Ubuntu Plans to Ditch its ‘Minimal’ Install Option

[Beerislife]

Snap, crackle and pop...

The plan: a new “unified default install”. This, from the sounds of things, will focus on a “choose your own apps” experience. Not an awful ideal granted – it’s an approach I’ve seen many Linux users advocate for over the years.

The rub is that the new experience will be powered by Ubuntu’s all-new Snap Store app.

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2023/07/...lans-sound-meh

[Schwarzer Kater]

From the article:

The rub is that the new experience will be powered by Ubuntu’s all-new Snap Store app — and that won’t please everyone.

No, it won't if this will become true (and I understood the article correctly).
Sometimes Snaps can be useful, but if this also will be the only option for Kubuntu (and there really will be no work around or other option like installing the minimal system and ditching the Snap components afterwards), I will certainly have two more free partitions on my drives…
And I will leave *Ubuntu for good (not this forum, though ), and therefore will my few remaining Kubuntu customers.

It doesn't seem to be written in stone yet, does it?

[GreyGeek]

Me too .... ditto

[claydoh]

A little secret or factoid: the *buntu "minimal' install doesn't install less stuff, it actually uninstalls software from a list *after* the OS image is 'flashed' to the drive.

[Schwarzer Kater]

Yes, not the most efficient method - but so far it works.
That is why the "minimal" installation takes longer than the "full" installation, isn't it?

[claydoh]

Definitely. It does work, and is simple.

[Beerislife]

I'm a big fan of minimal installs, that's one reason I chose Neon! Apart from the latest KDE Plasma! 🤣🤣🤣

[oshunluvr]

I pine for the old days when you got to pick a list of what you wanted. Ubuntu server non-gui installer still does this but nowhere else that I am aware of.

[Schwarzer Kater]

Slackware.

[claydoh]

You can have the individual package installs at the expense of a fast install from a live image.
Both have advantages, I prefer the quick, mostly pre-configured live style myself.

or the old Mandrake install:

1. install disk
2. Wrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
3. please insert disk 2. Wrrrrrrrrrrrr
4. please insert disk 4
5. wrrrrr
6. We want disk1 again
7. wrr
8. insert disk 5 for a sec, please
9. wr. wirr wr

At least you know something was happening, for sure. That did provide some satisfaction, on top of the anticipation of it hopefully booting

[oshunluvr]

IIRC, that went on for something like 13 disks. At least it did back in '98 when I installed it from that stack of 3.5" disks, lol

[claydoh]

I had cds for Mandrake 7.1 and 2, circa 2000. Mandrake 7.0 I got a disk free in a magazine, a single CD. And the only one that was reliably installable.
The others I purchased had 5 cds iirc.

BeOS required a floppy to boot the OS, at least in a dual boot on my PC at that time, I missed much of the floppy disk era, other than the stack used in my Mavica camera.

[Beerislife]

Or the floppy disk install set for OS/2 Warp....

[oshunluvr]

Yeah I did that one two!!!