Barebones Linux install

Spyhop · 15 Feb 2008 at 19:14

Hi, I've got an idea to turn an ASUS eeePC in to a back to basics system for pootling around programming.

The eeePC comes with Linux, but I don't want the GUI or any of the other stuff that's bundled with it (I already have a standard laptop). I just want a barebones linux install with the command line and the few utilities that I need.

Is there such a distribution or an easy method to create an install like this? The main requirements are:

Able to be installed from a USB flash drive.
No GUI.
As small as possible - the eeePC has a only few GB total space on its SSD and I want it for my own files.
Includes text editor, gcc, make, etc.

Appreciate any advice

afraser2k · 15 Feb 2008 at 20:44

Debian.

Or pretty much any Linux should be capable of doing a command-line only option. Just check the online documentation for your chosen distribution and/or support forums.

.walls · 16 Feb 2008 at 00:42

afraser2k said:
...any Linux is be capable of doing a command-line only option

fixed that for you

gumbald · 16 Feb 2008 at 01:03

.walls said:
fixed that for you

"is be"?

.walls · 16 Feb 2008 at 09:57

haha... drunken typing... shouldn't be allowed

tntcoder · 16 Feb 2008 at 12:19

I have arch on my eee pc, works very well and the basic installation is as barebones as you want it to be

Dunks · 16 Feb 2008 at 13:49

Woops, ignore!

Spyhop · 24 Feb 2008 at 18:34

Thanks, dudes. I should have known that the popular ones would have minimal installs.

Though I have no idea how I should decide which one to use, given that they are presumably all entirely capable of the purpose at hand!