From release notes for FC5T3 (web)

[Rahul Sundaram]

Tim wrote:

>I haven't used FC5, and the above seems in the wrong list, but I've
>found similar problems with prior releases.  You'd spend ages selecting
>packages, and it'd bomb out.  You had to spend ages selecting packages
>because it cannot be done quickly (the system is too slow).
>  
>
In previous release, system-config-packages basically didnt understand 
the concept of software repositories. Now it has been replaced by Pirut 
which uses the yum API.

>For mass installations, being able to configure it all to be done in one
>hit is an advantage.  But for individual users who might install an OS
>once in a blue moon, it's far easier if you install a *basic* system,
>get that to boot up normally, then run a package manager in a
>comfortable working environment.  Rather than some low res screen where
>your mouse doesn't work, and you only have slow speed access to a CD-ROM
>drive.
>
>Unfortunately it's not easy to do, the minimum install has no X.  The
>minimum install installs more than what I call minimum.  And installing
>X manually is not so easy, there's more X packages than you need.  
>  
>
I have been doing just that for previous releases using yum 
groupinstall.  Might want to check the man page and 
http://fedora.redhat.com/docs/yum/ for details. Pirut provides a 
graphical interface oriented towards the same package groups.  Note that 
Anaconda has different groups like base os and others which provide 
different kind of "minimal" environments.  The really minimal versions 
dont even install yum so that might be a bit of a pain to bootstrap later.

-- 
Rahul