On Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:14:02 +0000, Invisible wrote:

>>> Tried OpenSUSE. (My dad is still using it, in fact.) I quite like YaST
>>> (especially the way you can run it without needing X). The latest
>>> version seems to have done away with the "minimal text-mode install".
>>> (Or at least, it's not very "minimal" any more!)
>> 
>> It's still there.  I've run that install myself a few times - it might
>> be under the "custom" options where the DE selection is made.
> 
> I used it to set up an old brick laptop and run it as a print server
> once. (Basically I had a printer that can only be connected via USB.
> Plugged it into a laptop, plugged the laptop into the network, operate
> the laptop by SSH. Works great!) And since YaST can be operated in
> text-mode, I was able to control it using simple SSH. (I.e., I didn't
> have to figure out how to tunnel VNC over SSH or anything weird.)

I have a Compaq Evo that I set up as a print server here using text mode; 
I ultimately did add X to it (not to run locally but so I could use X 
apps via SSH.

> As I recall, the "minimal text mode" install gave you the barest minimum
> to have a working system. It seems now there's a "text mode server"
> option, but it still installs a whole crapload of stuff. I was trying to
> set up a VM and I wanted the install that would take the least amount of
> time. It didn't work too well...

That's what individual package selection is for.  I tend to start with 
the text mode server and remove the stuff I don't need.

>>> (Although I must say, I'm never really sure what the actual
>>> *difference* is between releases of Linux distros - apart from the
>>> artwork usually being slightly different.)
>> 
>> That's what the changelogs are for - to tell you what's new.  And the
>> readme files. ;-)
> 
> Where do you *find* that stuff though??

On the DVD, via Google.....On the website for the distribution.

Jim

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