Why do I need mDNSResponder/howl?

[Aleksandar Milivojevic]

Erich Noll wrote:
> It seems to me that if you're getting more stuff installed with a given
> config than you want, what you really need to do is use the customized 
> config where you can pick and choose the bits and bytes you want.
> 
> If you really want a bare bones system, you can pick minimal from way
> at the bottom of customized on FC3 and I'll bet you don't get a lot of the
> stuff like pcmcia-cs and mDNSResponder/howl .  Then add just the exact
> additional packages you want to the minimal config.

Unfortunately, this is not how things work, and definetely not where FC 
is heading.

The reason lies in Core and Base groups of packages, that are always 
installed (Core+Base == minimal install).  While Core is more or less 
still small and clean (it could be a bit smaller IMHO), Base is getting 
more and more poluted.  In FC3, Base group become ridicilous.  There's 
so much garbage inthere.  Furthermore, some of the stuff from Base will 
pull (because of dependencies) more packages that are not listed in 
Core+Base.  It came to the point when minimal install includes stuff 
such as OpenGL libraries!?  It might be middle of the winter, but we 
can't afford to wait for spring for big cleanup!

On an example, the size of installed Core+Base system (both number of 
RPMs installed, and disk space needed) has doubled since Red Hat 7.3. 
99% of additional stuff is nothing but garbage that should be removed 
from Core and Base groups.  I've filled bug report on bugzilla last 
November, if anybody would like to follow up:

    https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=139364

There's also another thing tackled in that bug report.  Once upon a 
time, it was possible to install only Core group (by doing %packages 
--no-base in kickstart config file).  It seems that nowdays the option 
is ignored.  As if somebody wants to force us to have bloated systems...

-- 
Aleksandar Milivojevic <amilivojevic at pbl.ca>    Pollard Banknote Limited
Systems Administrator                           1499 Buffalo Place
Tel: (204) 474-2323 ext 276                     Winnipeg, MB  R3T 1L7