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I am lucky that hard disk space is not an issue however there are applications that come with the Ubuntu distro that I will never use and I have preferences for other packa ges. For example I use K3B not Brasero for burning DVDs. Are there any LTS support or stability issues if I remove unwanted/unused packages from my system?

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For example Brasero is part of the meta package Ubuntu-desktop, http://packages.ubuntu.com/oneiric/ubuntu-desktop, Removing packages part of this meta-package will uninstall the ubuntu-desktop meta-package, while this dosn't really do much of anything to your desktop.

Customization is what linux is all about, use the program best for you, and remove the ones you don't want.

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  • doesn't removing the meta-package imply that he wont get the new programs associated with ubuntu-desktop installed by default ? That would mean his desktop would diverge more and more from the current ubuntu
    – josinalvo
    Jul 15, 2012 at 3:51
  • It re-installs on distribution upgrade.
    – Mateo
    Jul 15, 2012 at 11:19
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As long as the packages are from the Ubuntu repositories you should be good to go. You can always encounter a bug of course, but nothing wrong with your general plan.

If you are going to do customization, sometimes it is easier to start with a minimal install and build up.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/MinimalCD

There is a learning curve with building up from a minimal install, but once you get the hang of it, many people prefer minimal installs.

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  • Got it, but to clarify on the first part of my question "As long as the packages are from the Ubuntu repositories you should be good to go" means I should have no support issues
    – stephenmyall
    Apr 16, 2012 at 21:44
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    I think the standard software will in the long run provide support for the unity global menu. If you choose to use your preferred software you could end up with inconsistencies in the behaviour.
    – dago
    Apr 16, 2012 at 21:44
  • Depends on what you mean by "no support issues". The applications in the repos are the ones supported. You might have bugs, even difficult to solve bugs, or you might have to file a bug report upstream. If you install an application from outside the repos, you will need to look to the source of the package for support. For example there is minimal to no official support for a custom kernel.
    – Panther
    Apr 16, 2012 at 21:54

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