Thumb drive installation, minimum size

[p.echols at comcast.net]

----- Original Message -----
> From: "Nils Kassube" <kassube at gmx.net>
> To: ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com
> Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 10:31:38 PM
> Subject: Re: Thumb drive installation, minimum size
> Patton Echols wrote:
> > On 01/12/2012 01:42 PM, Nils Kassube wrote:
> > > P. Echols wrote:
> > >> I plan on installing 8.04 on a thumb drive.[0] This will be a
> > >> full, not a "live" install. The purpose is to run a USB video
> > >> converter, so it will probably need swap space somewhere. The
> > >> data files that ate created will go on a separate partition or
> > >> USB drive that'll be mounted when needed.
> > >
> > > Kubuntu 8.04 would fit easily on a 4GB USB stick, unless you plan
> > > to install a lot of things more than the default packages. I don't
> > > think that Ubuntu needs more space.
> >
> > Interesting, I like your answer better than Jon's since i already
> > have a spare 4gb stick laying around. I also have an xbuntu 8.04 CD
> > laying around. That should be smaller still, right?
> 
> Yes, I suppose Xubuntu needs a bit less space. But IMHO the main
> advantage of Xubuntu in your situation is the smaller memory footprint
> which makes it less likely that the system needs to swap. Swapping to
> flash memory (USB sticks are flash memory) is not what you want
> because
> of the slow write speed of the standard devices.
> 
> 


Hmmm, good point.  Do you know of things that would be part of a standard install that I can safely delete?  By "things" I mean memory users that are not needed for my purposes.  Basically the only thing that this install will do is run the particular video converter.  So I'll never need networking.  But I don't want to break it right after I install it either.

Thanks -- PE