comprehensive directions to slim system

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1

Hi.

I’m once again getting a bit paranoid with my PC and now Linux’s the target.

every time I use

pstree

I get a listing which is far too long for me.

that’s the current one

init─┬─NetworkManager─┬─dhclient
     │                └─2*{NetworkManager}]
     ├─acpid
     ├─akonadi_control─┬─akonadi_birthda
     │                 ├─2*[akonadi_contact]
     │                 ├─akonadi_ical_re
     │                 ├─akonadi_maildir
     │                 ├─akonadi_maildis
     │                 ├─akonadi_nepomuk───{akonadi_nepomu}
     │                 ├─akonadi_vcard_r
     │                 ├─akonadiserver─┬─mysqld───21*{mysqld}]
     │                 │               └─13*{akonadiserver}]
     │                 └─{akonadi_contro}
     ├─amarok───22*{amarok}]
     ├─auditd───{auditd}
     ├─avahi-daemon
     ├─cannaserver
     ├─console-kit-dae───64*{console-kit-da}]
     ├─cron
     ├─2*[dbus-daemon]
     ├─dbus-launch
     ├─gam_server
     ├─gconfd-2
     ├─gnome-screensav───{gnome-screensa}
     ├─gnome-settings-
     ├─gvfs-afc-volume───{gvfs-afc-volum}
     ├─gvfs-fuse-daemo───3*{gvfs-fuse-daem}]
     ├─gvfs-gdu-volume
     ├─gvfs-gphoto2-vo
     ├─gvfsd
     ├─gvfsd-metadata
     ├─hald─┬─hald-runner─┬─hald-addon-acpi
     │      │             ├─hald-addon-cpuf
     │      │             ├─hald-addon-gene
     │      │             ├─hald-addon-inpu
     │      │             ├─hald-addon-rfki
     │      │             └─hald-addon-stor
     │      └─{hald}
     ├─irqbalance
     ├─kaccess
     ├─kactivitymanage
     ├─kded4───2*{kded4}]
     ├─kdeinit4─┬─firefox───firefox─┬─kmozillahelper───{kmozillahelper}
     │          │                   ├─plugin-containe─┬─npviewer.bin───3*{npv+
     │          │                   │                 └─{plugin-contain}
     │          │                   └─23*{firefox}]
     │          ├─kio_http_cache_
     │          ├─klauncher
     │          ├─ksmserver─┬─kwin───2*{kwin}]
     │          │           └─{ksmserver}
     │          └─xdg-su───kdesu
     ├─kdesud───kdesud─┬─su───kdesu_stub───yast2───y2controlcenter───2*{y2con+
     │                 └─{kdesud}
     ├─kdm─┬─Xorg
     │     └─kdm───startkde─┬─gpg-agent
     │                      ├─kwrapper4
     │                      └─ssh-agent
     ├─kglobalaccel
     ├─kmix───{kmix}
     ├─knetworkmanager───{knetworkmanage}
     ├─knotify4───6*{knotify4}]
     ├─konsole─┬─bash───pstree
     │         └─{konsole}
     ├─krunner───2*{krunner}]
     ├─kuiserver
     ├─master─┬─pickup
     │        └─qmgr
     ├─6*[mingetty]
     ├─modem-manager
     ├─mount.ntfs-3g
     ├─nepomukserver
     ├─nessus-service───nessusd───3*{nessusd}]
     ├─nscd
     ├─plasma-desktop─┬─ksysguardd
     │                └─3*{plasma-desktop}]
     ├─polkit-kde-auth───{polkit-kde-aut}
     ├─polkitd───{polkitd}
     ├─pulseaudio─┬─gconf-helper───{gconf-helper}
     │            └─2*{pulseaudio}]
     ├─rpcbind
     ├─rsyslogd───4*{rsyslogd}]
     ├─rtkit-daemon───2*{rtkit-daemon}]
     ├─2*[scim-bridge]
     ├─scim-helper-lau
     ├─2*[scim-helper-man]
     ├─2*[scim-launcher]
     ├─2*[scim-panel-gtk───{scim-panel-gtk}]
     ├─smartd
     ├─start_kdeinit
     ├─udevd───2*[udevd]
     ├─udisks-daemon─┬─udisks-daemon
     │               └─2*{udisks-daemon}]
     ├─upowerd───{upowerd}
     ├─wpa_supplicant
     └─yast2───y2base───{y2base}

Now some applications I know of and they have to run (e.g. scim)
but then there’s a bunch I have no knowledge of and trouble with extermination, e.g. akonadi, nepomuk (actually uninstalled with yast but still there), gam.

Is there any comprehensive guide(line) somewhere what and how one is allowed to discard w/o rendering the system unuseable (and by that I mean mainly a system w/o graphical interface).

I still have the “Windows-Policy” ’ what does not run can’t go awry’.

Any useful pointers, especially for all security-related stuff?

2

There isn’t a straightforward answer to your question. Many Linux programs are dependent on others for all their features; so it is not unusual to have programs installed which you never see as applications. In theory you could make a list of all the applications you use and go through their dependency list but they may routinely call programs which are normally available but not formally listed as dependencies and then there are all the programs that the system uses.

The obvious programs to cut out are unnecessary languages because openSUSE normally installs more than one language and software to manage hardware you do not have but, unless you are really pushed for space on /, it is difficult to see what you will gain.

There is no comprehensive guide because every Linux installation is tailored to the needs of the hardware and the user’s preferences. You don’t get a one size fits all installation.

3

What exactly makes you paranoid about the output of ‘pstree’? In case you do not know a process, you can google it, they are documented in some way or another.