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Idea #12410: Choose what application to install upon installation of system

bug This idea is a duplicate of Idea #412: Ubuntu Lite.
Written by znupi the 21 Aug 08 at 12:52. Related project: Live CD installer. Status: New
Rationale
This idea has derived from this one: http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/12379/ and the comments posted on it.

Upon installation of Ubuntu, you should be able to select what applications you want / need and what applications you don't want installed. This has two big advantages, from my point of view:

1. There's less disk space use -- more free space! Also, by copying lesser files to the hard disk, the installation could be quicker.
2. It offers the user more flexibility and choice. For example: someone could choose to have Thunderbird installed by default, instead of Evolution (in the GUI I imagine it like this: Install an Email Client -> List of Email clients to choose from). That would spare them the chore of uninstalling Evolution and installing Thunderbird by default (just an example).
3. Because the packages are on the CD, if the user decides later on he wants some application, he just pops the Ubuntu CD in and installs it. This spares him the download of packages from the net, which may be a pain if the user is on dial-up.

The GUI could also have some "Profiles" like "Default" -- the default Ubuntu instalation, "Minimal" -- no apps besides the GUI, "Office" -- All OO.o apps, Evolution, etc...

37
votes
closed
Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #12410
Written by znupi the 21 Aug 08 at 12:52.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #12410 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

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Comments
cheesehead (Brainstorm admin) wrote on the 21 Aug 08 at 15:02
Most of the comments in http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/12379/ apply here also.

Linux-user wrote on the 21 Aug 08 at 18:59
Yes, let us choose what to install and what not to install.

There are a few applications I never use, like:
- Evolution
- Ekiga
- Rhythmbox
- Pidgin
- Card games

I don't use them, so I don't need them at my system. Why have I to remove them manually? Why can't I just choose to not install these applications?

znupi wrote on the 21 Aug 08 at 20:22
@cheesehead: Why? The applications should be on the LiveCD, so they won't be downloaded (so dial-up users won't have to suffer from this). It's just that not all of them will end up on the hard disk, thus saving disk space.

Also, the applications should be installable from the CD later on if the user decides he needs some application.

borsook wrote on the 21 Aug 08 at 20:32
Isn't this a dupe of http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/12048/ ?
Anyway, yes, sure we shouldn't be forced to uninstall x programmes we don't use each and every time.

Eldmannen wrote on the 22 Aug 08 at 10:51
But Canonical wants the Ubuntu installer to be easy, I think.

Perhaps with a "Advanced" button.

znupi wrote on the 22 Aug 08 at 12:11
@Eldmannen: Of course :-)

borsook wrote on the 22 Aug 08 at 12:24
@Eldmannen - adding an "advanced" install would not change much, currently you have automatic and optional manual partitioning it does not bother anyone...

Paqman wrote on the 22 Aug 08 at 12:32
Debian have a net installer that does exactly this, and downloads the required packages straight from the repo.

znupi wrote on the 22 Aug 08 at 13:52
@Paqman: yes, but what about dial-up users? That would be like hell for them. That's why the packages should be on the CD, and not downloaded from the net.


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