MiniSUSE

This project aims to have a very minimal system installation.

Something like a text mode with yast and live CD/DVD, and later minimal graphic subsystem.

We would like it to be a SUSE based. That means, you have to be able to install all standard software from normal repositories, with standard tools. The only change we would like to see would be to make some software available in smaller configurations, stripped of some esthetic and seldom used functionality, to de-bloat it.

Usage Profiles

User with basic needs, like email, basic Internet browsing to be able to follow links from email, occassionally writing and printing. Setup done by family Linux guru for grandma.
Low traffic servers. For instance experimental web service, personal web pages, home and small office network server for backup and printing, monitoring station used to monitor other servers that have to be visible from the net, and "give a call" to administrator in case of emergency.
Big and fast desktop with some very specialized usage that is even faster, because it doesn't use omnipurpose GUI.
what do you think?

Benefits

There are many benefits, some instant and other in a long run.

A chance for many talented people without access to newer hardware to install, and use SUSE Linux.
Better handling of software dependencies,
Many more specialized options during installation,
Better system responsiveness.

Discussion

Visit MiniSUSE Project Discussion page to add ideas and wishes. To discuss content of this page please use Talk:MiniSUSE (this is the same as "discussion" link at the bottom)
The opensuse@opensuse.org is the place to exchange ideas and experience about openSUSE and MiniSUSE, as part of it. To post you have to subscribe first. For instructions how to subscribe please visit Communicate page.
In the usenet, group news://alt.os.linux.suse is a good place to find people to discuss all about SUSE, so MiniSUSE will fit there, as long as the topic is kept within technical aspects of minimization. To be able to post to usenet you need news client like Knode, Thunderbird or some other that is included in SUSE Linux.

Project Plan

The motto is: "One step at the time".

Initial Stage

Make SUSE Linux Installer run installation on any 586 computer where operating system will run. This is partially done, see the tweaks page.
Advertise existence of project on mailing lists, news groups and on the web.

What we want is to quantify what is the minimum RAM in MB, minimum acceptable CPU speed in MHz, and time in hours and minutes needed for installation.

We are looking, also, for possible tweaks that will allow Installer to run faster with lesser hardware.

Please see MiniSUSE Project Initial Stage for details, other users comments, reports etc.

Once we finish this, we will be able to install SUSE on almost any generic 586.

Text Mode Optimization

What we want is to identify what software is absolutely necessary for running text mode SUSE Linux and what is recommended for different purposes. SUSE developers are doing great job for general purpose operating system that will run fine almost any imaginable task. We are looking for the smallest possible base that can be expanded just to satisfy one purpose.

Adding GUI

Once we have developed methods to control creation of software dependencies on as needed basis, and that is requirement to optimize text mode, we can apply the same to the GUI (X Server, desktop, applications).

References

Pointers to online and offline references. Please add yours.

Local

MicroSUSE aim is to make very small Linux. Starting with kernel, and continuing with applications. The project is in a very beginning and suitable for developers able to resolve compilation and dependency problems.
SLICK had bigger aim than MiniSUSE. The number of features would make it completely different distribution, unable to use standard SUSE software and management tools. It was abandoned in favor of 1_CD_Install, with similar goals, that also stopped soon after first iso image announcement.
MiniSUSE Collection of Articles is index of related information.
Xfce short article about slick desktop environment
X11:xfce project by Pnemec

External

The Linux on iPod has aim to produce open source support for iPod. They advanced pretty far by now. They gave proof of concept and answer on question how small can be a Linux system.
Make your own Live CD from any distribution you like using the script from this site.
The SLAX is Slackware based live CD produced with above mentioned script.