live-build minibase iso of 1.9 GB in size???

["Michael ." <keltoiboy@gmail.com>]

On 21/09/2020, Michael . <keltoiboy@gmail.com> wrote:
> I am trying to build a minibase iso for a specific machine that I am
> testing builds on. I have attached relevant files to this message for
> people to look at to see if I have done anything wrong.
>
> The problem that I have is the iso, without an DE or WM, that is built
> is 1.9 GB in size yet I can build an iso that is not minibase with
> MATE of 1.3 GB in size.
>
This is the 2nd time I am trying to send this email off, the 1st time
it was blocked because I dared to attach some files for people to look
at if they wanted to.

So I've just built a totally fresh iso and it is down to 343.9 MB
which is alot compared to the 110 or so that is written about in the
live build manual. My auto/config is below can someone tell me how I
can get this smaller or is that impossible now due to the advances in
Linux? The reason I am asking is I am trying to make a very specific
build for very specific hardware and I really don't want a huge iso
when I am finished the final iteration. I initially thought the pool
and pool-udeb folders were part of the problem and to a certain extent
I still do because I do not understand why a minibase system without
anything else will require alsa-utils or why a "live" system needs
debs as though a normal install which installs from debs does. Anywho
this has me a bit perplexed.

#!/bin/sh

set -e

#_A="amd64" \ CPU Architecture i386 = 32 BIT (686 and 686-pae) amd64 = 64 BIT
_A="i386" \
#_AA="main contrib non-free" \ Archive Areas must have at least main,
contrib and non-free are optional
_AA="main contrib non-free" \
#_BIT="x86-64" \ x86 = 32 BIT system x86-64 = 64 BIT system
_BIT="x86" \
#_DD="buster" \ Debian Distribution e.g. buster
_DD="buster" \
#_D="Rugged" \ Debian Derivative Distro e.g. Cobber or Rugged
_D="Rugged" \
#_F="false" \ When the answer to a question is false
_F="false" \
#_FL="amd64" \ Linux Flavour as in BIT. Options (currently) are 686
686-pae amd64. Flavor MUST match _A="" (CPU Architecture) to work
_FL="686-pae" \
#_MB="http://deb.debian.org/debian/"; \ Repository Mirror to be used
_MB="http://deb.debian.org/debian/"; \
#_MS="http://security.debian.org/"; \ Security Repository Mirror, this
is usually always http://security.debian.org/ unless you are building
a non Debian system
_MS="http://security.debian.org/"; \
#_T="true" \ When the answer to a question is true
_T="true" \
#_DE="builder-choice" \ Desktop Environment or Window Manager used in
the build. Choices are Cinnamon, Gnome, KDE, LXDE, LXQT, Mate, TDE
(Trinity), XFCE, etc etc etc.
_DE="" \
#_WM="builder-choice" \ Window Manager used in the build. Choices are,
currently, Fluxbox.
_WM="" \

lb config noauto \
	--apt "apt" \
        --apt-http-proxy "http://localhost:3142/"; \
	--apt-indices "${_F}" \
	--apt-options "--yes" \
	--apt-recommends "${_F}" \
	--apt-secure "${_T}" \
	--apt-source-archives "${_F}" \
	--aptitude-options "--assume-yes" \
	--architectures "${_A}" \
	--archive-areas "${_AA}" \
	--backports "${_F}" \
	--binary-filesystem "fat32" \
	--bootappend-live "boot=live config quiet splash keyboard-layouts=us" \
	--bootappend-live-failsafe "boot=live components memtest noapic noapm
nodma nomce nolapic nomodeset nosmp nosplash vga=normal" \
	--bootloaders "syslinux" \
	--cache "${_T}" \
	--cache-indices "${_F}" \
	--cache-packages "${_T}" \
	--cache-stages "bootstrap chroot" \
	--checksums "md5 sha1 sha256" \
        --chroot-filesystem "squashfs" \
        --debootstrap-options "--variant=minbase" \
	--debian-installer "live" \
	--distribution "${_DD}" \
	--debian-installer-distribution "${_DD}" \
	--debian-installer-gui "${_T}" \
	--fdisk "fdisk" \
	--firmware-binary "${_F}" \
	--firmware-chroot "${_F}" \
	--gzip-options "-6 --rsyncable" \
	--hdd-label ""${_D}"Live" \
	--initramfs "live-boot" \
	--initramfs-compression "gzip" \
	--interactive "${_F}" \
	--iso-application ""${_D}"-Live-"${_DE}"" \
	--iso-preparer "Michael" \
	--iso-publisher ""${_D}" GNU/Linux" \
	--iso-volume ""${_D}" "${_DE}" "${_BIT}" $(date +%Y%m%d)" \
	--linux-flavours "${_FL}" \
        --linux-packages "linux-image" \
	--mirror-binary "${_MB}" \
	--mirror-bootstrap "${_MB}" \
	--mirror-debian-installer "${_MB}" \
	--parent-mirror-binary-security "${_MS}" \
	--parent-mirror-bootstrap "${_MB}" \
	--parent-mirror-chroot-security "${_MS}" \
	--quiet "${_F}" \
	--security "${_T}" \
	--source "${_F}" \
	--source-images "${_F}" \
	--system "live" \
	--tasksel "apt" \
	--uefi-secure-boot "enable" \
	--updates "${_T}" \
	--verbose "${_T}" \
	--win32-loader "${_F}" \
	--zsync "${_T}" \
"${@}"