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mezgani
Asked: 2009-10-23 10:22:40 +0800 CST

Tools to install after a minimal linux install

  • 772

When you finished installation of your linux machine, what are the first packages that you install, and what are the tools that you get first ?

In my Debian box, I get pv, screen, ccze, ... like this 


apt-get install pv screen ccze
Please send your feedback.

linux

11 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    On every host I setup I install these.

    apt-get install openssh-server sudo screen iproute resolvconf \
                build-essential tcpdump vlan mii-diag firehol \
                apticron atsar ethtool denyhosts rdist bzip2 xclip \
                etckeeper git-core less unzip mtr-tiny curl gdebi-core \
                xbase-clients rsync psmisc iperf lshw wget pastebinit
    • 10

  2. I like Zoredache's list, so I would add these to that list:

    zsh
nmap
scapy
vim

    For non-packages:

    vmware server 1.x
    • 9

  3. I don't use apt-get anymore!

    aptitude -R install vim lsof htop bash-completion less ncftp ssh iostat debian-goodies

    after that, some basic settings:

    echo "source /etc/bash_completion" >> ~/.bashrc
echo "alias ..='cd ..' >> ~/.bashrc
echo '"\e[A": history-search-backward' >> inputrc
echo '"\e[B": history-search-forward' >> inputrc
update-alternatives --set editor /usr/bin/vim.basic
    • 4

  4. in most cases:

    apt-get install screen fail2ban mtr-tiny less

    selectively

    apt-get install tcpdump

    and.. i just cannot help

    apt-get install mc
    • 2

  5. Don't forget to add 'lsof' to the list. That command is so handy.

    • 2

  6. That depends entirely on what you need. If I do a minimal install it's for the purpose of keeping the installation as trim as practical. Therefore, only those tools required on that particular machine will get installed. Perhaps the only thing my machines have in common is Pico, because I just can't come to grips with vi and I do need some kind of text editor that I can use.

    Remember that once you start adding some kind of standard list of tools, whether they are actually required on that specific machine or not, you no longer have a minimal installation.

    • 2

  7. lsof, bind9-host, moreutils and htop are first to go in on my newly set-up machines.

    For extra points, one can make an empty debian package called "my-server-base" which depends on all the packages you want on each box, then just install that on each machine you set up.

    • 2 
  8. sudo apt-get install psmisc pwgen rsync file host dnsutils lsof
    • 1

  9. I normally try to get buy with only what I need. At a bare minimum: openssh, rsync, ntp, and screen. Everything else is "as needed".

    Unfortunately, it seems that lately, quite a bit more is needed. So: build-essentials, postfix, lsof, clamav, tripwire, nrpe, and cfengine have also made the list.

    • 1

  10. dstat, Ksar, iostat, mytop, iotop, vmstat, sysstat, nmap, fail2ban, mtr, clamav, chrootkit, els

    • 1