Ubuntu Mini-RAM HOWTO

[azz]

"You'd likely end up with a smaller system using Debian"

Not really.  I have tried it on my 167Mhz laptop.  The base system is
pretty much the same on both. 

"Are any of the user-friendliness features of Ubunut lost by doing a
custom install?"

That depends on what you install.  Maybe a minimal install could
include things like gnome-system tools since will only notice the
sluggish reponse when you use those tools (which is not that often) 
You cannot expect to have all the benefits of Ubuntu with a minimal
install.

"when you apt-get progs using your method, are menus in Icewm
auto-updated to contain the new packages? "

Yes, if you install the menu package.

"Does automount of usb and other media still work?"  

I beleive that the volume-manager does not chew up that much cpu or
memory.  I will try that.  

"About the only thing Ubuntu might have going for it (if the
user-friendliness features get excluded using the custom install) would
be a newer kernel, which would certainly have to be apt-get(ted) doing a
custom install of Debian, whereas it would be included in the custom
Ubuntu install."

Actually, Sarge installs with either a 2.4 or a 2.6 kernel.  They are
both offered in the base system.  The use must type linux26 to get it,
though.  Ubuntu also offers a stable release.  Although many packages
are installed from universe with such a minimal install, the security
updates from main are still relevant.


-- 
azz