the needn't and the haven't

[Kent Frazier]

On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 14:22:21 +0100, josé ángel madrid gómez
<joseangelmadrid at gmail.com> wrote:
> Apart from the applications I use, I'm sure {at least my /usr/bin is
> full of them} there are hundreds of command-line applications, or even
> X-apps I have installed and I don't know. Sure there are some other apps
> which are just installed, as daemons or so, which are running the whole
> time.
> And I'm sure that I don't really need some of them.
> For example: Postfix? I'm not using my pc as a mail server, do I need
> postfix?
> Mutt? I just read the mail and news in thunderbird, do i need mutt?
> aptitude? If I have Synapctic...
> In conclusion, is there a way to know what can I make disappear in my
> Ubuntu instalation? {I mean, apart from try+error way}
> Of course, maybe I don't need them now, but I can need them in a future,
>  so, unless there is no way to download them, they should stay.

I would be careful about removing many of these programs.  I know
Aptitude has saved my ass several times when the GUI was broken and I
couldn't use Synaptic.  I imagine the same could apply to some of the
others.  If I remember correctly, postfix is used for some important
communication within the system, which is why it is included in the
default install.  Most programs without GUIs are pretty small anyway. 
Are you that low on space, or do you just feel cluttered having a
bunch of programs that you don't use?

Kent