I’m trying to build a lightweight server using OpenSUSE 11.1. I don’t need to have any graphic environment at all, but I don’t seem to be able to de-select all of the core X11 packages during package selection.
Is X11 now considered to be mandatory, or am I missing some way to deselect this?
Thanks
Opensuse can and will operate without x11, I’ve done so when an install failed. For a headless install, I far prefer Debian(Lenny) or FreeBSD7.1. Both allow for installing a minimal base system and adding just those packages that are required. I think there is a lighter version of opensuse-11.1 floating around, but I haven’t seen anything about a console version.
Just burn the Net Install CD and boot with that, rather than a Live CD. I think you can set the DVD install to boot in text mode and avoid X11 to, but I’ve not actually done that.
The minimal system, is very minimal so it might be worth checking you have a vi(1). I’m not sure if you can install X client side, without X server stuff, but the package selection is actually very flexible. During install it notices orphans if you enable a package and then find it has too many dependencies.
Debian Lenny’s fine, but YaST & zypper are a fast and convenient, config & package management system, the main drawback of openSUSE on server in my view is the short life cycle.
also, I recommend SUSE studio for tuned server appliance where you only get your desired applications and bare minimum operating system Welcome – SUSE Studio
Hi. Thanks for the reply.
I know that it will operate without X11 running - I’ve already done this. The question is whether it’s possible to create a clean installation that doesn’t include X11. I’m sure that it would be possible to uninstall X11 after the installation process (by brute force if necessary), but it seems wrong to have to install and then uninstall it.
The reason for using SUSE rather than Debian, FreeBSD or OpenBSD is historical - I need to migrate some legacy systems that were originally built on SUSE 6.4 and have been incrementally upgraded since. I had hoped that sticking to SUSE would ease the move to a clean new install, but maybe not…
Did you install with the “minimal system” selection? I haven’t done this since 10.3, but IIRC X was not installed with that option.
gvm42 wrote:
> I know that it will operate without X11 running - I’ve already done
> this. The question is whether it’s possible to create a clean
> installation that doesn’t include X11. I’m sure that it would be
> possible to uninstall X11 after the installation process (by brute force
> if necessary), but it seems wrong to have to install and then uninstall
> it.
>
> The reason for using SUSE rather than Debian, FreeBSD or OpenBSD is
> historical - I need to migrate some legacy systems that were originally
> built on SUSE 6.4 and have been incrementally upgraded since. I had
> hoped that sticking to SUSE would ease the move to a clean new install,
> but maybe not…
One of my wireless test machines has too little memory to run X, and it does not
have a DVD reader. For it, I burned the NET CD and installed a text-only system
with no X components. The stub /usr/X11R6/ directories are there, but they are
empty. A ‘du /usr/X11R6’ results in a total usage of 12 Kb - 3 empty directories.
Larry
I didn’t see this as an option anywhere - does anyone know for sure whether it’s present in 11.1?
gvm42 wrote:
> mingus725;1944005 Wrote:
>> Did you install with the “minimal system” selection? I haven’t done
>> this since 10.3, but IIRC X was not installed with that option.
>
> I didn’t see this as an option anywhere - does anyone know for sure
> whether it’s present in 11.1?
I don’t recall a “minimal system” solution. When it asked what graphical system
I wanted, I selected “other”, which had a “text-only” option on the same screen
as KDE 3.5.
Larry
OK - I found it (on the “Desktop Selection” page, selecting “other”, reveals further choices, one of which is “Minimal Server Selection (Text Mode)”. I’d originally skipped over this (I was looking for “none” rather than “other”!)
Thanks to all who replied.
Yep, that’s what I meant - just didn’t recall the exact name. 