First of all, drop the pearl-clutching and look at the actual engineering. Calling a legitimate complaint about a broken deployment workflow "abuse" is a lazy way to avoid admitting that the default installer behavior is deeply flawed. Second, you are completely misinterpreting the problem. This isn't a request for a granular, package-by-package aptitude clone inside the installer. The issue is entirely about the broken, automated behavior of the default installation wizard. Let’s look at how the default path actually behaves, because telling users they are "holding it wrong" completely misses the mark.
The default installer wizard completely circumvents the user by hiding the critical software selection screens during the main setup loop. It makes a massive, heavy assumption about the target system and automatically queues up a desktop environment without ever explicitly prompting the administrator with a choice like, "Are you deploying a desktop or a headless server?" Claiming that an experienced admin should "just use preseeding" to avoid unwanted bloat is a total failure of basic installer design. Preseeding is an external automation framework. The native, interactive default wizard should be capable of standing on its own. It shouldn't require an external configuration layer or a hidden "expert mode" just to prevent an unwanted GUI from being stealth-installed by default. The flaw is entirely in the default installer’s lack of explicit prompts. The wizard should explicitly ask the user what type of deployment they want up-front, rather than automating a bloated desktop environment by default and forcing administrators to look for hidden advanced workarounds. Fix the default wizard's behavior instead of deflecting. On Saturday, September 5th, 2026 at 12:48 PM, Marc Haber <[email protected]> wrote: > [Hi Listmasters, and community team, please check whether Debian members > must endure such abuse by an anonymous drive-by troll. I do understand > that it is not an option to blacklist protom.me completely and that this > individual will come by with the next throwaway mail address next time] > > This being said, Dear Anonymous, > > On Sat, Sep 05, 2026 at 04:05:23PM +0000, Fix The Debian Installer > wrote: > >Whoever decided to eliminate granular package selection and force > >everyone into broad, opaque tasksel bundles > > that decision was taken two decades ago. It was never different in > Debian Installer. Please explain what you mean by "eliminate". > > It was never the intention of the Debian installer to act like aptitude. > > And, chances are big that you're just holding it wrong. > > >completely missed the point of basic system architecture. Forcing an > >experienced administrator through an automated bottleneck that defaults > >to heavy desktop bloat, only to require them to manually purge that > >junk post-boot, is an utterly broken and brain-damaged workflow. > > You're free to not install any task by removing the check marks from > everything. Then you'll end up with a useable base system and you're > free to exercise your freedom to do fine-grained package installs using > our fine command-line tools like apt and aptitude. > > If you want to strip down your base system even more, I'd recommend > installing debfoster, setting the Priority of debfoster to required and > to run debfoster. Be sure to not remove too much of your system. > > Next time, kindly ask the user support mailing lists if you need this > level of user support. And try to be a bit more friendly. If your next > message doesn't try that, you'll be at least ignored. > > Greetings > Marc > > -- > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Marc Haber | "I don't trust Computers. They | Mailadresse im Header > Leimen, Germany | lose things." Winona Ryder | Fon: *49 6224 1600402 > Nordisch by Nature | How to make an American Quilt | Fax: *49 6224 1600421 >
