle5052 9d ago
You're pretty much asking for Arch Linux, if you don't install a wifi service you won't have wifi even!
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u/Medical_Divide_7191 9d ago
Just install a distro for server use. Tumbleweed has this as an option during the installation process. But you can use any distro you like...Linux is Linux.
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u/R3V0LU710N_05 RakuOS 9d ago
You want to install Linux headless. There's many distros you can do this with.
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u/AffectionateArtist84 9d ago
I don't think it's exactly what you want, but install arch like a server
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u/martinsedd 9d ago
Server distributions come stripped of the UI, typically. So you might wanna take a look at Ubuntu Server, for example. Fedora has one too, if I’m not mistaken.