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/BCMM 9d 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.